CASAS vs TABE 2026: How the Two Adult-Education Tests Differ, What Scores Mean, and Which One to Use

CASAS vs TABE in August 2026: the direct answer

CASAS and TABE are assessment families used by adult-education programs for placement, instruction, and National Reporting System (NRS) reporting. Neither is the GED or HiSET, and neither has one nationwide passing score. A result matters only when you know the exact series, subject, test level, NRS Educational Functioning Level (EFL), and your program's policy.

The biggest 2026 correction is version control:

• Current CASAS ABE/ASE choices are Reading GOALS 2 and Math GOALS 2. The older Reading GOALS approval ended June 30, 2026.
• Current CASAS ESL choices are Reading STEPS and Listening STEPS.
• The current DRC academic battery is TABE 13&14, not TABE 11&12.
• DRC's separate ESL battery is TABE CLAS-E Forms C and D, which measures reading, listening, writing, and speaking.

CASAS practice questionsPractice questions with detailed explanations

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Current-series comparison

Both families use adult-relevant material and align current products to federal adult-education standards. It is too simplistic to say that every CASAS item is “life skills” while every TABE item is “academic.” CASAS reports competencies and task areas and is well known for contextualized material; TABE 13&14 measures College and Career Readiness skills in adult contexts.

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Which products are currently NRS-approved?

The CASAS approval page lists exact series and end dates:

• Reading GOALS 2 forms 921R–930R: approved through June 30, 2032.
• Math GOALS 2 forms 921M–930M: approved through June 30, 2031.
• Reading STEPS forms 621R–630R: approved through June 30, 2031.
• Listening STEPS forms 621L–630L: approved through June 30, 2031.
• Legacy Reading GOALS forms 901R–908R: approval ended June 30, 2026.

DRC states that TABE 13&14 is NRS-approved. The federal notice gives TABE 13&14 a three-year approval from June 20, 2024, through June 20, 2027. DRC identifies TABE CLAS-E C/D as its ESL assessment, and a May 2026 federal notice extends its NRS sunset through June 30, 2028. Do not use a 2024 or early-2025 guide that treats TABE 11&12 or CLAS-E A/B as the current forms.

Federal suitability does not automatically authorize every series in every state. Check the current state assessment policy and the local program's written procedures before choosing forms, setting post-test intervals, or reporting a gain.

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How programs choose between them

For ABE/ASE learners, the practical choice is usually Reading/Math GOALS 2 versus TABE 13&14. Program leaders should compare:

1. State approval and reporting system. The instrument must be allowed for the population and program year.
2. Required domains. TABE has a separate Language subtest. CASAS GOALS 2 covers reading and math.
3. Curriculum and reporting needs. CASAS competency/task-area reporting may suit contextualized instruction; TABE domain reports may suit a curriculum organized around academic reading, math, and language.
4. Delivery constraints. Compare online, paper, remote, offline, accessibility, licensing, staff training, and local data-transfer requirements.
5. Continuity. A valid pretest/post-test pair must follow the applicable state policy and publisher rules.

For ESL learners, compare CASAS Reading/Listening STEPS with TABE CLAS-E C/D. CASAS supplies two receptive-language measures. CLAS-E covers four domains, adding writing and speaking. The right answer depends on what the state authorizes and which skills the program must report—not on a blanket claim that one brand is better.

A useful policy example is New York's 2026 assessment guidance, which says a learner must be post-tested on the same assessment used for the pretest and prohibits switching CASAS/TABE within that program year. That is a New York rule, not proof of a universal nationwide ban. Other states may phrase continuity requirements differently.

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CASAS GOALS 2 score ranges for ABE/ASE

CASAS publishes these current NRS EFL bands in its official score-range chart:

These are subject-specific bands. For example, 239 starts Reading Level 5, while 236 starts Math Level 6. Never describe “a CASAS score of 239” without naming the series and subject.

A locator or appraisal helps select the appropriate pretest form. CASAS explicitly notes that locator/appraisal results are not themselves used for NRS reporting.

