CBEST TEST SECTIONS

The three section of the CBEST are Reading, Mathematics, and Writing. The CBEST Reading and Mathematics sections consist of 50 multiple-choice questions each and the CBEST Writing section contains two essay topics.

Any individual who aspires to become a substitute or regular classroom teacher in the State of California is required to pass the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) as by law. A few other states such as Arizona, Oregon etc use the CBEST test as the credential needed for qualifying as a teacher. The time limit for completing the test is 4 hours. All three sections of the test can either be taken together or individually. By preferring to take the sections individually the student gains the advantage of having 4hour time period to complete each section. The draw back of taking the sections separately is that the student is required to pay the entire registration fee for every attempt on each section.

There is no restriction on the number of attempts the student makes. The minimum score of each section is 37-41 points. The entire test score should not be below the 123 score range.

Reading section

The reading section helps to evaluate the student’s ability to grasp the meaning of the given written passages, tables and graphs. The complexities of the resources used in this section differ, since they are taken from different walks of life. There is no need of special knowledge on the student’s part. A passage for reading is provided to the student to be understood. Based on the passage a total of 50 multiple-choice questions are presented. The questions from this section help asses the student’s critical analysis and evaluation, and comprehension and research skills. 40 percent of the questions are from the critical analysis and evaluation area, and 60 percent are from the comprehension and research skills area.

Mathematics section

The mathematical section also consists of 50 multiple-choice questions. The students are required to solve mathematical problems that asses their skills in estimation, measurement and statistical principles, computation and problem solving; and numerical and graphic relationships. The questions are usually formatted as word problems .About 30 percent of the questions are from the estimation, measurement, and statistical principles area; 35 percent from the computation and problem solving area; and 35 percent from the numerical and graphic relationships area.

Writing section

The writing section consists of 2 essay topics selected randomly from a variety of issues. The section requires the student to write both the essays, one of which deals with analysis of a given situation or statement, the other is a personal essay dealing with a personal experience.

There is no requirement of specialized knowledge on the student’s part to answer this section. Sometimes student find this section difficult to answer and schedule their maximum time to answer this section. The first part of this section which is the Personal essay, the student is asked to examine and discuss a famous or influential person or to write about an assigned topic that is reflective in nature. The personal essay is in the first-person format.

In the analytical essay the student is required to discuss a hot topic of major educational importance. Through this essay the student’s perceptive of California politics, educational trends, and public opinion are measured.

information on the CBEST test specifications, information on the eligibility of skills for testing in each section, can be downloaded from the CBEST Web site, www.cbest.nesinc.com.