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  • The Day of the Test

The Day of the Test

Reporting to the Test Site

  • CBT
  • PBT

Your CBT confirmation lists your test date, testing time, and test center. Please report to the test center 15 minutes before your scheduled testing time. The consequences of arriving late to or missing a test appointment are noted in the late arrival policy and absentee policy.

Examinees scheduled to test in areas impacted by severe weather conditions or a natural disaster will be informed of test center closings. For more information about the notification process, read the test cancellation policy.

Your admission ticket lists your test selection, test center, test date, and reporting time. Please report to the test center no later than your scheduled reporting time. The consequences of arriving late to or missing a test session are noted in the late arrival policy and absentee policy.

Examinees scheduled to test in areas impacted by severe weather conditions or a natural disaster will be informed of test center closings. For more information about the notification process, read the test cancellation policy.

If you have questions on the day of the test, contact Evaluation Systems by phone from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Pacific time.

What to Bring to the Test Center

  • CBT
  • PBT

For all tests, you must bring identification as described in the identification policy to the test center on the day of your test. If you do not have proper identification, you will not be admitted to the test and you will not receive a refund or credit of any kind.

On the day of the test, you are not allowed to bring pencils, pens, or any other writing utensil to the test center. A pen and a booklet of erasable sheets will be provided to you for taking notes, writing an outline, or otherwise preparing your response. Any response recorded within the erasable notebooklet will not be scored.

You may wish to dress comfortably in layers. This will allow you to adjust for the temperature at the test center, which may vary and may not be under the control of the test administrators. Please wear soft-soled shoes to help maintain a quiet testing environment.

Refer to test center rules for a complete list of prohibited materials.

For all tests, you must bring identification as described in the identification policy to the test center on the day of your test. If you do not have proper identification, you will not be admitted to the test and you will not receive a refund or credit of any kind.

In addition to bringing an acceptable form of identification, you must also bring the following with you to the test center:

  • A printed copy of your admission ticket (an electronic version will not be accepted)
  • Several sharpened No. 2 pencils with erasers (no pens or mechanical pencils); pencils will not be supplied at the test center

If you do not have a printed copy of your admission ticket, please report directly to the Information Table at the test center. You may be required to complete additional paperwork, which may reduce your available testing time.

On the day of the test, you may wish to dress comfortably in layers. This will allow you to adjust for the temperature at the test center, which may vary and may not be under the control of the test administrators. Please wear soft-soled shoes to help maintain a quiet testing environment. Water bottles may be allowed in the testing room, provided they are clear, do not have a label, have a secure lid, and are stored under your seat, not on your desk, during testing.

Refer to test center rules for a complete list of prohibited materials.

Identification Verification Process

  • CBT
  • PBT

The identification verification process includes other procedures in addition to checking your government-issued identification as described in the identification policy.

As part of the identity verification process for computer-based testing, your digital signature will be taken at the test center, and a palm scan and/or a digital photograph may also be taken. These will be used only for the purpose of identity verification. If you do not allow your palm scan, photograph, or digital signature to be taken, you will not be allowed to test and you will not receive a refund or credit of any kind.

Note that a palm scan provided at the test center does not fulfill the fingerprint requirement for California educator certification.

As part of the identity verification process for paper-based testing, your thumbprint will be taken at the test center. Thumbprints will be used only for the purpose of identity verification. If you do not provide a thumbprint, you will not be allowed to test and you will not receive a refund or credit of any kind.

Note that a thumbprint provided at the test administration does not fulfill the fingerprint requirement for California educator certification.

Enhanced security measures, including additional security screenings, may be required by test centers. If an additional screening is conducted, only screened persons will be admitted to the test center. If you do not proceed through the security screening, you will not be allowed to test and you will not receive a refund or credit of any kind.

For Nursing Mothers

For Nursing Mothers

Nursing mothers who need to make arrangements for bringing specialized equipment or storage materials should follow the Alternative Testing Arrangements process to ensure prior approval and the ability of a test center to meet your specific needs. Please note that children will not be allowed in the testing center or into the secure testing room.

