CASAS Levels A-E Explained (2026): Free Practice by Level, Grade Equivalents, and What Changes at Each Stage

CASAS Levels A-E in 2026: The Direct Answer

If your program assigned you a CASAS test, you are not taking "the CASAS test" the way you might take one standardized exam. You are taking a specific series - Reading GOALS 2, Math GOALS 2, Reading STEPS, or Listening STEPS - at a specific level, A through E. Level A and Level E are not the same test made harder. They are built from different forms, run for different amounts of time, and, most importantly, draw on a different mix of real-world content.

CASAS proves this with its own published specifications. The Reading GOALS 2 Competency Blueprint shows that 43% of Level A items are Basic Communication content - greetings, short notices, simple interpersonal exchanges - a category that falls to 0% starting at Level B and stays there through Level E. By Level E, 44% of items are Government and Law content, a category that does not exist at Level A or B at all. A learner who only practices Level-A-style vocabulary matching will walk into a Level E test unprepared for civic and legal reading, no matter how many generic practice questions they finish.

This guide walks the CASAS A-E ladder across all four current series, using CASAS's own dated Competency Blueprints and product pages rather than a repackaged aggregate, adds the current Grade Level Equivalents (GLE) chart many programs actually need for reporting, and gives you original worked examples at Levels A, C, and E (plus a Listening STEPS Level B item) so you can feel the jump in difficulty before you sit for the real thing. This is independent CASAS-level practice by OpenExamPrep - not an official CASAS product - built directly from CASAS's own published test specifications.

If you want the NRS score-to-level chart used for program reporting, or a full CASAS-vs-TABE comparison, see our CASAS vs. TABE post. For the general "what is CASAS and how do I study for it" overview, see our CASAS Study Guide. This guide covers something neither of those does: what actually changes, level by level, inside the test itself.

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How You Get Placed Into a Level (and Why Retesting Too Soon Doesn't Help)

Before you ever open a Level A-E test booklet, your program gives you a locator (CASAS eTests only) or an appraisal (paper or eTests) - a short placement instrument, not a scored progress test. A Reading GOALS 2 locator is 14 items in about 20 minutes; an appraisal is 28 items in about 30 minutes. CASAS is explicit that locator and appraisal results route you into the right starting level - they are not used for NRS reporting.

Once you are placed, you take a pretest at your assigned level, then, after a period of instruction, a post-test on a different but equivalent form, sometimes at an adjusted level. CASAS's own testing guidelines state the rule plainly: "Typically, programs assess after approximately 70-100 hours of instruction. However, testing should not occur before at least 40 hours of instruction." That 40-hour floor exists because CASAS is built to document learning gains from instruction, not from repeated guessing. If your post-test score looks like your last pretest score, more repeated testing will not fix that; more targeted instruction between tests will.

Your program - and in many cases a state policy layered on top of CASAS's own guidance - may set its own testing calendar, required forms, and rules about switching series mid-year. Always follow your program's actual schedule over any generic timeline you read online, including this one.

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Reading GOALS 2 by Level: Forms, Time, and What Actually Shifts

Reading GOALS 2 (forms 921R-930R) has five test levels. Here is the full form-by-form picture from CASAS's current product page:

These scale-score ranges describe the score range each form measures accurately, and they deliberately overlap between adjacent levels. For the non-overlapping NRS Educational Functioning Level bands used in official program reporting, see the score chart in our CASAS vs. TABE comparison - this article will not repeat that table.

The more useful number for actually studying is the Competency Blueprint: CASAS's own breakdown of which of its official competency areas each level's items are drawn from.

Source: Reading GOALS 2 Competency Blueprint, (c) 2024 CASAS.

