1.3 CTC Basic Skills Requirement (CL-667), the SB 153 Degree Option & the Nine Statutory Pathways

CTC Basic Skills Requirement (CL-667), the SB 153 Degree Option & the Nine Statutory Pathways

The Basic Skills Requirement (BSR) is codified in California Education Code Section 44252, establishing that all individuals credentialed to teach, counsel, or administer in California public elementary and secondary schools must verify foundational proficiency in reading, writing, and mathematics. The statutory rules governing BSR compliance are published by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) in official guidance document Leaflet CL-667.

While the CBEST was historically the gatekeeper examination for California educators, two statutes reshaped the landscape. Assembly Bill 130 (Chapter 44, Statutes of 2021), signed June 9, 2021, added the qualifying-coursework option. Senate Bill 153 (Chapter 38, Statutes of 2024), effective June 29, 2024, added the option that matters most to today's candidates: a bachelor's or higher degree. In Coded Correspondence 26-01, dated January 9, 2026, the Commission proposed conforming amendments to Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations to reflect SB 153.

The official CBEST test page now carries a banner stating plainly: "CBEST is no longer required for most teaching credentials if you have a bachelor's degree."

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The Nine Statutory Pathways to Satisfy the BSR

Leaflet CL-667 lists nine methods. Individuals satisfy the requirement by one of the following:

1. Meet the BSR by Degree

Most credentials require a bachelor's or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution, so the majority of applicants meet the BSR through their degree. CL-667 names four documents that are the exception because they do not require a bachelor's degree:

• Emergency Substitute Teaching Permit for Prospective Teachers (CL-505d)
• Exchange Certificated Employee Credential (CL-501)
• Sojourn Certificated Employee Credential (CL-568)
• Designated Subjects Supervision and Coordination Credentials (CL-700)

2. Meet the BSR by Coursework

Official transcripts must show courses in reading, writing, and mathematics that were taken at a regionally accredited college or university for credit, are degree applicable, carry at least 3 semester units or 4 quarter units, and were passed with a grade of B or better. (The Commission's exam program page adds that a B- would be acceptable; do not assume a C+ will pass review.) Qualifying subjects are:

• Reading: critical thinking, literature, philosophy, reading, rhetoric, or textual analysis.
• Writing: composition, English, rhetoric, written communication, or writing.
• Mathematics: algebra, geometry, mathematics, quantitative reasoning, or statistics.

A course outside these areas may still qualify with a letter from the registrar or the relevant department chair stating that the course covered reading, writing, or mathematics. Professional development, continuing education units, in-service training, workshops, and courses whose credits do not apply toward an associate's or higher degree are not acceptable.

3. Meet the BSR by Coursework and Exam

Qualifying coursework may be combined with qualifying exams to cover the three domains. CL-667 states that mixing and matching components from the exam options permitted under current law is acceptable with the exception of out-of-state basic skills exams, which cannot be mixed. The Commission publishes a Guidance Chart for Mixing BSR Options for exactly this determination.

4. Achieve a Qualifying Score on the SAT or ACT

• SAT taken March 2016 or later: Mathematics 570, Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 560.
• SAT taken before March 2016: Mathematics 550, Critical Reading (previously Verbal) 500.
• ACT: Mathematics 23 combined with ACT English 22.

5. Pass the CBEST

A scaled score of 41 on each of the three sections; a score as low as 37 on a section is acceptable if the total scaled score reaches at least 123. CBEST need only be passed once, and passing scores "remain valid indefinitely for all credential and employment purposes."

6. Pass the CSET: Multiple Subjects Plus Writing Skills

Passage of the CSET: Writing Skills examination (test #142) can be added to passage of the CSET: Multiple Subjects examination (subtests #101, 214, and 225) to meet the BSR. This route is only open to candidates who are already taking CSET: Multiple Subjects for subject-matter competence — the Writing Skills subtest cannot be bolted onto a single-subject CSET.