The Test Session

  • CBT
  • PBT

Test sessions are designed to allow sufficient time for sign-in, distribution of materials, and communication of directions before testing begins, and for completion of the test by examinees. Each examination is designed to allow sufficient time for examinees to complete the test within the allotted time. Some examinees may finish testing well before the scheduled ending time of the test session. However, you should be prepared to use the entire test session. You will be allowed no more than the allotted time to complete the test or subtest(s).

During testing, the following procedures apply:

  • A nondisclosure agreement will be presented to you on the computer after you sign in at the test center. It will ask you to indicate your agreement to the conditions set forth on this website, including the Rules of Test Participation, review of the Test Center Rules PDF Document, and the rules communicated to you orally or in writing at the test administration. You will have five minutes to read and accept the terms of this nondisclosure agreement. If you do not respond within five minutes, or if you indicate that you do not accept the terms of the agreement, your test session will terminate, you will not be permitted to test, and you will receive no refund or credit of any kind.
  • You may take restroom breaks. Any time that you take for restroom breaks during testing is considered part of the available testing time. If you leave the testing room at any time during the test session (e.g., to take a restroom break), your identification will be checked and/or your palm scan will be taken when you leave and when you re-enter the testing room. Examinees taking all three CTEL subtests will be offered a scheduled break.
  • You may not leave the test center or testing room in which you have been seated for any purpose (other than for a scheduled break or to use the restroom, as permitted) until you have been officially dismissed by a test administrator.
  • During the test administration, you may not communicate with other examinees or any unauthorized persons in any way, either in person or by using any communication device.
  • Computer-based testing sessions are monitored at all times by video and audio recording.

Once you begin a computer-based test, you may not cancel your score.

Test sessions are designed to allow sufficient time for sign-in, distribution of materials, and communication of directions before testing begins, and for completion of the test by examinees. Each examination is designed to allow sufficient time for examinees to complete the test within the allotted time. Some examinees may finish testing well before the scheduled ending time of the test session. However, you should be prepared to use the entire test session. You will be allowed no more than the allotted time to complete the test or subtest(s).

During testing, you may take restroom breaks. Any time that you take for restroom breaks is considered part of the available testing time. You may not leave the test center or room in which you have been seated for any purpose (other than to use the restroom, as permitted) until your test materials have been collected and you have been officially dismissed by a test administrator. During the test administration, you may not communicate with other examinees or any unauthorized persons in any way, either in person or by using any communication device.

Should you become ill and unable to finish testing, you may be dismissed before the end of the test session. In this case, your test results will be reported unless you request in writing that your test results be canceled as described in canceling or voiding of test results.

Dismissal from the Test

When you have completed testing or when the test session ends, whichever occurs first, your test materials will be collected or secured and you will be dismissed from the test session. Once you have been officially dismissed from the test session, you must leave the test center.

Submitting Comments

The CTC and Evaluation Systems employ stringent quality-control procedures in preparing test materials. However, if you wish to comment about a test question for any reason, notify a test administrator at your test center.

If you have comments about the test center or the conditions under which you took a test, please submit your comments in a letter sent to Evaluation Systems at the address indicated in Contact Us no later than seven calendar days after your test date.

Withdrawal Refund Policy

Withdrawal/Refund Policy for Computer-Based Testing

If after registering for a test you would like to withdraw the registration you may do so as indicated below.

  • If you have not yet scheduled your test appointment: Submit a withdrawal request through your account.
  • If you have already scheduled your test appointment:
    1. First, cancel your test appointment at least 24 hours before your scheduled testing time. To cancel your test appointment, sign in to your account, select Reschedule, and follow the instructions provided.
    2. After canceling your test appointment, submit a withdrawal request through your account.

If you are scheduled to take more than one subtest or test section, the cancellation of the test appointment and withdrawal of the registration will apply to all subtests/sections. You may not withdraw from or receive a refund for only one subtest or part of the sections for which you registered to take at a single test appointment. If you withdraw your registration before your registration expires and before you have scheduled your test appointment or if you cancel your test appointment at least 24 hours before your scheduled testing time and then withdraw your registration, you will receive a full refund of test fees, issued by Evaluation Systems as a credit to your credit card account. In most cases, your refund will be issued by Evaluation Systems within one week of your request; however, some requests may take additional time to resolve. If you applied a voucher toward registration fees, the amount of the voucher will not be refunded.

