What Is the CSET? California’s Subject Examinations for Teachers Explained

What Is the CSET?

The CSET is the California Subject Examinations for Teachers: a set of subject-matter tests the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing uses to verify that a candidate knows the subject they intend to teach. Pearson’s Evaluation Systems group runs it. The passing score is 220 per subtest, and most subjects are split into subtests.

Most pages about the CSET are test-prep adverts. This one is not. Below is what the Commission and the testing programme actually publish: which subjects have a CSET, how the subtests are built, what each one costs, how long results take, the ten-year rule nobody mentions, and the thing the CSET does not measure at all.

What the CSET is for, and who sets it

The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing owns the programme. In its own words, the CSET was “developed by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) for prospective teachers who choose to or are required to meet specific requirements for certification by taking examinations.”

The Commission does not run the tests itself. “The CTC contracted the Evaluation Systems group of Pearson to assist in the development, administration, and scoring of the CSET.” Registration, payment and appointments are handled through the California Educator Credentialing Assessments website, and Pearson also offers OnVUE online proctoring for some subtests.

The programme covers four distinct requirement types, which is why the CSET is wider than people expect: basic skills, subject matter, educational technology, and bilingual authorization competence.

On eligibility, the programme site is unusually relaxed: a high school diploma, a GED or equivalent, or current or past college-credit coursework in a career in education. You do not need to be enrolled in a preparation programme to sit it.

CSET and CBEST are not the same test, and the overlap confuses everyone

This is the single most common mix-up, and it is worth being precise about.

The CBEST is a basic skills test. It asks whether you can read, write and do arithmetic. It is one of nine options for meeting California’s Basic Skills Requirement. Our guide to the CBEST sets out all nine.

The CSET is a subject-matter test. It asks whether you know the subject you want to teach — mathematics, English, science, a world language.

The overlap is real, though, and it runs in one direction. Option three on California’s Basic Skills Requirement list is “Pass all three subtests of CSET: Multiple Subjects plus the CSET: Writing Skills.” So a particular combination of CSET tests can satisfy the basic skills gate as well. The reverse is not true: no amount of CBEST will ever demonstrate subject-matter competence.

Which subjects have a CSET

The programme currently lists tests across roughly forty subject areas. In the Commission’s own listing they are:

Agriculture; American Sign Language; Arabic; Armenian; Art; Business; Cantonese; Dance; English; English Language Development; Farsi; Filipino; Foundational-Level General Science; Foundational-Level Mathematics; French; German; Health Science; Hebrew; Hindi; Hmong; Home Economics; Industrial and Technology Education; Italian; Japanese; Khmer; Korean; Mandarin; Mathematics; Multiple Subjects; Music; Physical Education; Portuguese; Preliminary Educational Technology; Punjabi; Russian; Science; Social Science; Spanish; Theatre; Turkish; Vietnamese; and Writing Skills.

Two entries in that list matter more than the rest for anyone reading this on a TEFL site: English and English Language Development. They are not the same thing and they do not do the same job, which the next sections get into.

CSET: Multiple Subjects — three subtests, for elementary teaching

This is the route for a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, which in California means elementary school. It has three subtests and they are not equal in size.

• Subtest I (test code 101) — 52 multiple-choice questions and 4 constructed-response questions. 3 hours.
• Subtest II (test code 214) — 52 multiple-choice questions and 4 constructed-response questions. 3 hours. Computer-based testing only, with a calculator and handwritten-response scanning.
• Subtest III (test code 225) — 39 multiple-choice questions and 3 constructed-response questions. 2 hours and 15 minutes.

All three can be taken in a single session of 5 hours. A further 15 minutes is provided for a nondisclosure agreement and tutorial. Online proctoring is available for Subtests I and III but not for Subtest II.

On cost, taking them together is substantially cheaper: $99 per subtest taken separately, or $247 for all subtests taken together. Results are available within 5 weeks of testing.

CSET: English — four subtests, and what it is actually for

CSET: English is the subject-matter route to a Single Subject Teaching Credential in English. It is four subtests, and the shape of them tells you what is being measured.

• Subtest I (test code 105) — 50 multiple-choice questions. 1 hour 30 minutes. Fee $72.
• Subtest II (test code 106) — 50 multiple-choice questions. 1 hour. Fee $75.
• Subtest III (test code 107) — 2 constructed-response questions. 2 hours. Fee $75.
• Subtest IV (test code 108) — 4 constructed-response questions. 1 hour 30 minutes. Fee $75.

All four in a single session takes 6 hours and costs $297, which is available for computer-based testing at a test centre. Results for Subtests I and II arrive within 5 weeks; Subtests III and IV take within 7 weeks, because they are hand-scored.