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CASAS STEPS score ranges for ESL

The same official CASAS chart gives these ranges:

“Exit Advanced ESL” is not a universal graduation or passing score. It is the label on this CASAS NRS mapping. The program must still apply its state policy and transition procedures.

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TABE 13&14 scores and test levels

DRC's current TABE 13&14 scoring guidance maps scale scores to NRS levels. The score boundaries are subject-specific:

Those boundaries summarize the EFL scale, but a level-specific form cannot necessarily report every band. DRC's table shows E, M, D, and A forms covering overlapping ranges. Its product guidance also references a Literacy (L) label. Follow the locator and score report rather than choosing a form from the table yourself.

DRC uses report indicators that matter:

• O/R means performance was too far below the targeted level for an NRS scale score; the report recommends a lower test level.
• An asterisk marks the highest NRS level measurable on that test level and may prompt testing at a higher level.
• The report supplies a next recommended level for post-testing.

TABE 13&14's official maximum times are up to 100 minutes for Reading, 60 minutes for Mathematics, and 50 minutes for Language. Actual scheduling and required subtests depend on the program.

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TABE CLAS-E is the ESL comparison people often miss

Comparing CASAS STEPS only with the TABE 13&14 academic battery creates a false mismatch. DRC's ESL product is TABE CLAS-E C/D. Its official maximum-time table distinguishes online and paper forms:

CLAS-E uses four test levels and maps each domain to NRS ESL EFLs. It also has domain-specific NRS exit scores on Level 4. Those numbers are not comparable to CASAS STEPS scores. If an ESL program needs writing and speaking measures, CLAS-E may provide a better domain match; if it needs CASAS competencies and Reading/Listening STEPS continuity, CASAS may fit better.

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GED and HiSET readiness

Neither CASAS nor TABE awards a high school equivalency credential. DRC publishes a TABE-to-HSE concordance as a directional readiness predictor:

Treat the table as a statistical readiness relationship, not a guarantee and not a substitute for the GED or HiSET. A state may have additional eligibility, preparation, and credential rules.

CASAS programs can also use NRS levels and state/local readiness policies to guide an HSE transition. The absence of the same publisher concordance table does not make CASAS invalid.

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What score do you need to pass?

There is no national CASAS passing score and no national TABE passing score. Ask four questions:

1. Which exact series and subject did I take?
2. What scale score and NRS EFL appear on my report?
3. Is my program measuring placement, an EFL gain, HSE readiness, occupational eligibility, or another local requirement?
4. What written cutoff or post-testing policy applies to that purpose?

An employer, college, training provider, or corrections program may impose its own eligibility cutoff. That local cutoff is not the same thing as a nationwide CASAS or TABE pass score.

Do not compare raw numbers across systems. CASAS 240 and TABE 240 are not equivalent; even scores within one brand can mean different things across subjects or series. Compare the reported NRS EFL and the decision attached to it.

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How to prepare for the assigned test

For CASAS GOALS 2, practice extracting and applying information from adult-relevant texts, tables, charts, and multistep math situations. For STEPS, add functional English reading or listening practice at the assigned level.

For TABE 13&14, prepare for the exact assigned subjects and level. Reading includes multiple-choice and evidence-based selected responses; Mathematics includes multiple-choice and gridded responses and uses a DESMOS calculator where authorized; Language uses multiple-choice items.

Use official sample items before third-party practice:

• CASAS Reading STEPS page and sample-item links
• TABE 13&14 official sample items
• TABE 13&14 official blueprints

Then use your diagnostic report. Group misses by skill, practice that skill, and post-test only after the required instruction and elapsed time. Your administrator—not a generic web article—should confirm the eligible post-test form.

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Bottom line

In August 2026, compare the current products: CASAS Reading/Math GOALS 2 and Reading/Listening STEPS versus DRC's TABE 13&14 and TABE CLAS-E C/D. Both families can support valid NRS reporting when the state authorizes the exact assessment. The deciding factors are population, domains, state policy, delivery, and pretest/post-test continuity.

Read the exact series name before interpreting a score. Use the official subject-specific EFL table, never convert raw CASAS numbers into TABE numbers, and remember that a local cutoff is not a universal pass score.