If you are absent from the test, you will not receive a refund or credit of any kind. (See the absentee policy.)

  •      CBEST, CSET, & CTEL: If you registered to take multiple subtests/sections and would like to withdraw registration for some, but not all, subtests/sections, you must withdraw the entire registration and submit a new registration with the new subtest/section selection.

Your registration is valid for one year from the date of issue. If you do not schedule a test appointment and take your test within one year, or withdraw your registration within one year, your registration will expire and you will receive no refund or credit of any kind.

Payment Policy

Payment Policy

Duration of Payment Validity

After payment, your registration will be valid for one year. If you do not take the test or withdraw your registration within that period, your registration will expire, and you will receive no refund or credit of any kind.

Payment Processing

If you have any outstanding balance owed by you to Evaluation Systems after a test administration for which you were registered, all of your test results for that test date may be permanently voided and therefore not reported to you, to the CTC, or to any institutions.

The following policies apply to you when you have an outstanding balance with Evaluation Systems:

  • You will be assessed an additional fee to cover the processing required to clear your account.
  • You will not be allowed to register for future test dates until your balance, which includes the additional fee, is paid in full.
  • Any credits or refunds for which you may be eligible will be applied first to your outstanding debt, with any excess to be returned to you.

If a credit card charge for an Evaluation Systems service for you is disputed:

  • You may not be allowed to make any future payments by credit card.
  • You must make your payment to clear your account by cashier's check or money order only.
  • If you attempt to pay for any further services by cashier's check or money order before clearing your account, any payments received will be applied first to your outstanding debt, with any excess applied to the requested services.

ID Policy

ID Policy

You must bring to the test administration one piece of current, government-issued identification printed in English, in the name in which you registered, bearing your photograph and signature.

Acceptable forms of identification include the following:

  • Driver's license with photograph and signature
  • Passport with photograph and signature
  • State identification with photograph and signature (provided by the Department of Motor Vehicles for individuals who do not have a driver's license)
  • National identification with photograph and signature
  • Military identification with photograph and signature
  • Alien Registration Card (green card, permanent resident visa)

A government-issued ID missing a visible signature or that has an embedded signature must be supplemented with an original (no photocopies), valid (unexpired) ID that has at least a matching name and recent recognizable photograph, or a matching name and signature.

Unacceptable forms of identification include draft classification cards, credit cards of any kind, Social Security cards, student IDs, international driver's licenses, international student IDs, notary-prepared letters or documents, employee identification cards, learner's permits or any temporary identification cards, and automated teller machine (ATM) cards.

If you do not have proper identification at the time of your test, you will be denied admission to the test session. If you are refused admission to the test, for any reason, you will be considered absent and will receive no credit or refund of any kind.

Please note the following:

  • Your middle initial in your account on this website must match the middle name or initial on your ID.
  • If you have a hyphenated last name, one of the following must be true of your name as it appears in your account on this website and on your ID:
    • either both instances must use the complete hyphenated name

    or

    • if one instance only uses one last name, it must be the second last name from the full hyphenated version

If the name on your identification differs from the name in which you are registered, you must bring official, original verification of the change (e.g., original marriage certificate, original court order).

If you have a question about your identification, contact us to submit your question to Evaluation Systems before the day of the test.

Late Arrival Policy

If you arrive late and are not admitted to a test administration, you will be considered absent and will not receive a refund or credit of any kind. You will need to register and pay again to test on a future date.

It is essential that you report for your test appointment no later than the testing time indicated on your test appointment confirmation. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late to a test appointment, you may not be admitted.

Absentee Policy

Absentee Policy

If you are absent, you will not receive a refund or credit of any kind. You will need to register and pay again to test on a future date.

Emergency circumstances. If you are absent from a test session because of an emergency circumstance (illness, injury, hospitalization, or death in the immediate family), you may be eligible to receive a fee voucher that you may use to register for a future test session.

