About the author: Kayman McIver
Kayman is a science teacher with 13 years of experience. She loves the world of education and is thrilled to help others join the field. Her other loves include running, hand-lettering, and quirky middle schoolers.
Do you need to take the CASA? If so, keep reading.
The CASA exam is used by some educator prep programs to assess how much you know in the areas of math, reading, and writing. This test is no longer required by the state, but some EPPs may still require it before entering into a program. Before you take the tests, you should know how many questions are on the CASA exams. You also need to know what type of questions you will encounter and whether or not there are any essays. Once you know these things, you can focus on the best resources to help you prepare.
Ready to get started? Let’s go.
The CASA exam is made of three subtests: mathematics, reading, and writing. They can be taken separately or at the same time. The math subtest has 40 questions, reading has 40 questions, and writing has 43.
Almost every question on the CASA is multiple-choice. The writing test has one
constructed-response (essay) question in addition to the multiple-choice questions. Reading and math have only multiple-choice questions. The CASA Ultimate Guide and the Indiana testing website are both great places to find practice tests and see the types of multiple-choice questions you will encounter on the exam. For the constructed-response question, you will want to check out the example writing prompts, example responses, and rubrics provided by the test writing company.
The writing subtest has one essay, or constructed-response, question. Most responses are between 400 and 600 words. You will not be allowed to type more than 1,000 words. Example prompts, responses, and rubrics can all be reviewed on the state testing website, and 240 Tutoring can help you with specific strategies to use when writing your response.
The best resources to prepare you for the CASA exam are the state testing website and 240 Tutoring. The testing website has a great tutorial on using the testing software and it can help familiarize you with the format. 240 Tutoring is ideal for mastering the test material. They offer a free Ultimate Guide that includes test information and practice tests for each subtest, as well as a CRQ preparation resource. 240 Tutoring also offers a full study guide for the CASA exam that includes diagnostic tests, study material, flashcards, and practice questions.