Pre-Admission Test of Basic Skills (CBASE)
Iowa colleges and universities with approved programs of teacher preparation are required by law to “administer a basic skills test to practitioner preparation candidates. Rules adopted shall require institutions to deny admission to the program to any candidate who does not successfully pass the test (Senate File 401)” Therefore all students in the state of Iowa seeking admission to a teacher preparation program must pass a basic skills test for admission and must be denied admission for failure to pass the exam. Candidates must pass the CBASE exam with a minimum score of 235 in each of the three sections of CBASE in order to be accepted into Teacher Education. If a candidate fails one or more section of the CBASE exam, he/she may retake that section for a total of up to three attempts on each section.
Students who fail any portion of the CBASE exam should seek support from the Central College tutoring center, review the listed study guide resources or enroll in a Math, English Literature or Writing course on campus to assist in their learning.
Per state of Iowa statue requirement to deny admission for failure of the exam, if after three attempts on a specified section, the candidate still has not achieved a score of 235 or higher, the candidate will be counseled out of Education and advised in other relevant and desirable majors on campus.
A student with a documented disability as determined and approved by the Central College Disability Services office must provide a written request for accommodations and disability eligibility documentation to the Department of Education at least ten days prior to the date he/she intends to take the exam.
Exam Registration
To register for the exam, you may stop by the student workroom located in Roe Center 127 to pick up a registration form. Bring completed registration form and check payable to Central College in exact amount to Natalie Spray, Office Manager of the Education Department in the Roe Education Suite. You must register at least one week prior to the exam date. Those requiring special accommodations should contact Natalie Spray, at 628-5217 or sprayn@central.edu, at least one week prior to the exam date.
A copy of the Student’s Guide to C-BASE is available upon completed registration and payment of fees.
Fees (effective 2017)
$30.00 for Central College students taking all three sections
$15.00 for Central College students re-taking a section
Testing Procedures
The complete test battery includes a 40-minute writing exercise and a multiple-choice component divided into two subjects, English and mathematics. Each subject area of CBASE takes approximately 45 minutes to complete. If you are taking the writing assignment, a short break will be given before the multiple-choice section.
On the day of the test
Arrive at the test site 20-30 minutes prior to the testing time. Late arrivals will not be admitted.
Bring #2 pencils with you.
Present a current photo ID & your Social Security Number.
Food and beverages are not allowed during the administration of the test.
Calculators are not provided. You may use your own hand-held, non-printing, four or six function calculator during the exam.
Students are not allowed to share calculators or use any other material not provided with the exam.
College BASE is a criterion-referenced academic achievement examination that evaluates knowledge and skills in English, mathematics, science, and social studies. The examination consists of 180 multiple-choice items in four subject areas. An essay prompt is also used to assess students’ writing ability. Central College requires and administers only the English, writing, and mathematics sections. In addition to traditional subject scores, College BASE assesses competency in the higher order thinking skills. Student score reports are mailed directly to each student and are also sent to the College.
The administration time per subject is approximately 45 minutes, plus 40 minutes for the essay prompt. Thus the total administration time at Central College, including breaks, is approximately 2.5 hours. Each of the subjects—English and mathematics—is organized into levels of increasing specificity. Each subject is divided into two or more clusters; each cluster is made up of several closely related skills; and each skill is defined by two to six highly specific subskills.
Interpreting College BASE Scores
College BASE numeric scores range from 40 to 560 points. This scale has been designed so that a score of 300 will always be the mean (average) for the entire group of examinees. The averages for a given institution, however, are likely to differ from the averages for the entire group. At Central College the required minimum score for each section is 235.
English
College BASE divides English into two clusters: reading and literature, and writing. The reading and literature cluster evaluates students’ reading comprehension skills and students’ knowledge of major literary terms, genres, figures, and works, with emphasis on British and American literature. The writing cluster evaluates students’ prewriting, composing, and revising skills through a combination of multiple-choice questions and an essay.
Mathematics
College BASE divides mathematics into three clusters: general mathematics, algebra and geometry. The general mathematics cluster assesses computational skills, knowledge of basic mathematical concepts and notational systems, and the ability to use techniques of statistical reasoning. The algebra cluster assesses ability to solve linear equations, inequalities, and quadratic equations and to reduce numerical expressions to their lowest terms. The geometry cluster assesses knowledge of basic geometrical concepts and ability to use those concepts in calculations. Students may bring their own handheld, non-printing calculator and use it for any of the mathematics problems, but they may not share calculators or use any instructional material.
Central College 2018-2019 C-BASE Test Dates
Saturday, September 22, 2018
Saturday, November 17, 2018
Saturday, February 23, 2019
Preparing for the CBASE
CBASE Study Guide and Practice Resources
Upon registering for the CBASE exam, students will be provided a detailed CBASE study guide. Additional study and practice resources are listed below.
Study.com
English Flashcards
Literacy Flashcards
Math Flashcards
Practice Study Guide
CBASE Preparation
C-BASE Missouri
NOTE: William Penn University in Oskaloosa also offers the CBASE exam. You may take it there by contacting Deb DeVos at 641-673-1100 or devosd@wmpenn.edu.
CBASE Reg form NON WPU STUDENTS 18-19
