Free CBEST Practice Test 2025 Official Study Guide [PDF]

Last Updated on November 20, 2024

Free CBEST Practice Test 2025 Official Study Guide [PDF] (California Basic Educational Skills Test): Download our free printable PDF and prepare for the CBEST exam with our comprehensive test prep quiz. This study guide covers math, reading, and writing and provides various preparation materials to enhance your readiness.

The California Basic Educational Skills Test™ (CBEST®) assesses your proficiency in three key areas: reading, mathematics, and writing. Developed to fulfill credential and employment requisites, the CBEST is based on the principle that teachers should possess the same skills taught to students—skills essential in the classroom and beyond it.

For more information about the CBEST testing requirements, contact your university’s credentials preparation office, local school district, or state education department.

CBEST is no longer required for most teaching credentials if you have a bachelor’s degree. Learn more about the basic skills requirement .

Table of Contents

CBEST Practice Test 2025

CBEST examinees have a four-hour test session to complete one, two, or all three test sections. Before August 1995, each section — reading, mathematics, and writing — was timed separately.

Although you may divide your time among the three sections in any way you want, to ensure you have enough time to finish all sections, we recommend that you budget your time approximately as follows: Reading, 70 minutes; Mathematics, 75 minutes; Writing, 65 minutes. Use the final 30 minutes to check your work.

The following CBEST Practice Test is based on a quiz format. After completion of each CBEST Practice Test, you can view your score. Our free CBEST Practice Test will help you with better CBEST test prep. 2025.

CBEST Exam Content

The Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) has contracted with Pearson’s Evaluation Systems group for the development, administration, and scoring of the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST). The CBEST is designed to test basic reading, mathematics, and writing skills considered important for an educator’s job; it is not designed to measure the ability to teach those skills.

The CBEST exam structure of the examination is shown in this table — California Basic Educational Skills Test™ (CBEST®) exam structure

CBEST examinees have a four-hour test session to complete one, two, or all three sections of the test; the test can be taken by paper and pencil or by computer. Although you may divide your time among the three sections in any way you want, to be sure you have enough time to finish all sections, we recommend that you budget your time approximately as follows:

CBEST Time Allotment
Sections	Number of Questions	Suggested Time
1. Reading	50 Questions	75 Minutes
2. Mathematics	50 Questions	75 Minutes
3. Writing	2 Topics	60 Minutes
Time to check your work		30 Minutes
Total testing time		4 hours

CBEST Test Scores Passing

All questions on the paper-and-pencil and computer exams (except the essays in the Writing section) are multiple-choice, with five answer choices for each question. Each of the three sections receives a score ranging from 20 to 80. The passing score for each section is 41; the total passing score for the CBEST is 123. If you score below the passing mark on one section (or even on two sections) but your total score is 123 or higher, you can still pass the exam, but only if your score in each section is 37 or above.

Note: Format and scoring are subject to change.

The following chart can give you some indication of your performance level:

Scoring
Percent Right	Performance Level
90 to 100	Superior
80 to 90	Above Average
70 to 80	Average
60 to 70	Marginal
Below 60	Needs Improvement

You need to get about 70 percent of the questions right to receive a passing score.

CBEST Study Guide

1. Awareness. Visit the CBEST website at www.cbest.nesinc.com to familiarize yourself with the test—its format, directions, material, and scoring.

2. Basic Skills. Review the basic abilities required on the test in reading, mathematics, and writing. Know what to expect on the exam. Review Part II: Analysis of Exam Areas to help you determine your strengths and weaknesses to develop a study plan unique to your needs.

3. Question Types. Become familiar with the question types of each area on the test outlined in Part II: Analysis of Exam Areas so that you can practice different versions of the same types of questions.

4. Strategies and Techniques. Practice using the strategies outlined in the next section of this book and decide what works best for you. Remember that if it takes longer to recall a strategy than to solve the problem, it’s probably not a good strategy for you to adopt. The goal in offering strategies is for you to work easily, quickly, and efficiently.

Remember not to get stuck on any one question. Taking time to answer the most difficult question on the test correctly but losing valuable test time won’t get you the score you deserve. Most importantly, remember to answer every question, even if you answer with only an educated guess. There is no penalty for guessing, so it is to your advantage to answer all questions.

5. Practice. In addition to the sample practice problems in Part II: Analysis of Exam Areas, we offer four complete practice tests. Practice, practice, practice is the key to your success on the CBEST.