Basic skills testing

**INCOMING STUDENTS** This information will be covered at New Coug Orientation! If you have had your ACT or SAT scores sent to WSU you do not need to do anything else at this time.

Basic skills testing

Washington State requires that all prospective teachers, graduate and undergraduate, show evidence of basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. That means basic skills proficiency is required in all three areas prior to qualifying for a Washington teaching certificate.

For admission into any of WSU’s teacher education programs, candidates must take a basic skills test (e.g. ACT, SAT, WEST-B) and have official scores reported to WSU. If the minimum pass rate is met in each area, the basic skills requirement has been met.

Passing scores are defined as follows:

Register for the WEST-B exam

If minimum scores are not achieved after taking the approved tests listed above, basic skills can be met by the following:

• Reading, Writing, and Math basic skills are met by:
  • Having earned an approved AA degree from a regionally accredited community college combined with evidence of taking approved test above.
  • Having earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited college/university combined with evidence of taking approved test listed above.
• If candidates have attempted the reading test but not passed, a minimum grade of C in two humanities or social science courses may be used to demonstrate evidence of basic reading skills.
• If candidates have attempted the writing test but not passed, a minimum grade of C in two college-level composition courses may be used to demonstrate evidence of basic writing skills.
• If candidates have attempted the math test but not passed, a minimum grade of C in a college level math class or UCORE [QUAN] designated course may be used to demonstrate evidence of basic mathematical skills.

For more information, email BeATeacher@wsu.edu.