California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) is a standardized test initiated by California Department of Education (CDE) for certifying the academic skills of high school pass outs. The test is administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS). In United States, the school education is imparted by diverse institutions including public schools, private schools, and home schools. Therefore, CAHSEE helps in credentialing the students at state level and ensures that they possess the required academic skills expected by a high school diploma holder.
Eligibility-
The test is taken by tenth grade students of high schools. The results certify that the candidate meets the state requirements of high school level education.
Test Overview-
CAHSEE examines academic skills in English language arts and mathematics. The English language arts portion is based on content of tenth grade level in California high schools. This portion is based on reading comprehension, vocabulary, analysis of information and texts, writing strategies, writing application, and conventions of English language. The mathematics portion includes topics like number system, algebra, geometry, measurement, probability & statistics, data interpretation, and mathematical reasoning. The level of questions in mathematical test is of the sixth and seventh grades and first part of algebra as per state requirements.
Test Format-
The English language arts section consists of 79 multiple choice questions and one writing assignment. There are 92 multiple choice questions in the mathematics section. There are 7 and 12 MCQs in English and mathematics sections respectively, which are not scored. These questions are experimentally placed but, can not be identified in the exam.
Marking Scheme-
Both the parts of CAHSEE exam are awarded scaled scores in range from 275 to 450. In addition to this, scaled score of writing assignment which lies between 1 and 4, is also mentioned in the score card. The passing score for both sections is 350. Two copies of the result are issued by the administration, of which one is handed over to the parents of the student and other is filed in the permanent school record.
Schedule-
The test is administered in the months of February and March every year. If the student is not able to pass the test in tenth grade, he/she can attempt it two times in eleventh grade and five times in twelfth grade. The test is conducted at the school sites in regular school hours.