California Basic Educational Skills Test

The test is intended to score basic proficiency in reading, mathematics, and writing.

The entire test must be completed in four hours, and test-takers may allocate the time to each section at their discretion.

[1] This amendment "requires teachers, administrators, and other school practitioners, [to] demonstrate adequate proficiency, in English, of three basic skills: reading, mathematics, and writing."

[2] 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.

Each multiple-choice question presents five choices (A through E) and examinees are given four hours to take the test.

The reading section contains 50 multiple-choice questions based on original passages of between 100 and 200 words.

These questions measure the ability to understand the information given through the written word or in charts and graphs.

This portion of the CBEST assesses the ability to compose two effective essays within the given time session.

One topic requires an analysis of a given situation or a particular statement, and the other asks for a narrative about a personal experience.

These essays test the ability to compose effective prose and to communicate ideas to an intended audience.

Therefore, the performance on this portion of the test will demonstrate the ability to organize and support ideas quickly.

In addition, "[t]est appointments are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, and seating is limited.

[4] The CBEST is offered several times a year, at different locations throughout California, Nevada, and Oregon.

Test sites are subject to change due to scheduling conflicts.

Telephone registration is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Time), Monday through Friday, excluding certain holidays.

[4] Examinees can then confirm their registration by consulting the CBEST website in the state where they registered.

Paper-based test takers are required to bring an admission ticket, sharpened number 2 pencils with erasers, and proper identification.

CBEST test sites do not allow the following on-site: any smoking and the use of tobacco products, visitors, weapons of any kind, cell phones, electronic communication devices, calculators, handwritten or printed materials, packages/totes, food/drink, and unauthorized aids.