CLAST Test

The College Level Academic Skills Test, or CLAST, is a Florida program. It's used to test students who have completed two years of college level work in order to be awarded an associates degree, or be eligible to move up to upper level courses in a four year program. Although the test itself is not specifically required, students must demonstrate in some way that they've attained the needed proficiency before getting their degree or moving up, and the CLAST is the most common way of doing that. The test is given three times a year, at colleges throughout the state, and you'll register through the college you're attending.

There are four sections on the CLAST test -Reading Skills, Language Skills, Mathematics, and Essay Skills. The reading section tests for abilities to recognize main and supporting arguments, distinguishing fact from opinion, recognizing valid arguments, and the ability to make inferences and draw conclusions, among other things. The language portion tests for vocabulary, grammar and construction, spelling, subject/verb agreement, etc. Mathematics covers such topics as basic math, decimals and fractions, logical reasoning, algebra, geometry, statistics, and measurements. On the essay portion, you'll demonstrate your ability to write college level prose, avoid slang and jargon, support your topic with major and minor supporting ideas, present your ideas in an organized and comprehensive format, and write with readability in mind, paying attention to spelling and grammar. On the essay portion, you'll need a score of 6 to pass; the minimum passing score on the other three sections is 295. It's a timed test which lasts five hours (with a break), broken down like this: Essay-60 minutes. Reading and Language-80 minutes. Math-90 minutes.

You'll receive your scores approximately five weeks after taking the test. The CLAST test is a very important factor in your college career, and it's imperative that you pass it. You'll want to study hard, and be prepared and relaxed on the day of the test. Failing to pass can result in substantial delays in your college plans, or not being able to graduate at all.

StudyGuideZone.com offers an exclusive free, downloadable study guide to the Internet community for the CLAST test. The guide is in PDF format, so you'll need Adobe's free Reader (already installed on most computers) to view it. Anyone is free to link to this page or the study guide on our server to let students know about this resource.