One of my professors told me this semester that the CBEST and CSET exams are designed for you to fail them. One does not simply go into the testing room and pass with flying colors. He went on to say that a lot of students do not pass their first time taking them. Well Sir…I DID! If you are anything like me, you like to over prepare for stressful tests to make them less stressful. Studying for these tests can be overwhelming and it might be confusing on where to start. I spent a month studying for each exam and used a TON of resources in the process.
In this post I complied all the resources that helped me pass on my first time taking the CBEST and CSET exams! I hope you find this helpful 🙂
Study.com
If you have a little extra money to spend I highly suggest you invest in a CBEST or CSET course on study.com. I used this website for all three parts of my CSET exam and my CBEST exam. Each course breaks down all the material that you need to know for the exams. They also have helpful videos taught by professionals in the field that are very informative! (Going through the Subset 2 course on this site was probably the only reason I passed it.)
Pros
- Informative videos that go over everything that is going to be on the test in detail.
- Comes with vocabulary flashcards you can use while studying.
- All courses taught by professionals in the field.
Cons
- Price ($60 a month subscription)
Test Prep Books
CSET and CBEST prep books are one of the most common resources for helping you pass your exams. You can find them in your college bookstore, amazon, or any online bookstore. They outline everything you need to know for your exams, have practice problems, and in-book and online practice exams. Remember to get the up to date version of the test prep book because the exam is always changing the content.
For the CBEST some books you can look at are:
For the CSET some books you can look at are:
- Cliffs Notes CSET Multiple Subjects 4th Edition
- Cracking the CSET, 2nd Edition by the Princeton Review
Teachers Test Prep Resources
There are a ton of free resources to help you study on teacherstestprep.com. From free study guides for the CSET and CBEST to online practice tests, this website was extremely helpful while I was studying. There are also one-on-one online tutoring, study videos, online prep classes, and more!
Pros
- Most resources are 100% free
Cons
- (not really a con but…) you have to make an account on the website to have full access to the free materials.
Teachers Test Prep Seminar
Going somewhere I didn’t know to take a class on the CSET or CBEST scared me so much. My friend told me about these prep classes and said it was the only reason she passed her CSET. I went to the CSET Subset 1 class and it was the best thing I ever did! The 8 hour class was taught by a university professor in my area and it went over every single thing that would be on the exam. Since the professor taught this course for a living he had extra tips and tricks for taking the exam that he shared with us. Do yourself a favor and TAKE THIS CLASS!
Pros
- Very comprehensive
- Gives you a practice test that you go over in class and one to take home.
- Gives you extra notes that you can take home and online access to all the slides used in the course for 3 months.
- Online class available at a lower cost ($45 a class)
- In-person classes in major cities around California
Cons
- Cost (about $95 per course. If you buy 2 subsets you get 20% off) ~ subject to change due to Covid-19.
- Fast paced (your hand will be numb after taking all the notes!)
- Time (classes can last between 2-8 hours including breaks)
CTC Exams Test Prep Packets
Let me tell you the best advice I got while studying for these tests: everything that is in the CTC website’s practice tests is on the test. Not the exact questions but all the material is on the test. This was extremely helpful while I was studying because I knew I was doing well if I was passing those practice tests. Print out these practice tests and work on them question by question. If you get stuck on a question then you know what content areas you need to study.
I hope you found this post helpful. If you find any test prep materials that helped you pass the CBEST or CSET exams please share them with me in the comments so I can add them to this post.