Three things stand out:

1. Basic Communication is a Level-A-only category. It makes up 43% of Level A items - matching greetings, short notices, and simple interpersonal exchanges - then disappears completely from Levels B through E. If you are prepping for Level B or higher, drilling greeting-card vocabulary is largely wasted time.
2. Government and Law does not exist below Level C, then grows into the single largest category by Level E at 44% - but the specific sub-topics shift within that growth. Level C's Government and Law content includes legal rights and responsibilities (competency 5.3) alongside voting and the political process (5.1) and civic responsibilities (5.6). By Levels D and E, legal-rights content drops out entirely: Level E's Government and Law items narrow to voting and the political process (5.1), civic responsibilities (5.6), and science and ethics (5.7). Legal-rights reading is Level C content, not Level E content.
3. Employment peaks at Level B (36%), not at the top of the ladder. Workplace safety notices, job-performance material, and workplace communication are heaviest in the middle of the system, not the end.

The practical takeaway: once your program tells you which level you are on, study that level's actual content mix - not a generic "CASAS reading" list that blends all five levels together.

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Math GOALS 2 by Level: Forms, Time, and the Content Mix

Math GOALS 2 (forms 921M-930M) uses the same five-level structure with its own timing, and its own four-category competency system. Math GOALS 2 has no Health category at all - it is a math test, not a reading test.

Source: Math GOALS 2 Competency Blueprint, (c) 2023 CASAS.

Consumer Economics - unit price, discounts, household finance, auto costs - dominates the middle of the ladder, peaking at 46% at Level C, the single highest concentration in either GOALS 2 blueprint. "Pure Mathematics" (number sense, algebra, geometry, measurement, and statistical reasoning tested outside a life-skills scenario) is smallest in the middle of the ladder (13% at Level C) and climbs back up to 28% at Level E, tied with Employment for second place behind Consumer Economics (35%) at that level. In plain terms: Level C is the most "real-life math" level, while Level E balances real-life application with more abstract math fluency.

Math GOALS 2 also allows more time than Reading GOALS 2 at every level: 50 minutes versus 35 at Level A, 65 versus 60 at Level B, 75 versus 70 at both Level C and Level D, and 90 versus 70 at Level E.

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Reading STEPS and Listening STEPS: The Same Ladder for ESL

CASAS's two current ESL series follow the same A-E structure, sized for English language proficiency rather than adult-basic-education content:

Notice that Listening STEPS is the only current series where item count keeps climbing past Level B (33, then 36, then 39, 39, 39), while Reading GOALS 2, Math GOALS 2, and Reading STEPS all cap at 36 items.

Both STEPS series publish their own Competency Blueprints, and the direction of the shift echoes Reading GOALS 2 - Basic Communication fades out and Government and Law appears only near the top - but at a more gradual pace:

Source: Reading STEPS Competency Blueprint, (c) 2023 CASAS.

Source: Listening STEPS Competency Blueprint, (c) 2023 CASAS.

Reading STEPS' Basic Communication share reaches 0% by Level D, two levels later than Reading GOALS 2's Level B. Listening STEPS fades more slowly still - 27%, 24%, 18%, 10%, then 0% only at Level E - and Employment, not Government and Law, is the dominant category across most of the Listening STEPS ladder, reaching 38% at Level E versus Government and Law's 12%. If your program has you on a STEPS series, put more of your review time into workplace listening and reading tasks than into civics content; the GOALS 2 ladder is the one where Government and Law becomes the dominant category.

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CASAS Grade Level Equivalents: The Current Chart (and the Outdated One Still Ranking Online)

Many programs need to report a CASAS score as a familiar K-12 grade level, separate from the NRS Educational Functioning Level system. According to CASAS, the federal NRS Educational Functioning Level descriptors for Adult Basic Education (ABE) are aligned to the College and Career Readiness Standards, and the NRS descriptors for English as a Second Language (ESL) are aligned to the English Language Proficiency Standards - that alignment is what lets CASAS map each series' scale-score ranges to a K-12 grade level. See CASAS's Scale Scores, NRS EFLs, and Grade Levels page for the official charts. Here is the current chart for all four series, pulled directly from CASAS's own Grade Level Equivalents documents:

Reading GOALS 2 Grade Level Equivalents (source PDF dated 2025):

Source: Reading GOALS 2 Grade Level Equivalents, (c) 2025 CASAS.

