California Basic Educational Skills Test

The California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) is a standardized test administered throughout the state of California and Oregon for individuals who want to teach at public schools and gain a credential. The test is designed to provide information about basic proficiency in reading, mathematics, and writing. The test is divided into three sections; the reading and math sections each contain 50 multiple-choice questions, while the writing section consists of two essay questions. The test must be completed in four hours, but test-takers may use that time to work on any or all of the three sections. Also, there is no limit to the number of times someone may take the test in order to pass, and test-takers do not have to pass all three sections at one sitting, but a $41 registration fee for paper-based testing ($102 for computer-based testing) must be paid each time the test is taken.

The California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) is a standardized test required by the states of California and Oregon for individuals seeking their first teaching or services credential. It was developed by the Commission of 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 Systems, Inc. (NES), under the direction of the CBEST Program. It does not test an individual’s teaching skills or abilities; it only test 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, but a passing score must be obtained in every section, in order to satisfy the California Education Code requirement and obtain the proper credential for employment as educator in the state of California or Oregon.

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. The CBEST is an additional requirement for obtaining a license or credential, and it does not replace the other requirements established for the issuance of teaching credentials.

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