Required Tests
Basic Skills - EPT (English Placement Test) and ELM (Entry Level Mathematics) exams are designed to assess the level of reading, writing and mathematic skills of entering undergraduate students so that they can be placed in appropriate baccalaureate-level courses. Exceptions are made for those who qualify for an exemption based on high SAT or ACT scores, or who have already met G.E. English and G.E. Math when entering, see Advising and Academic Services at http://www-ugs.csusb.edu/advising or by phone at (909) 537-5034.
Spanish Placement Test must be taken prior to registering for Spanish 101, 102, 150 or 155. Contact the Office of World Languages in University Hall Room 314 or call (909)537-5847. This Test is designed to determine which level of the Spanish language you currently have achieved. Should you be proficient in the Spanish language, you may want to challenge the Placement Test in order to receive credit for Spanish 150 or 155 thus meeting the G.E. language requirement in the Liberal Studies major. These tests are given the first and fifth week of each quarter. Sign up at University Hall Room 314.
WREE (Writing Requirement Exemption Exam) is designed for undergraduate Liberal Studies students to meet the degree requirements of an upper-division writing competency as a condition of graduation or you may complete with a grade of "C" or better one of the Expository Writing classes: Education 306, English 306, Humanities 306, Management 306, Natural Sciences 306, or Social Sciences 306 when you become a junior.\
Required Tests for a Multiple Subject Credential
Prior to entering the teaching credential program, all Liberal Studies majors must pass the following:
The California Basic Educational Skills Test™ (CBEST®) was developed to meet requirements of laws relating to credentialing and employment. This test requirement in no way replaces any of the other requirements of subject matter knowledge, professional preparation, and practice teaching or field experience used in the issuance of credentials. The CBEST is designed to test basic reading, mathematics, and writing skills found to be important for the job of an educator; the test is not designed to measure the ability to teach those skills.
(Also, a new California Subject Examinations for Teachers® (CSET®) test (CSET: Writing Skills) has been developed in response to California law SB1209 (Chapter 517, Statutes of 2006) that broadens the options for teacher candidates to meet the state basic skills requirement). If you are a candidate for a Multiple Subjects credential and you have not yet taken and passed the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST), you may wish to consider this new option for meeting your basic skills requirement. See http://www.cbest.nesinc.com.
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C.S.E.T. (California Subject Examinations for Teachers) - the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) has recently developed for teachers of Multiple Subjects, a new subject matter examination for prospective teachers who must demonstrate their subject matter competence for certification by taking an examination. The CSET needs to be passed before entering a California credential program.
Another California requirement for certification is verification of basic skills in reading, mathematics, and writing. The CSET program now includes the newly developed Writing Skills examination, which is designed to test the basic writing skills found to be important for the job of an educator, plus the math and reading skills. Examinees must pass all three subtests of CSET: Multiple Subjects CSET: Writing Skills in order to satisfy all components of the state basic skills requirement. See http://www.cset.nesinc.com/.To view a practice test of the CSET, click here.
When does the new CSET writing test option take effect?
On May 19, 2007, the implimentation of the new sub section of the CSET took affect. Candidates who pass all three subtests of CSET: Multiple Subjects AND the new CSET: Writing Skills test will be considered proficient in the skills of reading, writing, and mathematics and will not be required to take the CBEST to earn a teaching credential. For more information, please visit the CCTC Web site at http://www.ctc.ca.gov.
How do I register for these exams?
You may register to take the CSET: Writing Skills test beginning with the May 19, 2007, test administration. Internet registration for the new CSET: Writing Skills test is now available on the CSET Web site at http://www.cset.nesinc.com.
R.I.C.A. (Reading Instruction Competence Assessment) the goal of reading instruction is to develop competent, thoughtful readers who are able to use, interpret, and appreciate all types of text. Beginning teachers need to be able to deliver effective reading instruction that is based on the results of ongoing assessment; that reflects knowledge of state and local reading standards for different grade levels; that represents a balanced, comprehensive reading curriculum; and that is sensitive to the needs of all students. The purpose of the RICA is to ensure that candidates for Multiple Subject Teaching Credentials and Education Specialist Instruction Credentials (special education) possess the knowledge and skills important for the provision of effective reading instruction to students and is taken during your credentialing process after EELB 425, Literacy and Second Language Acquisition for the Intermediate Reader and Beyond, class is completed. See http://www.rica.nesinc.com/.