Math GOALS 2 Grade Level Equivalents (source PDF dated 2023):

Source: Math GOALS 2 Grade Level Equivalents, (c) 2023 CASAS.

Reading STEPS Grade Level Equivalents (source PDF dated 2023):

Source: Reading STEPS Grade Level Equivalents, (c) 2023 CASAS.

Listening STEPS Grade Level Equivalents (source PDF dated 2023):

Source: Listening STEPS Grade Level Equivalents, (c) 2023 CASAS.

CASAS also publishes these same series-specific mappings inside a combined WIOA Title I score-ranges and Grade Level Equivalents chart ((c) 2025 CASAS) that workforce agencies use for federal reporting. That chart states plainly that grade level information should be used "only for administrative purposes when state or federal regulations call for a grade level" - it is a reporting convenience, not a replacement for the NRS Educational Functioning Level your program actually uses for placement and progress decisions.

Basic Skills Deficient cutoff (for workforce case managers): the same WIOA Title I chart flags which of these ranges count as "Basic Skills Deficient" under the U.S. Department of Labor's PIRL data element #804, recorded at program entry: (A) a youth with English reading, writing, or computing skills at or below the 8th-grade level on a standardized test, or (B) a youth or adult unable to compute, solve problems, or read, write, or speak English at a level needed to function on the job, in the family, or in society. The cutoff is a Reading GOALS 2 score of 238 or below, a Math GOALS 2 score of 235 or below, a Reading STEPS score of 238 or below, or a Listening STEPS score of 231 or below; scores above these thresholds are "Not Basic Skills Deficient."

A real trap on the open web: search for a "CASAS grade level chart" or "CASAS score and grade level PDF" and some of the top results are older versions of this same WIOA Title I chart - for example, a Washington state workforce PDF dated August 2019 and a Lower Shore Workforce Alliance PDF dated July 2019. None of these charts print test-form numbers, so a form-number prefix is not the tell. The real tell is the column header. CASAS's current chart (2025) names its score columns "Reading GOALS 2," "Math GOALS 2," "Reading STEPS," and "Listening STEPS" (it also keeps a legacy "Reading GOALS" column beside "Reading GOALS 2," because the two map identically). The 2019 charts name their columns "Reading GOALS" and "Math GOALS" (no "2") for ABE, and "Life and Work" for the ESL Reading and Listening series - with no "GOALS 2" or "STEPS" column at all. The numbers are not just cosmetically different, either: the 2019 chart's "Reading GOALS" column happens to match Reading GOALS 2 row for row, but its "Math GOALS" column maps different score ranges than "Math GOALS 2" for most grades from K through 7 (for example, kindergarten is 184 and below versus 183 and below). The old "Life and Work" columns differ from the current STEPS series entirely: the Washington 2019 chart's Reading exit-level cutoff for "Not Basic Skills Deficient" is 236 and above, while the current Reading STEPS cutoff is 239 and above. If a "CASAS grade chart" you find doesn't have a "GOALS 2" or "STEPS" column, don't apply its numbers to a current score report.

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The CASAS Competencies Framework: 9 Areas, 360+ Skills

Every item on the four current series maps to a CASAS Competency area - part of a framework of more than 360 essential life skills organized into nine broad content areas: Basic Communication, Consumer Economics, Community Resources, Health, Employment, Government and Law, Math, Learning and Thinking Skills, and Independent Living. CASAS has maintained and periodically revalidated this framework since field research began in 1980, and it is the same framework the Competency Blueprints above draw their category names from.

Not every CASAS test series samples every competency area. Reading GOALS 2 draws from six of the nine areas (Basic Communication, Consumer Economics, Community Resources, Health, Employment, and Government and Law). Math GOALS 2 draws from four (Consumer Economics, Community Resources, Employment, and Math, which the Math GOALS 2 blueprint itself labels "Pure Mathematics"). Learning and Thinking Skills and Independent Living do not appear as scored categories in either current GOALS 2 blueprint. If you want the full competency list with every numbered sub-skill (for example, "1.1 Use measurement and money" under Consumer Economics), CASAS publishes it on its CASAS Competencies page, and programs use the related QuickSearch database to match instructional materials to specific competencies.