To request a voucher, you must submit to Evaluation Systems

  • a written request describing the emergency situation, and
  • written documentation, such as a dated newspaper obituary or a dated letter signed by a professional licensed to diagnose or treat the emergency condition (e.g., physician), on that person's professional letterhead.

Documentation from a medical professional must specifically excuse you from testing on the date of the test. Documentation containing electronic signatures will not be accepted.

The letter and required documentation must be received at Evaluation Systems within 30 calendar days after the missed test session.

Test Cancellation Policy

In the event that it becomes necessary to close a test center due to severe weather conditions or a natural disaster (e.g., flood, fire), Pearson VUE will notify examinees by telephone and/or email and will contact you to reschedule your test appointment.

If you miss a test appointment that has not been officially canceled due to a test center closing, you will be considered absent and will not receive a refund or credit of any kind. Contact the test center if you have any concerns or questions on the day of the test.

Payment Policy

  • CBT
  • PBT

Payment Policy

Duration of Payment Validity

After payment, your registration will be valid for one year. If you do not take the test or withdraw your registration within that period, your registration will expire, and you will receive no refund or credit of any kind.

Payment Processing

If you have any outstanding balance owed by you to Evaluation Systems after a test administration for which you were registered, all of your test results for that test date may be permanently voided and therefore not reported to you, to the CTC, or to any institutions.

The following policies apply to you when you have an outstanding balance with Evaluation Systems:

  • You will be assessed an additional fee to cover the processing required to clear your account.
  • You will not be allowed to register for future test dates until your balance, which includes the additional fee, is paid in full.
  • Any credits or refunds for which you may be eligible will be applied first to your outstanding debt, with any excess to be returned to you.

If a credit card charge for an Evaluation Systems service for you is disputed:

  • You may not be allowed to make any future payments by credit card.
  • You must make your payment to clear your account by cashier's check or money order only.
  • If you attempt to pay for any further services by cashier's check or money order before clearing your account, any payments received will be applied first to your outstanding debt, with any excess applied to the requested services.

Payment Policy

If you have any outstanding balance owed by you to Evaluation Systems after a test administration for which you were registered, all of your test results for that test date may be permanently voided and therefore not reported to you, to the CTC, or to any institutions.

The following policies apply to you when you have an outstanding balance with Evaluation Systems:

  • You will be assessed an additional fee to cover the processing required to clear your account.
  • You will not be allowed to register for future test dates until your balance, which includes the additional fee, is paid in full.
  • Any credits or refunds for which you may be eligible will be applied first to your outstanding debt, with any excess to be returned to you.

If a credit card charge for an Evaluation Systems service for you is disputed:

  • You may not be allowed to make any future payments by credit card.
  • You must make your payment to clear your account by cashier's check or money order only.
  • If you attempt to pay for any further services by cashier's check or money order before clearing your account, any payments received will be applied first to your outstanding debt, with any excess applied to the requested services.

Withdrawal Refund Policy

  • CBT
  • PBT

Withdrawal/Refund Policy for Computer-Based Testing

If after registering for a test you would like to withdraw the registration you may do so as indicated below.

  • If you have not yet scheduled your test appointment: Submit a withdrawal request through your account.
  • If you have already scheduled your test appointment:
    1. First, cancel your test appointment at least 24 hours before your scheduled testing time. To cancel your test appointment, sign in to your account, select Reschedule, and follow the instructions provided.
    2. After canceling your test appointment, submit a withdrawal request through your account.

If you are scheduled to take more than one subtest or test section, the cancellation of the test appointment and withdrawal of the registration will apply to all subtests/sections. You may not withdraw from or receive a refund for only one subtest or part of the sections for which you registered to take at a single test appointment. If you withdraw your registration before your registration expires and before you have scheduled your test appointment or if you cancel your test appointment at least 24 hours before your scheduled testing time and then withdraw your registration, you will receive a full refund of test fees, issued by Evaluation Systems as a credit to your credit card account. In most cases, your refund will be issued by Evaluation Systems within one week of your request; however, some requests may take additional time to resolve. If you applied a voucher toward registration fees, the amount of the voucher will not be refunded.

If you are absent from the test, you will not receive a refund or credit of any kind. (See the absentee policy.)

