[1] The test was administered to any student from grades K-12 who have a home language other than English.
The CELDT tested students who are English learners in the following areas: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Then it was administered annually to track the progress of the student and determine when they had reached proficiency.
These levels were represented either numerically 1–5, or more commonly, symbolically as in the WestEd ELD standards.
The CELDT has been replaced by the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) beginning in 2018.