CAHSEE Exam
Exam Description: Additional Information
In California, all high school students must pass a test to earn a high school diploma. The test is called the CAHSEE. Some students with disabilities do not have to pass this test. California created the test to improve student achievement in high schools. The test helps to ensure that students graduate from high school with grade level skills in reading, writing, and math. Students first take this test in grade ten. If they do not pass the test in grade ten, they have more chances to take the test. In grade eleven, they can take the test two times. In grade twelve, they have up to five times to take the test.The ELA part of the CAHSEE is aligned with the California ELA academic content standards through grade ten. The ELA part of the CAHSEE consists of multiple-choice questions and a writing task.
The reading portion includes vocabulary; reading comprehension; analysis of information and literary texts.
The writing portion covers writing strategies, applications, and conventions. The writing task calls for students to provide a written response to literature, to an informational passage, or to a writing prompt.
The mathematics part of the CAHSEE is aligned with the California mathematics academic content standards through the first part of Algebra I. The mathematics part of the CAHSEE consists of multiple-choice questions. It includes the following mathematic strands: statistics; data analysis and probability; number sense; measurement and geometry; mathematical reasoning; and algebra. Students must demonstrate strong computational skills and a foundation in arithmetic, including working with decimals, fractions, and percentages.