  •      CBEST, CSET, & CTEL: If you registered to take multiple subtests/sections and would like to withdraw registration for some, but not all, subtests/sections, you must withdraw the entire registration and submit a new registration with the new subtest/section selection.

Your registration is valid for one year from the date of issue. If you do not schedule a test appointment and take your test within one year, or withdraw your registration within one year, your registration will expire and you will receive no refund or credit of any kind.

Withdrawal/Refund Policy for Paper-Based Testing

If after registering for a test you would like to withdraw the registration, sign in to your account, select Withdraw, and follow the directions provided.

  • If you withdraw by the late registration deadline, you will receive a full refund of the test fee.
  • If you registered during the late registration period, the late registration fee will not be refunded.
  • You may not withdraw your registration or receive a refund if you register during the emergency registration period.

If you are due a refund of test registration fees, your refund will be issued by Evaluation Systems as a credit to your credit card account. In most cases, your refund will be issued by Evaluation Systems within one week of your request; however, some requests may take additional time to resolve. If you applied a voucher toward registration fees, the amount of the voucher will not be refunded.

If you are absent from the test, you will not receive a refund or credit of any kind. (See the absentee policy.)

Withdrawal Refund Policy

Withdrawal/Refund Policy for Paper-Based Testing

If after registering for a test you would like to withdraw the registration, sign in to your account, select Withdraw, and follow the directions provided.

  • If you withdraw by the late registration deadline, you will receive a full refund of the test fee.
  • If you registered during the late registration period, the late registration fee will not be refunded.
  • You may not withdraw your registration or receive a refund if you register during the emergency registration period.

If you are due a refund of test registration fees, your refund will be issued by Evaluation Systems as a credit to your credit card account. In most cases, your refund will be issued by Evaluation Systems within one week of your request; however, some requests may take additional time to resolve. If you applied a voucher toward registration fees, the amount of the voucher will not be refunded.

If you are absent from the test, you will not receive a refund or credit of any kind. (See the absentee policy.)

Payment Policy

Payment Policy

If you have any outstanding balance owed by you to Evaluation Systems after a test administration for which you were registered, all of your test results for that test date may be permanently voided and therefore not reported to you, to the CTC, or to any institutions.

The following policies apply to you when you have an outstanding balance with Evaluation Systems:

  • You will be assessed an additional fee to cover the processing required to clear your account.
  • You will not be allowed to register for future test dates until your balance, which includes the additional fee, is paid in full.
  • Any credits or refunds for which you may be eligible will be applied first to your outstanding debt, with any excess to be returned to you.

If a credit card charge for an Evaluation Systems service for you is disputed:

  • You may not be allowed to make any future payments by credit card.
  • You must make your payment to clear your account by cashier's check or money order only.
  • If you attempt to pay for any further services by cashier's check or money order before clearing your account, any payments received will be applied first to your outstanding debt, with any excess applied to the requested services.

ID Policy

ID Policy

You must bring to the test administration one piece of current, government-issued identification printed in English, in the name in which you registered, bearing your photograph and signature.

Acceptable forms of identification include the following:

  • Driver's license with photograph and signature
  • Passport with photograph and signature
  • State identification with photograph and signature (provided by the Department of Motor Vehicles for individuals who do not have a driver's license)
  • National identification with photograph and signature
  • Military identification with photograph and signature
  • Alien Registration Card (green card, permanent resident visa)

A government-issued ID missing a visible signature or that has an embedded signature must be supplemented with an original (no photocopies), valid (unexpired) ID that has at least a matching name and recent recognizable photograph, or a matching name and signature.

Unacceptable forms of identification include draft classification cards, credit cards of any kind, Social Security cards, student IDs, international driver's licenses, international student IDs, notary-prepared letters or documents, employee identification cards, learner's permits or any temporary identification cards, and automated teller machine (ATM) cards.

If you do not have proper identification at the time of your test, you will be denied admission to the test session. If you are refused admission to the test, for any reason, you will be considered absent and will receive no credit or refund of any kind.

