The CBEST Reading Examination

California isn’t this the only state with a set of rigid examinations dealing specifically with candidates who wish to be teachers in their educational system, but the CBEST examinations in that state are some of the best that can be found anywhere in the United States.

These examinations deal with several serious areas of academic study but one of the more important ones deals with the candidate’s ability to understand and communicate effectively using the English language. To that end, one of the more comprehensive tests in the CBEST arsenal deals with a person’s specific ability to read and understand English.

Like the mathematical portion of the examinations, the reading evaluations are divided up into two subsections—critical analysis and evaluation, and comprehension and research. It should be stressed to anyone considering taking any of these examinations that the scores are not pitted against other candidates and the whole process is in no way a contest. All the results from all the candidates are measured against a series of benchmarks and taking one of any of the available pretest courses will help the candidate identify any areas they need to work on.

So the reading portion of the examination is not designed to be especially difficult or challenging, but only to show the administrators that the person taking the test is able to comprehend basic ideas in the body of the text or manuscript. At first the candidates will be asked to compare and contrast ideas from various sources and then they will be quizzed on the various viewpoints from the source material.

It is important that candidates be able to recognize viewpoint and attitude and the ways that various authors express them. Those taking the test will also be asked to decide if certain arguments presented in the reading material are relevant or not to the overall reading section.

There is also a section testing research and reference skills. There, candidates will be asked to demonstrate their ability to use various indexes like a table of contents to locate certain information in a book. They will also be given a certain quotation or piece of information and then asked to locate it in the source material.

It’s important that all the candidates familiarize themselves with the rules and regulations that test administrators will adhere to. For example, no recording devices of any kind are allowed in the test rooms on the day of the examination and visits by relatives or friends during the course of the tests are strictly controlled and in many cases even prohibited.

Registering for the CBEST

While it’s important that you prepare adequately for the CBEST exam, and that you get as much pre-test experience as possible so that you can identify any problem areas before you take the actual test, it’s also essential that you register properly and understand the rules and regulations before going to taking the actual examinations.

Even before you start studying, you’ll need to take a look at several things and one of the first of these are your registration options. Because the examination is run under a set of strict guidelines, it’s important all candidates make sure they know what is exactly expected of them, how to get to the test site on time with the necessary information, and what they can and cannot bring. The first step in this process is registering and to do that you’ll need to select one of several options.

The very first thing you’ll need to do is take a look at the test dates that are available. One of the best ways to do this is online but administrators caution that all Internet registrations need to be completed by 5 p.m. Pacific time on the deadline date. There are more traditional methods available as well.

Telephone registration is possible for late and emergency periods only. Again, you must call by 5 p.m. Pacific Time on the deadline date. One of the other things that you’ll need to do to ensure that you’ve registered properly for the CBEST examination is select an area to take the test. It is recommended that you select the area when you register. Keep in mind that the specific site that you wind up with will be determined by availability. It should also be noted that there are a number of out-of-state test areas that will be available during the month of April only.

There are a number of things to have with you when registering for the CBEST test. These includes the name that appears on your government issued identification, your address, the United States Social Security number that is required for Internet registration and email address if you’re going to register online. Remember to check the list of things that you can and can’t bring to the examinations as well. A complete list can be found online at http://www.cbest.nesinc.com/CA13_whattobring.asp. For more information on preparing for the CBEST contact Longsdale Publishing.