BACKGROUND QUESTIONS

When you register for the CSET, you will be asked to answer the following background questions. Providing accurate and complete background information about yourself is important; the information that you provide will be kept confidential.

Evaluation Systems takes reasonable precautions to protect the integrity of your personal information. The complete privacy policy is accessible as a link at the bottom of the CSET home page.

The CTC uses the background information (including ethnicity, gender, and date of birth) to satisfy legal requirements, to conduct research that benefits improvement of educator preparation programs, and to help ensure the fairness and quality of the examination for which you are registering. This information will be analyzed as group data only. Examinee-level data will not be provided to score recipient institutions. It may be used for statistical and research purposes and will not be used, in whole or in part, to make a determination about any individual.

Undergraduate Coursework in the Subject Area of the Test

How many college semester credit hours (units) will you have completed in the subject area(s) of the subtest(s) by the test date? (number of quarter credit hours × .67 = equivalent semester credit hours)

1. None
2. 1–6 semester credit hours
3. 7–15 semester credit hours
4. 16–24 semester credit hours
5. 25–36 semester credit hours
6. 37 or more semester credit hours

Coursework Completed

When did you complete the majority of the coursework in the subject area(s) of the subtest(s)?

1. 0–5 years ago
2. 6–10 years ago
3. 11–15 years ago
4. More than 15 years ago
5. No coursework completed in the subject area(s) of the subtest(s)

College/University Training

Where did you receive the majority of your education relevant to the subtest(s)?

Indicate the appropriate institution if listed as an option. If the appropriate institution is not listed as an option, check the appropriate box. Refer to "Institutions" for a list of California institutions.

Highest Education Level

What is the highest education level you have attained? (Possession of a high school diploma, a GED, or the equivalent or current or previous enrollment in courses for college credit pursuant to a career in education is required to register for any tests.)

1. Freshman or sophomore (first or second year)
2. Junior (third year)
3. Senior (fourth or final year)
4. Earned bachelor's degree
5. Earned bachelor's degree plus additional graduate units
6. Earned bachelor's degree plus credential
7. Earned master's degree
8. Earned master's degree plus additional graduate units
9. Earned doctoral degree

Reason for Taking the Test(s)

What is your main purpose for taking the subtest(s)?

1. To obtain an initial Multiple Subject or Single Subject Teaching Credential other than Foundational-Level Mathematics or Science
2. To obtain an initial Education Specialist Instruction Credential
3. To add an authorization other than Foundational-Level Mathematics or Science to an existing teaching credential
4. To meet the federal No Child Left Behind “Highly Qualified Teacher” requirements only—I have completed a liberal studies program and already possess a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential
5. To meet the federal No Child Left Behind “Highly Qualified Teacher” requirements only—I have completed a liberal studies program and have not yet earned my Multiple Subject Teaching Credential
6. To obtain an initial Foundational-Level Mathematics Teaching Credential
7. To obtain an initial Foundational-Level Science Teaching Credential
8. To add an authorization for Foundational-Level Mathematics to an existing teaching credential
9. To add an authorization for Foundational-Level Science to an existing teaching credential

Previous Career

Were you working in a different career or occupation (excluding temporary or part-time work) before pursuing a teaching credential? Indicate yes or no.

Prior Institution

Did you transfer to the California institution where you received your bachelor's degree?

1. No, I did not transfer to the institution where I received my bachelor's degree.
2. Yes, I transferred from a community college.
3. Yes, I transferred from another four-year institution.
4. I received my bachelor's degree at an out-of-state institution.

Professional Preparation Program

If you are, or plan to be, enrolled in a California teacher preparation program offered through an institution (a college, university, district intern program, or other specialized program), indicate the appropriate institution from the list. Refer to "Institutions" for a list of California institutions.

Teaching Credential

Do you currently possess a teaching credential?

1. Yes, I currently have a California teaching credential
2. Yes, I currently have an out-of-state teaching credential
3. Yes, I currently have a teaching credential from another country
4. No, I do not currently have a teaching credential

Undergraduate Major

What was/is your undergraduate major? Refer to the "Undergraduate Majors" table that follows and indicate the appropriate major or check the appropriate box if your major is not listed or if you are undecided. If you have a double major, indicate the major that is most closely related to the test(s) for which you are registering.

Undergraduate Majors

Major

Humanities

Art or Art History

Dance

Drama or Theatre Arts

Music

Philosophy or Religion

Other Humanities

Language Studies

American Sign Language

Communications

English or Comparative Literature

Linguistics

Arabic

Armenian

Cantonese

Farsi

Filipino

French

German

Hmong

Japanese

Khmer

Korean

Mandarin

Punjabi

Russian

Spanish

Vietnamese

Other World Language

Liberal Studies

Child Development

Liberal Studies (Choose this code only if your undergraduate major was/is Liberal Studies.)

