The Washington Educator Skills Tests–Basic (WEST-B) test is designed to test the knowledge and basic educator skills of prospective teachers in the state of Washington.
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WEST-B Practice Tests by Subject
If you need some extra practice in a specific subject, click one of the subjects below to get started on a subject-specific WEST-B practice test.
WEST-B Exam Outline
The WEST-B test is split into three subtests. If you decide to take all three subtests together, you will have 5 hours of testing time to answer 170 multiple-choice questions and two constructed-response questions.
1. Reading (095)
The Reading subtest contains 60 multiple-choice questions and has a time limit of 2 hours if you take this subtest by itself.
The questions in this subtest assess your ability to do the following:
- Evaluate a text using critical reasoning skills
- Understand a text’s main idea and supporting details
- Analyze the purpose, point of view, and intent of the author
- Analyze relationships among ideas within one or more texts
- Determine the meaning of words and phrases
- Understand texts, tables, charts, and graphs
2. Writing (096)
The Writing subtest contains 50 multiple-choice questions and two constructed-response questions, and you will be given a time limit of 3 hours if you take this subtest by itself.
The questions in this subtest assess your ability to do the following:
- Understand organization, idea development, and fluency within writing
- Apply revision strategies to written texts
- Understand the role of the audience and purpose in written communication
- Recognize the use of standard writing conventions
- Recognize writing that effectively communicates intended messages
- Write a response to instructions pertaining to purpose, audience, and content
3. Mathematics (097)
The Mathematics subtest contains 60 multiple-choice questions and has a time limit of 2 hours if you take this subtest by itself.
The questions in this subtest assess the following knowledge and skill areas:
- Concepts and principles of geometry
- Concepts and principles of numbers and operations
- Concepts and procedures of measurement
- Mathematical reasoning
- Communication skills
- Probability and statistics
- Problem-solving
- Concepts and principles of algebra
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WEST-B Exam Registration
When you register for the WEST-B test, you will need to choose whether to take the exam in-person at a testing center or remotely from home.
For the in-person test, you may choose to take all the subtests together, or you may choose to take the subtests individually. The fee for each subtest is $32, while the fee for taking all the subtests together is $96.
For the remote version of the test, each subtest is administered in its own session, so you must pay a fee of $32 for each subtest.
Test Day
The day of your exam will look slightly different depending on which test-taking method you chose during registration.
In-person Testing
You should arrive at the testing center 15-30 minutes before the scheduled exam appointment. Once you arrive, you will begin the check-in process, which involves checking your ID and potentially taking your photograph for security purposes.
Before you enter the testing room, you will be asked to leave all personal items inside a secure locker outside of the room. This includes items like your cell phone, wallet, keys, hats, bags, and food.
Before the exam begins, you will be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Once the NDA has been signed, the exam will begin.
Remote Testing
You should sign in to your account 15-30 minutes before your scheduled exam time. Once you sign in, you will be asked to provide your ID and sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
After the NDA has been signed, the remote proctor will ask you to scan your surroundings using your webcam. Once the proctor determines you are ready, the exam will begin.
How the WEST-B Exam is Scored
The exam is scored using a scaled scoring system. This system takes your raw score, which is how many questions you answered correctly, and converts it to a number in a range of 100-300 points.
As of April 2019, a specific passing score on the WEST-B test is no longer needed for state certification.
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FAQs
Q
How many questions are on the WEST-B test?
A
There are 170 multiple-choice questions and 2 constructed-response questions on the exam.
Q
How long is the WEST-B test?
A
If you take all three subtests in one testing appointment, you will have a time limit of 5 hours.
Q
What is the passing score for the WEST-B test?
A
Though you must take a basic skills assessment for teacher certification, you are not required to achieve a specific score on this exam.
Q
How much does the WEST-B test cost?
A
The examination fee is $96 for all subtests taken together, or $32 for each subtest taken individually.