Knowing which competency areas apply to your series - and which ones do not - is a fast way to stop over-preparing for content that will not appear on your test at all.

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Worked Example Items by Level (Original Practice, Not CASAS's Copyrighted Items)

CASAS publishes its own official sample items for every series and level, and they are copyrighted CASAS test material intended for instructional use - we link to them below rather than reproduce them. The seven examples here are original items we wrote to model the format, complexity, and competency focus documented above, so you can feel the difference between levels before you open the real sample sets.

Level A Reading (Basic Communication, an interpersonal note):

Hi Ana - I can't pick up the kids today. Can you get them from school at 3:00? Thank you! - Marta

Question: What does Marta want Ana to do? A) Meet her at school B) Pick up the kids at 3:00 C) Call the school D) Bring the kids home early

The correct answer is B. The note directly asks Ana to pick up the kids at 3:00; the other options describe actions the note never requests. A short interpersonal message like this is exactly what Basic Communication competency 0.1 ("communicate in interpersonal interactions") measures, and it is the single largest category at Level A (43%).

Level A Math (Community Resources, transportation, one step):

City Bus Fare: $1.50 per one-way ride. Exact change only.

Question: Diego takes the bus to work and back home. How much does he pay in bus fare for one day? A) $1.50 B) $2.50 C) $3.00 D) $4.50

The correct answer is C. One posted rate, multiplied by two one-way rides ($1.50 x 2 = $3.00), is a single-step calculation. This is a Community Resources item, and Community Resources - the area that includes competency 2.2, using transportation and travel-related information - makes up 29% of Math GOALS 2 Level A items, just behind Employment (30%) as the largest category at that level.

Level C Reading (Government and Law, a conditional procedural detail):

JURY DUTY NOTICE You have been selected for jury service. If you cannot serve on the date listed, you must submit a written excusal request within 10 business days of receiving this notice. Requests submitted after this deadline will not be considered.

Question: What must a person do if they cannot serve on the date listed? A) Call the court on the day of service B) Submit a written excusal request within 10 business days C) Ask a family member to serve instead D) Wait for a new notice to arrive

The correct answer is B. Unlike the Level A example, this item requires tracking a conditional requirement (written form, specific deadline) rather than a single fact - matching Level C's rising Government and Law (27%) and Employment (25%) weight and its longer, more procedural documents.

Level C Math (Consumer Economics, two sequential steps):

Store Sale: Original price $84.00. Today only: 25% off. Sales tax of 8% applies after the discount.

Question: What is the final price a customer pays, including tax? A) $63.00 B) $68.04 C) $75.60 D) $90.72

The correct answer is B. First apply the discount ($84.00 x 0.75 = $63.00), then apply tax to the discounted price ($63.00 x 1.08 = $68.04). Sequencing two operations correctly, rather than performing one calculation, matches Level C's peak 46% Consumer Economics weighting - the highest of any Math GOALS 2 level.

Level E Reading (Government and Law, author's purpose):

PROPOSED ORDINANCE 24-118 The City Council will vote next month on a proposal to change recycling collection from weekly to every two weeks citywide, citing cost savings and reduced truck traffic. Residents who wish to comment may submit written testimony to the City Clerk's office before the vote or speak during the public comment period at the Council meeting.

Question: What is the main purpose of this notice? A) To announce that recycling collection has already changed B) To inform residents of a proposed change and how to give input before a vote C) To require residents to reduce the amount of recycling they produce D) To explain why the city banned curbside recycling

The correct answer is B. This is Government and Law content at the level where it peaks (44% of Level E items) and asks for the author's overall purpose across the whole notice, not a single detail - a higher-order reading task consistent with Level E's step up in text complexity.

Level E Math (Employment, wages, multi-step):

Elena earns $18.40 per hour. She works 42 hours in one week. Hours beyond 40 in a week are paid at time-and-a-half.

