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California Basic Educational Skills Test

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California Basic Educational Skills Test

The California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) is a standardized test administered in the state of California. It is available as an option in Oregon and Nevada. The test is intended to score basic proficiency in reading, mathematics, and writing. The test is divided into three sections: the reading and math sections each containing 50 multiple-choice questions; and the writing section, consisting of two essay questions. The entire test must be completed in four hours, and test-takers may allocate the time to each section at their discretion. There is no limit to the number of times the test may be taken. Test-takers do not have to pass all three sections in one sitting. A $41 registration fee for paper-based testing ($30 for each of the three sections in the computer-based testing) must be paid each time the test is taken.

The California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) is a standardized test which can satisfy the basic skills requirement for teacher credentialing in the state of California. The exam is also available as an option in Oregon and Nevada. It was developed by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to meet the California Education Code (Section 44254), which was amended by the legislature of California on February 1, 1983. This amendment "requires teachers, administrators, and other school practitioners, [to] demonstrate adequate proficiency, in English, of three basic skills: reading, mathematics, and writing." The CBEST is administered by the National Evaluation Series (NES), a division of Pearson VUE, under the direction of the CBEST Program. It does not test an individual’s teaching skills or abilities; it only tests reading skills (critical analysis, evaluation, comprehension, and research skills), mathematics skills (estimation, measurement, computation, and problem-solving, etc.), and writing skills that are considered important for a job in the education field, either at the elementary, secondary, or higher education levels.

The CBEST gives a separate score for each section tested, and a passing score must be obtained in every section to pass the test. Passing the CBEST is one way to satisfy the California Education Code basic skills requirement for obtaining a California teaching credential, required to teach in California public schools.

The CBEST format was implemented by the Oregon Teachers Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC) in July 1984 to assess the basic skills of individuals entering the education field. Six months after, it became a requirement for obtaining a license in Oregon as an educator. At the time it was implemented, it was an additional requirement for obtaining a license or credential, and it did not replace the other requirements established for the issuance of teaching credentials. While the CBEST remains an option in Oregon, as of June 11, 2011, the state legislature approved other methods for meeting the basic skills requirement in that state.

The CBEST consists of three sections, containing multiple-choice questions and two essay questions. Each multiple-choice question presents five choices (A through E) and examinees are given four hours to take the test. The time given can be divided among the three sections in any way desired.

The reading section contains 50 multiple-choice questions based on original passages of between 100 and 200 words. In some cases, these passages may be short statements of not more than one or two sentences. These questions measure the ability to understand the information given through the written word or in charts and graphs. They emphasize critical analysis, evaluation, comprehension, and research skills.

The critical analysis and evaluation portion is approximately 40 percent of the questions from this section, and the comprehension and research skills portion is approximately 60 percent of the questions from this section.

The mathematics section contains 50 multiple-choice questions that assess cumulative knowledge of the mathematics traditionally taught in elementary and high school and, sometimes, in college. These questions come from three broad categories: arithmetic, algebra, and measurement and geometry. None of the questions strictly tests computation, but computational skills are required throughout the test.

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