Some tips For CBEST

There are lots of questions about CBEST, hopefully this post will help. California’s future teachers have enough to worry about. Between final exams, homework, part-time jobs, and getting ready for your internship, students have little time to stress about taking their teaching exams.

As the primary skills test for new teachers, the California Basic Educational Skills Test was developed to ensure that prospective teachers understand the core concepts needed to be effective in the classroom. Yes, budding math teachers need to write essays, and future literature teachers need to know geometry.

This exam covers basic skills imperative to a successful teaching career. It does not test specific subjects like science or history but passing the CBEST is crucial to your teaching career. California will not grant you a first time teaching license without a passing score on this exam. In some cases, California teaching programs will not allow admit you without a passing score on the CBEST!

Imagine the cost of having to take another semester of college because you failed the CBEST. Picture being rejected from the California Department of Education licensing board because your score was not high enough to pass. Unlike other exams, the CBEST written exam is only offered twice per year, leaving months between test attempts. Plus, there is a waiting period of 120 days between attempts if you take the computerized version of the CBEST. With mandatory waiting periods and limited chances to take the written exam, failing even once can delay your career by months. The bottom line: You can’t afford to fail even a single section of the CBEST Basic Skills Test.

So what do you do? First, you develop a plan to prepare for the CBEST so you can pass it the first time. There are several online review programs that offer assistance in studying for the CBEST. Some of the better ones even offer money-back guarantees. For those that prefer the traditional route, check out Amazon for some books. Whatever you do, make sure you take the CBEST seriously and you'll get your teaching career started right.