Question: What is Elena's total gross pay for the week? A) $736.00 B) $772.80 C) $791.20 D) $809.60

The correct answer is C. Regular pay is 40 hours x $18.40 = $736.00. The 2 overtime hours are paid at time-and-a-half ($18.40 x 1.5 = $27.60 per hour), adding $55.20, for a total of $791.20. Option A forgets the overtime hours entirely, option B pays all 42 hours at the regular rate, and option D mistakenly applies double time instead of time-and-a-half. This is an Employment item, and Employment - the area that includes competency 4.2, understanding wages, benefits, and employee rights - makes up 28% of Level E items, tied with Pure Mathematics for second place behind Consumer Economics (35%). Splitting regular from overtime hours and applying the correct multiplier only to the overtime portion is the kind of multi-step task that weighting implies.

Listening STEPS Level B (Employment, a short transcript):

Transcript: "Attention all warehouse staff: starting Monday, the morning shift will begin at 7:00 a.m. instead of 7:30 a.m. Please arrive 10 minutes early to clock in."

Question: What time will the morning shift start on Monday? A) 6:50 a.m. B) 7:00 a.m. C) 7:30 a.m.

The correct answer is B. The announcement states the new start time directly; 6:50 a.m. is the arrival time implied by "arrive 10 minutes early," not the shift start, and 7:30 a.m. is the old, no-longer-correct time. Workplace scheduling announcements like this are Employment content, which makes up 32% of Listening STEPS Level B items - the largest category at that level.

For the authentic, official version of sample items at your exact level, use the "Sample Test Items" section on CASAS's Reading GOALS 2, Math GOALS 2, Reading STEPS, and Listening STEPS product pages.

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How to Practice by Level Without Guessing

Once you know your series and level, practicing efficiently is mostly a matter of matching your study time to the competency weights above instead of studying every topic equally.

Start FREE CASAS Practice QuestionsPractice questions with detailed explanations

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A simple, level-aware study loop:

1. Confirm your exact series and level with your instructor - not a guess based on a past score.
2. Review that level's Competency Blueprint mix above and skip categories that do not apply to your level or series.
3. Practice document-based reading or applied math items that match your level's dominant categories.
4. Log every miss by competency area, not just "reading" or "math" - a Level D miss on a Government and Law item needs different repair than a Level D miss on an Employment item.
5. Ask your program about your post-test timing. CASAS's own guidance points to roughly 70-100 hours of instruction, with a floor of at least 40 hours - use that window to close specific gaps, not to memorize a single practice set.

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Official CASAS Resources

• Reading GOALS 2 - current product page with the Level A-E form table, Competency Blueprint, and official sample items.
• Math GOALS 2 - current product page with the Level A-E form table, Competency Blueprint, and official sample items.
• Reading STEPS - current ESL reading series product page and documentation.
• Listening STEPS - current ESL listening series product page and documentation.
• CASAS Pre- and Post-Testing Guidelines - official instructional-hour guidance between tests.
• CASAS Competencies - the official 9-area, 360+ skill framework behind every CASAS item.
• Scale Scores, NRS EFLs, and Grade Levels - CASAS's official score-range and grade-level charts.
• WIOA Title I Score Ranges and Grade Level Equivalents - the current (2025) combined chart with Basic Skills Deficient cutoffs.
• Reading GOALS 2 Competency Blueprint and Math GOALS 2 Competency Blueprint - the per-level content-area percentages used throughout this article.
• Reading STEPS Competency Blueprint and Listening STEPS Competency Blueprint - the ESL series' per-level content-area percentages.

Bottom Line

CASAS Level A and Level E are different tests, not the same test at different difficulties. The competency mix moves from Basic Communication at the bottom of the ladder to Government and Law and Employment at the top for reading, and from broad life-skills math to a heavier Pure Mathematics and Consumer Economics blend for math. Use your program's assigned series and level, match your study time to that level's actual content mix using CASAS's own Competency Blueprints, use the current Grade Level Equivalents chart (not an outdated PDF built for a retired series) if your program needs a grade-level number, and practice with items built for your level rather than a one-size-fits-all set.