The California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST®) is
designed to test basic reading, mathematics, and writing skills
found to be important for the job of an educator. This exam
is not designed to measure the ability to teach those
skills. Prospective teachers are required to take the exam
in California and Oregon, but may be used in other
locations. Applicants should contact the state’s
credentialing office to determine whether or not they are
required to pass the CBEST. Please note that passing the
CBEST does not take the place of any other requirement of subject
matter knowledge, professional preparation, or field experience
for receiving an education licensing credential.
The CBEST consists of three sections, Reading, Mathematics,
and Writing. Both the Reading and Mathematics sections are
comprised of 50 multiple-choice questions. The Writing
portion consists of two essays.
The three separate sections of the CBEST may be taken
separately or together. If you pass only one portion of the test
and not the other two, you may choose to take only the two failed
parts at the next attempt, or you may decide to take the entire
test again in order to boost your overall score on the test. Once
all sections have been passed, the top scores, regardless of when
they were taken, will be added together for you total score. The
test is always scheduled for a four-hour period, during which
time you may work on any or all of the sections of the test.
Individual sections, reading, math, and writing, are not timed
separately.
Reading (50 multiple-choice questions)
This section assesses your ability to understand concepts and
content necessary to educate students and to use basic reading
skills to communicate information. Questions are drawn from
different subject areas, including the arts, social sciences,
physical science, and humanities. No questions require
outside knowledge; all the questions are related to a particular
passage and can be answered on the basis of information provided
in the passage.
Mathematics (50 multiple-choice
questions)
Test your skills in basic math concepts including estimation
and measurement, statistical principles, computation, and
graphical relationships. You will be asked to solve equations,
most of which will be in the form of a word problem. You should
be familiar with the basic mathematical elements of operations
and terms.
Writing (2 essay topics)
These essays will be used to test your ability to write
effectively. One of the essays asks you to analyze a given
scenario or statement, and the other essay asks you to write
about a specific personal experience. Your essays will be scored
and given a diagnostic evaluation to help you develop you writing
skills in the event you fail this section.