Here is the part that gets misread. CSET: English qualifies you to teach English as a school subject to pupils who already speak it — literature, composition, rhetoric. It is not a qualification in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Those are different jobs with different training behind them.

CSET: Writing Skills — the small one that does double duty

CSET: Writing Skills (test code 142) is a single test with no subtests. Two constructed-response questions, 1 hour 30 minutes, plus the standard 15 minutes for the nondisclosure agreement and tutorial. The fee is $63, the cheapest test in the programme, and results come within 5 weeks.

It is worth knowing about for a reason unrelated to subject matter: combined with all three CSET: Multiple Subjects subtests, it is one of the nine accepted ways to meet California’s Basic Skills Requirement.

The ten-year rule on passing scores

This is the detail most pages omit, and it can cost someone a credential.

The Commission’s leaflet CL-674S states that “Passing exam scores must be used for certification purposes within ten years of the passing test date and applies to each score independently.”

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Read that last clause carefully. Each score expires on its own clock. Someone who passes Subtest I in one year and Subtests II and III four years later is carrying three different expiry dates, not one. If you spread your subtests over several years, the earliest one is the one that will catch you out.

How subject-matter competence is verified

The CSET is the examination route. Per CL-674S: “Individuals may verify subject-matter competence for a Single Subject Teaching Credential by passing all portions of the appropriate Commission-approved subject matter examination(s)”, and those Commission-approved examinations “are the California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET), administered by Evaluation Systems, Group of Pearson (formerly National Evaluation Systems [NES] Inc.).”

The leaflet also records two narrower situations where an examination is not the only path. For Latin, the WEST-E “Designated World Languages: Latin” test is accepted, and competence may alternatively be verified by asking the teacher education department at a listed California institution to evaluate your transcripts — the leaflet names California State University, Long Beach and San Francisco State University, describes this as at the institution’s discretion, and notes it may carry a fee. For certain world languages, the CSET subtest must be paired with a language assessment from a Commission-approved assessor agency.

Beyond those cases, this leaflet does not set out a general coursework alternative to the CSET. If you are hoping a degree will substitute, that is a question for a Commission-approved preparation programme, not for a website.

CSET at a glance: the dated data block

Data checked: 5 November 2026. Every figure below comes from the official California Educator Credentialing Examinations programme site or from the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

Full name	California Subject Examinations for Teachers
Owned by	California Commission on Teacher Credentialing
Administered by	Evaluation Systems group of Pearson, under contract to the Commission
Purpose	Basic skills, subject matter, educational technology and bilingual authorization competence
Subject areas	Approximately 40, from Agriculture to Writing Skills
Passing score	220 per subtest
Score validity	Ten years from the passing test date, applied to each score independently
Multiple Subjects, structure	Subtest I (101), Subtest II (214), Subtest III (225)
Multiple Subjects, fee	$99 per subtest separately, or $247 for all subtests together
Multiple Subjects, single session	5 hours for all three subtests
English, structure	Subtest I (105), II (106), III (107), IV (108)
English, fee	$72 for Subtest I; $75 each for Subtests II, III and IV; $297 for all four together
English, single session	6 hours for all four subtests
Writing Skills	Test code 142, two constructed-response questions, 1 hour 30 minutes, $63
Additional time	15 minutes for the nondisclosure agreement and tutorial
Results	Within 5 weeks; within 7 weeks for English Subtests III and IV
Eligibility	High school diploma, GED or equivalent, or college-credit coursework in a career in education

How to cite this block: The TEFL Institute, “What Is the CSET? California’s Subject Examinations for Teachers Explained”, data checked 5 November 2026, drawn from the official California Educator Credentialing Examinations programme site and Commission on Teacher Credentialing leaflet CL-674S. Fees, passing scores, test codes and subtest structures are set by the Commission and the testing programme and can be amended, so confirm current figures at source before relying on them. This page is information, not legal or credentialing advice.

What the CSET does not test: teaching English learners

A CSET in English certifies subject knowledge in English literature and language. It does not certify that you can teach a pupil who is still acquiring English — and in California, where a large share of the school population is doing exactly that, those are two separate professional questions.

California handles the English learner side through a different instrument entirely: the California Teacher of English Learners (CTEL) Examination, which is one route toward an English Learner Authorization or CLAD Certificate. The CSET list does include an English Language Development test, which is a distinct entry from English — another reason to read the subject list carefully rather than assuming the one marked “English” is the one you want.

If your interest is teaching English learners rather than teaching English literature, the CSET: English subtests are not the thing to study for.