Please note the following:

  • Your middle initial in your account on this website must match the middle name or initial on your ID.
  • If you have a hyphenated last name, one of the following must be true of your name as it appears in your account on this website and on your ID:
    • either both instances must use the complete hyphenated name

    or

    • if one instance only uses one last name, it must be the second last name from the full hyphenated version

If the name on your identification differs from the name in which you are registered, you must bring official, original verification of the change (e.g., original marriage certificate, original court order).

If you have a question about your identification, contact us to submit your question to Evaluation Systems before the day of the test.

Late Arrival Policy

If you arrive late and are not admitted to a test administration, you will be considered absent and will not receive a refund or credit of any kind. You will need to register and pay again to test on a future date.

It is essential that you report for the test session no later than the time indicated on your admission ticket. If you arrive late to the test session, you may not be admitted, in which case you will be considered absent. If you are admitted after the test administration has begun, you will not be given any additional time beyond the scheduled ending time for the test session, and you will be required to sign a statement acknowledging this policy.

If the test that you are taking begins with a component for which you are required to listen to an audio recording or watch a video recording, you will not be admitted to the test after the recording has begun playing.

Test Cancellation Policy

Test Cancellation Policy

In the event that it becomes necessary to cancel a paper-based test administration due to severe weather conditions or a natural disaster (e.g., flood, fire), the cancellation announcement will be posted on this website.

In addition, the cancellation announcement will be available as a recorded telephone message at:

  • CBEST: (800) 262-5080 and (916) 928-4001

You will be advised by email or U.S. mail as soon as the test administration has been rescheduled.

Unless a test administration at a given test center is officially canceled, the test administration will be conducted as scheduled. If you miss a test administration that has not been officially canceled, you will be considered absent and will not receive a refund or credit of any kind.

Canceling or Voiding of Test Results

Canceling Test Results

If after taking a paper-based test you do not want your test results reported, Evaluation Systems will cancel your results upon receipt of

  • a completed Score Cancellation Form (available at the test center); or
  • a written request that includes your name, your signature, the last five digits of your Social Security number, your test identification number, your date of birth, the test date, and the subtest(s) or test section(s) for which you wish to have your results canceled.

Your cancellation request must be received at Evaluation Systems within seven calendar days of the date on which you took the test. If you choose to cancel your test results, you will not receive a refund or credit of any kind.

If you request that test results be canceled, your test performance will not be reported to you, to the CTC, or to any institution. Your results will not be entered into any records; therefore, after the cancellation of your results, you will not be able to have your results reported for any purpose.

Voiding of Test Results by the CTC or Evaluation Systems

If you violate one of the Rules of Test Participation or if doubts are raised about the validity or legitimacy of your registration or test results, Evaluation Systems will notify the CTC and other parties as deemed appropriate by the CTC.

Evaluation Systems takes reasonable security precautions in developing and administering tests and in processing test results. The CTC and Evaluation Systems reserve the right to void your results if in their sole opinion there is adequate reason to question the validity or legitimacy of your results, due to misconduct (including, but not limited to, a violation of the program rules, including the Rules of Test Participation, and the rules communicated to you, orally or in writing, at the test administration) or to circumstances within or beyond your control.

Further action may be taken, including denying, revoking, and/or suspending a credential. Other actions, as described in Rule 1 of the Rules of Test Participation, may be taken as deemed appropriate by the CTC and/or Evaluation Systems.

Admission Ticket for Paper-Based Testing

You will receive your admission ticket after your registration has been processed and you have been assigned to a specific test center. Generally, you should receive your admission ticket no later than two weeks prior to the test administration.

  • If you registered online, you will receive your ticket by email.
  • If you requested alternative testing arrangements, you will receive your ticket by U.S. mail.

If You Don't Have Your Admission Ticket

If you have lost your admission ticket or have not received it by two weeks before the test, you may log in to your account and request a copy.

Directions to the Test Center

Your admission ticket provides the address of the test center and your reporting time. Specific parking instructions or other location-specific information may also be provided. To obtain driving directions from your starting location, you may wish to use an Internet map service such as Google, Yahoo!, or MapQuest*.

*These are examples of sources of information. The Evaluation Systems group of Pearson and the Commission on Teacher Credentialing are not responsible for the accuracy of information provided on these or other services.


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