Mathematics and Natural Sciences

Biology or Biological Sciences

Chemistry

Earth Science, Geology, or Geoscience

General Science

Mathematics

Physics or Physical Science

Other Mathematics

Other Natural Science

Social Sciences

Anthropology

Economics

Ethnic Studies

Geography

History

Political Science or Government

Psychology

Sociology

Women's Studies

Other Social Science

Technical, Professional, and Vocational Studies

Agriculture

Business, Marketing, or Advertising

Computer Science

Education (Choose this code only if your undergraduate major was/is Education.)

Engineering

Health Science or Health Education

Home Economics

Industrial Arts

Physical Education or Athletics

Special Education

Technology Science

Other Technical, Professional, or Vocational Studies

Undecided/Not Listed

Major not listed

Undecided

Undergraduate Degree

Do you have an undergraduate degree in the subject area(s) of the subtest(s)?

1. Yes, I do have a degree in the subject area(s) of the subtest(s)
2. I have a degree in one subject area of the subtest(s)
3. I have a degree in two subject areas of the subtest(s)
4. No, I do not have a degree in the subject area(s) of the subtest(s)

Additional Background Questions for Bilingual Authorization Candidates

Bilingual Teacher Training Program

If you have completed (or will have completed prior to testing) training from a state-sponsored Bilingual Teacher Training Program (BTTP) for the subtests for which you are registering, indicate the BTTP from which you received training. If you received training from more than one BTTP listed, please indicate the BTTP from which you received the most recent training.

1. Imperial County
2. Los Angeles County
3. Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties
4. Orange County
5. San Diego County
6. Santa Clara County
7. San Mateo and San Francisco Counties
8. Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma Counties
9. Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, and Tulare Counties
10. San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties
11. Riverside and Mono Counties
12. Alameda and Contra Costa Counties
13. Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, Yolo, and Yuba Counties
14. San Bernardino and Inyo Counties

BTTP Training

If you have received BTTP training for any of the subtests for which you are registering, please indicate which subtest(s) you received BTTP training for. Indicate only subtest(s) for which you are currently registering for which you received BTTP training.

Language Proficiency

In what language are you most proficient? Select one of the following response options:

English Arabic Armenian Cantonese Farsi Filipino French German Hmong

Japanese Khmer Korean Mandarin Punjabi Russian Spanish Vietnamese Other

Preparation: Hours of Inservice Training

Before responding, please review the knowledge and skills assessed on each subtest. For the specific subtest(s) that you will be taking, indicate the number of hours of inservice training you have already completed that included these knowledge and skills. Do not include inservice training for which you received college credit.

1. None (0 hours)
2. 1–15 hours
3. 16–30 hours
4. 31–45 hours
5. 46–60 hours
6. 61 or more hours

Preparation: Semester Units of College Coursework

For each subtest for which you are registering, indicate the number of semester units of college coursework covering topics included on the subtest that you will have completed by the test date. If your coursework was in quarter units, provide the best estimation of semester units considering that one quarter unit is equivalent to two-thirds of a semester unit. Before responding, please review the knowledge and skills assessed on each subtest for which you are registering. Do not provide a response for a subtest you are not currently requesting. Select one of the following response options:

1. None (0 semester units)
2. 1–3 semester units
3. 4–6 semester units
4. 7–9 semester units
5. 10–12 semester units
6. 13 or more semester units

Additional Preparation for CSET: LOTE Subtest V

If you are registering for CSET: LOTE Subtest V, answer the following question: In addition to any inservice training and college coursework you may have had related to the culture of emphasis, in what other way(s), if any, have you learned the content assessed on Subtest V? Select as many of the options as apply.

1. The culture of emphasis is my native, primary, or first culture.
2. I grew up or spent considerable time in a country in which the culture of emphasis is the dominant culture.
3. I live or have lived in the United States with a family from the culture of emphasis.
4. I live or have lived in a U.S. community in which the culture of emphasis is the dominant culture.
5. I have earned a college degree in the culture of emphasis.
6. None of the above

Additional Preparation for CSET: LOTE Language and Communication Skills Subtest

If you are registering for any language and communication skills subtest, answer the following question: In addition to any inservice training and college coursework you may have had related to the language of emphasis, in what other way(s), if any, have you learned the language of emphasis? Select as many of the options as apply.

1. The language of emphasis is a language I learned first as a child.
2. I grew up or spent considerable time in a country in which the language of emphasis is the dominant language.
3. I live or have lived in the United States with a family that primarily speaks the language of emphasis.
4. I live or have lived in a U.S. community in which the language of emphasis is the dominant language.
5. I have earned a college degree in the language of emphasis.
6. None of the above

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