7. Pass the CSU Early Assessment Program or CSU Placement Examinations

• CSU EAP (English and Mathematics sections): status of "College Ready" or "Exempt" in each section.
• CSU Placement Examinations: English Placement Test (EPT) score of 151 and Entry-Level Mathematics (ELM) score of 50. Both exams were discontinued effective October 1, 2017, and ETS stopped providing results as of September 30, 2019, so this route is only available to candidates with historical scores.

8. College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations

A score of 3 or higher on an AP English exam (English Language and Composition or English Literature and Composition) plus a score of 3 or higher on AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, or AP Statistics.

9. Pass a Basic Skills Examination from Another State

The Commission accepts basic skills examinations from other states, with no recency requirement for when the exam was passed. A photocopy of the score report or a letter from the testing agency must accompany the application, and the Commission publishes an Out-of-State Basic Skills Exams Guide listing acceptable examinations. Remember: out-of-state exams are the one option that cannot be mixed with other components.

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Comprehensive BSR Pathways Comparison Table

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Who Still Needs to Take the CBEST Today?

Given that a bachelor's degree automatically fulfills the BSR for most standard teacher credential candidates, the question arises: who still takes the CBEST? In practice, thousands of candidates continue to take the CBEST annually across specific educational and professional sectors:

1. Applicants for Documents That Do Not Require a Bachelor's Degree: This is the category CL-667 itself names. The clearest case is the Emergency Substitute Teaching Permit for Prospective Teachers (CL-505d), which is based on completion of 90 or more semester units and current enrollment at a regionally accredited four-year institution — not on a conferred degree. Be careful not to confuse this with the Emergency 30-Day Substitute Teaching Permit, which does require a baccalaureate degree and therefore clears the BSR on the degree alone. The other non-degree documents CL-667 lists are the Exchange Certificated Employee Credential, the Sojourn Certificated Employee Credential, and Designated Subjects Supervision and Coordination Credentials.
2. Designated Subjects and Career Technical Education Pathways: Industry practitioners entering education to teach vocational subjects often qualify through industry certification, occupational experience, and a high school diploma rather than a four-year degree. Note that a credential to teach a designated subject that does not require a baccalaureate degree — including the 30-Day Substitute Designated Subjects Vocational Education Permit — is listed by the Commission as exempt from the BSR entirely, so confirm your specific document before registering.
3. Out-of-State and International Applicants: Candidates holding degrees from non-regionally accredited institutions or foreign universities requiring lengthy, costly course-by-course evaluations through foreign credential services (such as IERF or WES). For these candidates, passing the CBEST is often far faster and less expensive than undergoing foreign transcript audits.
4. Candidates with Non-Qualifying College Grades: Individuals whose undergraduate transcripts show grades of C+, C, or C- in their general education math or English courses, or whose coursework fell into remedial non-credit classifications, cannot utilize AB 130 coursework. They must pass the relevant CBEST section to clear the deficient domain.
5. Candidates Facing Urgent Employment Deadlines: University registrars frequently take 4 to 8 weeks following graduation to post degrees and transmit official transcripts. Candidates hired by school districts facing urgent staffing shortages can sit for the CBEST and use preliminary passing reports to accelerate district clearance.

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The CTC Form 41-BSR Verification Process

When an applicant satisfies the BSR through coursework or a mixed combination, an authorized reviewer must verify it. Online recommendations from a Commission-approved preparation program must include Form 41-BSR, "Verification of Basic Skills Requirement," for both the coursework option and the mixing-and-matching option. Individuals and local educational agencies without a Commission-approved program use Form CL-130, the Basic Skills Requirement Evaluation Worksheet, instead.

One detail saves real time: Form 41-BSR is not required if CBEST or CSET scores are being used to meet the requirement. Passing the CBEST outright is therefore the lowest-paperwork route for a candidate who cannot use the degree option.

Applicants filing directly with the Commission using CSU, SAT/ACT, or AP scores must submit original passing score reports with the application packet — scores printed only on a high school transcript are not acceptable.