CSET, CTEL and a TEFL certificate: what each one is for

• The CSET verifies subject-matter competence for a California teaching credential. It is about what you know, in the subject you intend to teach.
• The CTEL Examination is one route toward an English Learner Authorization or CLAD Certificate, which is what allows a credentialed California teacher to provide the named English learner services.
• A TEFL certificate, including an Ofqual-regulated Level 5 qualification, trains you to teach English as a foreign language. It is the recognised currency for teaching abroad, teaching online, and private language school work.

We sell TEFL courses, so let us be direct about the limits of our own product. A TEFL certificate is not a CSET, it is not a substitute for one, and it will not verify subject-matter competence to the Commission. If your destination is a California public school classroom, the credential route is the one that matters, and the CSET sits on it. If your destination is anywhere else in the world, or online, the credential route is largely irrelevant and TEFL is the qualification employers ask for. Our guide to TEFL qualifications and terminology sets out where each qualification sits.

How the CSET compares with other US teacher tests

The United States licenses teachers state by state, so which test you meet depends entirely on where you intend to teach.

• CSET — California, subject matter, roughly forty subject areas.
• CBEST — California, basic skills, one of nine accepted options. What the CBEST covers.
• Praxis — the ETS test family used by many states for basic skills, subject knowledge and teaching practice. What the Praxis tests cover.
• edTPA — a performance assessment submitted from a classroom placement rather than sat as an exam. How edTPA works.
• NYSTCE and FTCE — New York’s and Florida’s own certification examination families.

What this page does not tell you

Stated plainly, rather than left as a quiet omission:

• No test dates or registration deadlines. These change through the year and are published on the official programme site.
• No fees or subtest detail for the other subject areas. This page verifies Multiple Subjects, English and Writing Skills. The remaining subjects have their own test codes, structures and fees, and those were not checked for this page.
• No score scale. The programme publishes a passing score of 220 per subtest but the pages checked did not state the scale that number sits on.
• No retake rules.
• Nothing about whether a specific degree or course will be accepted in place of a CSET. That judgement belongs to a Commission-approved preparation programme.
• No full list of routes to an English Learner Authorization. The CTEL Examination is one way to satisfy the requirements; it is not presented here as the only one.
• Nothing about individual districts, whose hiring practices sit on top of state rules.

Where a figure could not be sourced to an official page, it is not in this article and it is not in the structured data behind it.

Official sources

Every link below was opened and checked on 5 November 2026.

• About the CSET, the requirement types and the full subject list — California Educator Credentialing Examinations.
• CSET: Multiple Subjects — subtests, timing, fees and passing score.
• CSET: English — four subtests, timing, fees and results turnaround.
• CSET: Writing Skills — format, timing and fee.
• Verifying Subject-Matter Competence by Examination (CL-674S) — Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
• Pearson VUE: CSET administration, registration and online proctoring.

Frequently asked questions

What does CSET stand for?

CSET stands for the California Subject Examinations for Teachers. The programme was developed by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, which contracted the Evaluation Systems group of Pearson to assist in the development, administration and scoring of the tests.

What is a passing score on the CSET?

The passing score is 220 per subtest. Each subtest is passed independently, so you do not need to pass every subtest in one sitting.

How much does the CSET cost?

It depends on the test. CSET: Multiple Subjects is 99 US dollars per subtest taken separately, or 247 dollars for all subtests together. CSET: English is 72 dollars for Subtest I and 75 dollars each for Subtests II, III and IV, or 297 dollars for all four together. CSET: Writing Skills is 63 dollars. Fees are set by the testing programme and can change, so check the current figure before you register.

What is the difference between the CBEST and the CSET?

The CBEST is a basic skills test about your own reading, mathematics and writing. The CSET is a subject-matter test about the subject you intend to teach. They overlap in one direction only: passing all three CSET: Multiple Subjects subtests plus CSET: Writing Skills is one of the nine accepted ways to meet California’s Basic Skills Requirement.

How long are CSET scores valid?

Ten years. The Commission states that passing exam scores must be used for certification purposes within ten years of the passing test date, and that this applies to each score independently, so subtests taken in different years expire in different years.

How long do CSET results take?

Test results are available within 5 weeks of testing for most subtests. CSET: English Subtests III and IV take within 7 weeks, because they consist entirely of constructed-response questions.

Does a TEFL certificate count towards the CSET?

No. A TEFL certificate is not a CSET and does not verify subject-matter competence to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. TEFL qualifies you to teach English as a foreign language abroad, online or in the private sector. The CSET sits on the route to a California public school classroom.