State Required Examinations for Multiple Subject Candidates

Elementary Education

CBEST - California Basic Educational Skills Test

The CBEST must be completed to gain full admission to the teacher credentialing program. The CBEST is a four-hour test consisting of three sub-tests: reading, mathematics, and writing. All students must earn a passing score on the CBEST prior to full acceptance into the Teacher Education Program and prior to taking any Educ* 400 level professional education courses. Applications for the CBEST are available in the Education Office and online at www.cbest.nesinc.com. Study guides are available at most bookstores and are on reserve in Concordia’s library.
* Please note there is a distinction between Edu and Educ courses. Educ course are credential courses. Edu courses are part of the undergraduate program. You do not have to pass the CBEST before you take 400 level Edu courses.

CSET - California Subject Examinations for Teachers

The CSET must be completed before student teaching, although some exceptions apply for candidates who will not earn their credential in the same discipline as their major.
Federal legislation, No Child Left Behind, requires all teachers to be highly qualified. This requires the passage of a rigorous subject matter examination. In California, this examination is called the CSET.
Students going for a Multiple Subject Credential must take the Multiple Subject CSET examination. This exam is comprised of three subtests: Literature and History; Mathematics and Science; and Physical Education, Visual and Performing Arts, and Human Development. You may choose to take all three subtests at one test setting. You also have the option to take one subtest or two subtests per test setting.
Booklets from the National Evaluation Systems (CSET/SSAT test) and from ETS (Praxis) are available from the Education Office. These booklets contain general information on which tests are needed for a credential in each subject area as well as the application forms and due dates. You also can get information regarding the CSET examination from www.cset.nesinc.com.

RICA: Reading Instruction Competence Assessment

All candidates desiring a Multiple Subject Credential must pass RICA before they submit their application for a teaching credential. This assessment is required by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, and measures a candidate’s knowledge, skill, and ability to deliver effective reading instruction. Educ 460/560 Reading/Language Development in Diverse Elementary Classrooms addresses the needs of future teachers who must now pass RICA. All other courses in Concordia’s teacher credential program have also been reviewed to support the development of the competencies expected on the exam. Students take the RICA after they have completed Educ 460/560 Reading/Language Development in Diverse Elementary Classrooms. The RICA test is given six times each year.

TPA: Teacher Performance Assessment

During TPA Practicum and Student Teaching you will be completing the TPA. The TPA is comprised of four performance tasks. Each task measures a range of teaching strategies that you are learning during your credential coursework. These tasks are:

• Subject Specific Pedagogy
• Designing Instruction
• Assessing Learning
• Culminating Teaching Experience

You begin preparation for this assessment in Educ 201 Introduction to Teaching Careers II and continue throughout your coursework. In other words, Concordia prepares you to complete these tasks. You are well aware of and prepared for all the elements of each task before you attempt the tasks. Most of your course assignments will have elements of the TPA tasks incorporated into them. You will complete the Subject Specific Pedagogy and Designing Instruction Tasks in TPA Practicum & Seminar and the Assessing Learning and Culminating Teaching Experience tasks will be completed during Student Teaching.

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