1.1 What CASAS Measures
Key Takeaways
- CASAS is an adult skills assessment system used for placement, instruction planning, progress testing, and program reporting.
- GOALS assessments serve adult basic education and adult secondary education reading and math; STEPS assessments serve English as a Second Language reading and listening.
- CASAS reports scale scores that programs interpret with test series, form level, and National Reporting System Educational Functioning Level ranges.
- A locator or appraisal helps choose the right pretest level, while pretests and post-tests are used together to document growth after instruction.
- CASAS does not have one universal pass score; the meaning of a result depends on the program goal, test series, and reporting context.
CASAS is a skills measurement system
Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS) assessments are used by adult education, workforce, and English language programs to measure practical skills. The tests are built around adult tasks: reading workplace notices, using schedules, interpreting forms, understanding health and safety information, and applying math to daily situations.
CASAS is best understood as a placement and progress tool. A learner may take an intake screening, locator, or appraisal so the program can select an appropriate pretest. After instruction, a post-test helps the program decide whether the learner made progress and what instruction should come next.
GOALS and STEPS
| Series | Common program use | Skill focus | Typical level span |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading GOALS 2 | Adult Basic Education (ABE) and Adult Secondary Education (ASE) | Reading comprehension in daily life and workplace contexts | Level A through Level E |
| Math GOALS 2 | ABE and ASE | Practical math, academic math, and workplace-related math | Level A through Level E |
| Reading STEPS | English as a Second Language (ESL) | Everyday and workplace English reading | Level A through Level E |
| Listening STEPS | ESL | Everyday and workplace English listening | Level A through Level E |
The series name matters. A Reading GOALS 2 score and a Listening STEPS score are not interchangeable because they measure different skills for different populations.
How scores are used
CASAS reports a scale score, not just a raw number correct. Programs use scale scores with CASAS score ranges and National Reporting System (NRS) Educational Functioning Levels (EFLs) to describe a learner's current level and growth.
A typical testing flow looks like this:
- Locator or appraisal - selects the right pretest level so the form is not far too easy or too hard.
- Pretest - records the learner's starting skill estimate.
- Instruction - targets the skills shown by the score report and classroom goals.
- Post-test - measures growth after instruction and supports program reporting.
- Next placement decision - helps choose the next class, goal, or test level.
No universal pass score
Avoid asking, "What score passes CASAS?" CASAS is not a single licensing exam. A program may set a goal for enrollment, class placement, completion, employment services, or NRS reporting, but there is no one CASAS pass score that applies to every learner and every test series.
For test prep, the practical goal is to understand how the assessment works: read the document, find the exact evidence, solve only the task asked, and use the score report to see what skill area needs work.
A student takes a short CASAS locator before the main reading test. What is the main purpose of the locator?
Which statement is most accurate about CASAS scores?