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CBESTCalifornia BasicEducationalSkills Test CBESTCaliforniaBasicEducational Skills TestNEW YORK2nd Edition Copyright © 2002 LearningExpress, LLC.All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.Published in the United States by LearningExpress, LLC, New York.Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:CBEST : California Basic Educational Skills Test.—2nd ed.p. cm.ISBN 1-57685-429-9 (pbk.)1. California Basic Educational Skills Test—Study Guides. I. Title:California Basic Educational Skills Test. II. LearningExpress (Organization)LB3060.33.C34 C24 2002370'.76—dc212002011019Printed in the United States of America9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2Second EditionISBN 1-57685-429-9For more information or to place an order, contact LearningExpress at:900 BroadwaySuite 604New York, NY 10003Or visit us at:www.learnatest.com INTRODUCTION: How to Use This Book viiCHAPTER 1: What is the CBEST? 1CHAPTER 2: LearningExpress Test Preparation System 7CHAPTER 3: Diagnostic CBEST Exam 25CHAPTER 4: CBEST Mini-Course 63CHAPTER 5: CBEST Practice Exam 1 155CHAPTER 6: CBEST Practice Exam 2 195APPENDIX: How to Use the CD-ROM 235Contentsv This book is designed to help you pass the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST®). It con-tains all the information you’ll need to help you improve your chances of achieving a good score—in the shortest amount of time possible. There are three components to your success on the CBEST:this book, a sample CBEST CD-ROM, and most importantly, you yourself.The BookAs you will discover in subsequent chapters, one of the most important skills for a test-taker to have is that ofbeing a good reader. Good readers often begin with an overview of the text they are about to read. So, if youhaven’t done so yet, you may want to look at the Table of Contents. By doing this, you will know what to expect.Since time is of the essence, knowing what to expect offers you the freedom and opportunity to focus on whatyou think is most relevant to your goals.After having browsed the Table of Contents, you can then turn to Chapter 1, “What is the CBEST?”This chapter tells you what the CBEST is; it provides you with the Who, What, When, Where, and How, those How to Use This BookCHAPTER SUMMARYSo you have to take the CBEST, and you’re wondering if this book canhelp you. The answer is YES! Read on to see how . . .vii all-important details such as who must take the test, what it’s like, when and where it’s given, how it’s scored, andhow to register.Once you know this basic information, you can skip right to Chapter 2, our innovative LearningExpress TestPreparation System. It is packed full of test-taking tips and advice developed by leading test experts exclusively forLearningExpress. This chapter shows you how to get prepared—physically, emotionally, and mentally—to takethe CBEST. It also shows you how to use this book to set up your own study plan.Chapter 3 is the first of three sample CBEST exams in this book. You can take this first exam as a diagnos-tic exercise to see where your strong and weak points are. Remember, in conjunction with this, you have accessto a CD-ROM—that you can take and score at any time—to give you additional test-taking experience.Next is Chapter 4, the “CBEST Mini-Course.” This Mini-Course—successfully used for CBEST test prepclasses in California—reviews everything you need to know to pass the CBEST. Conveniently divided into 24 les-sons, you can cover it effortlessly in just half-hour pieces. The first pages of Chapter 4 give you an outline of thetopics covered in each of the 24 lessons. You can work through the whole Mini-Course from start to finish, or youcan pick out the areas that you need to work on most and just concentrate on those. If you’re still having trou-ble after working through the lessons in a given area, check out the last section of Chapter 4, “More Help withReading, Writing, and Math.” This section lists other books you can turn to for more in-depth advice.Then, in Chapters 5 and 6, you have two complete, three-section, sample CBEST exams, to help you prac-tice your test-taking skills. Once finished with your practice test, you will be able to self-evaluate your progresswith the answer and scoring explanations included at the end of each of these two chapters. Answer explanationsare written in a friendly, informative, yet conversational tone, so you can quickly diagnose your weakest areas andsee where you might need more work.There’s nothing like having a lot of practice under your belt to make you feel confident when you go in totake the real exam!The CD-ROMThe CD-ROM that comes free with this book includes hundreds of practice questions. You may choose to takeone or more of your practice exams using your computer rather than writing the exam on paper. (You shouldtake at least one practice exam on paper, though, since that’s the format you will have to use when you take thereal exam.) Or you may simply want to try some practice questions in Reading, Math, or Writing. You can do iteither way; the CD-ROM gives you the option to take a complete test or select as many practice questions as youwant. The CD-ROM will score your practice test or practice questions and let you know how you did. It will also,if you choose, show you the correct answer for each question and tell you why the answer is correct.You have the option, when using the CD-ROM, of writing your essay either on paper or on the computerusing a pop-up word processor. Either way, you should take your essay to a teacher or other professional you knowto help you score it, using the scoring criteria the CD-ROM will distribute for you. (Unfortunately, computersaren’t yet smart enough to grade a written piece!)–HOW TO USE THIS BOOK–viii YouThe most important factor in your success on the CBEST is you. You can’t put this book under your pillow at nightand expect to improve your score. But you can use this book, and the test scores from the CD-ROM, to find outwhere you need to improve and what you need to know. If you carefully follow all the steps in the LearningEx-press Test Preparation System, you’ll be fully prepared for the CBEST, and you will go into the exam knowing howto conquer this all-important test.–HOW TO USE THIS BOOK–ix . is the CBEST? 1CHAPTER 2: LearningExpress Test Preparation System 7CHAPTER 3: Diagnostic CBEST Exam 25CHAPTER 4: CBEST Mini-Course 63CHAPTER 5: CBEST Practice. passingscores on the CBEST must be presented by the candi-date.What is the CBEST Like?What Sorts of Questions Doesthe CBEST Ask?The CBEST exam is comprised