CBEST Exam Information
Are you hoping to become a school teacher in the state of California? If you are, one of the requirements you'll have to meet is taking and passing the CBEST, or California Basic Educational Skills Test. By law, no one may teach in a California public school who hasn't passed CBEST. The legislature of California implemented this requirement in response to studies showing that a surprisingly high number of public school teachers across the state lacked the minimal necessary skills to impart knowledge to students in a classroom setting. It's important to note that the CBEST is not a test of a person's teaching abilities in any way. It was only designed and implemented to make sure that a prospective classroom teacher has basic knowledge in certain subject areas. CBEST is given six times a year-August, October, December, February, April and June, in various locations all over California.
There is a fee of $41 to take the CBEST (as of November 2006), and you'll need to register approximately one month before your desired test date. What's on the CBEST? There are three different areas that you'll be tested on-math, reading, and writing. The math and reading portions of the CBEST each consist of 50 questions, all of them multiple choice. On the reading portion, you'll be tested for reading comprehension and research skills by answering questions requiring you to interpret various tables, graphs, and written material. The math portion will test your ability to understand mathematical concepts, measure and estimate, solve problems, and ability to read and interpret graphs. On the writing portion of the CBEST, you'll have two different writing assignments. One will be writing about something you've personally experienced, and the other will require you to respond to a written passage. On both, you'll be expected to be able to write in clear and understandable English, using proper spelling, punctuation and grammar. It's highly recommended that prospective California school teachers get a good prep guide before attempting the CBEST, as a failing score can be a serious career set back.