Criteria Basic Skills Test

What is the CBST?

The Criteria Basic Skills Test (CBST) determines job readiness and predicts potential candidates’ “trainability”. The CBST is a 40-question multiple-choice test with a 20-minute time limit.

The test consists of a wide range of verbal and mathematical questions. The difficulty of the questions increase slightly as the candidate progresses through the test.

Calculators are not allowed for the test.

Here we will cover what you need to know about the CBST.

What questions can I expect on the CBST?

The types of questions are divided into nine (9) categories:

Vocabulary

Vocabulary questions simply assess the broadness of your vocabulary. These questions will ask you about the meaning of specific words.

Spelling, grammar, and punctuation

This category assesses your knowledge of correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. You may be asked to identify the correct spelling of a word, select the sentence containing correct grammar, or insert the missing word in a sentence.

Sentence completion

Sentence completion questions assess your ability to understand basic contextual relationships in a sentence. You are given a text where one or more words are missing; you have to find the missing word(s).

Coherence & Cohesion

Cohesion and coherence are terms used to describe the properties of written texts. Cohesion is the glue that sticks a sentence to another in a paragraph or a paragraph to another in a text. Coherence means that the text is easy to read and understand because the text follows a certain kind of logical order, and the organization of ideas is systematical and logical.

In these questions, you can expect to see a text that has been split into several sections — you are given the sections out of order. You must rearrange the order of the text so that the complete text has proper structure and grammar.

Reading ability

Reading ability assesses your ability to understand, analyze, and interpret written information. You will have to read the passage of text quickly and answer the questions accurately.

The passage commonly consists of one paragraph of text. Sometimes the answer can be found directly in the text; other times, you will have to make your own conclusion based on the information given in the text.

Word meaning in context

In this question category, you will be required to use your understanding of words. You either have to find the word with the same meaning as the word in a specific sentence, or you are given a sentence with an underlined word and must choose the sentence where that word has the same meaning.

Reading charts

Reading charts questions assess your ability to interpret graphs and tables.

In some questions, you are asked to find information that is directly readable on the chart. In other cases, you need to apply basic math to find the correct answer. Expect no long or complex calculations in these questions.

Mathematical word problems

Mathematical word problems are simply mathematical questions presented in a written format. The questions will assess your mathematical ability and your logical reasoning.

The word problems can range from short to long, from simple to somewhat complicated. Some questions will only require mathematical ability to solve; others will require logical reasoning as well.

Basic mathematics

Basic mathematics questions will challenge your skills and knowledge of basic arithmetic. Some questions will be simple mathematical equations with little or no text; others will have a short question with text.

We have included practice questions of every type in our Criteria Test Prep Package.

How to prepare for the CBST

Preparing for the CBST will make a difference. There are several things you can do to prepare for the CBST:

• If you have the time, you can practice your vocabulary. However, you will have to practice a lot to make a difference, so only do this if you have spare time.
• Brush up on your grammar. Especially if there are areas where you know you could improve.
• Practice your mental calculation skills: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• Brush up on your knowledge of basic mathematical rules and concepts, such as order of operation, fractions, decimals, percentages, square roots, powers and exponents, and basic algebra.
• Practice questions similar to those of the CBST, this will help you get familiar with the questions and help you feel more confident about the test.
• Set up a simulated CBST test with the same question types and time limit. This will help you practice time management techniques, which is important for performing well on the test.

Tips for taking your CBST

• Keep an eye on the time. You have 20 minutes to answer 40 questions, which is an average of 30 seconds per question.
• You should not spend too much time on any one question; you may skip a question and return to it later if needed.
• If you do not know the answer to a question or you find yourself taking too much time on any one question, you should guess at the answer rather than leave it unanswered. There is no penalty for wrong answers.
• Use scratch paper and a pen or pencil to assist you; it will help you keep track of your calculations.
• Remember to read all answer options. Sometimes ruling out unreasonable answers can make it easier to identify the correct answer.

We can help you prepare for the CBST. With our Criteria Test Prep package, you get more than 535 CBST practice questions with explained solutions, four full-length simulated CBST tests, extra study tools, and guidance throughout your training. Get access now.

Try our free CBST practice test, we’ve included each of the question types explained above.