Basic Skills Assessment Policy

To meet Pennsylvania’s Basic Skills Testing Requirement, candidates may now "mix and match" scores from any of the following options:

• For Math module only - a grade of B or higher in MATH 111, Mathematical Foundations
• For Reading and Writing modules - a grade of B or higher in ENGL 101, Writing I
• ACT (old and new)
• SAT (old and new)
• ETS Core
• PAPA
• PPST (taken when this was still a valid option – prior to September 1st, 2012)

Test results never "expire," so a score is valid even if it is from a test that was taken several years ago.

For more information and to register for PAPA, click here.

For more information and to register for ETS core, click here.

PDE has developed a calculation tool that automatically computes whether or not a student has met the BST requirement through combining scores from different tests (also known as the "Composite Score Option"). Download a copy of the Basic Skills Calculator. You can enter in your highest score on each test that you took and the calculator will compare all the possible combinations and will indicate whether or not you have met the criteria. You can also use the calculator to run "what do I need to earn to pass" scenarios for the different tests. You can click on the "Qualification Rules" tab at the bottom of the Excel sheet to see what the minimum scores are for each part of each test.

Note: There are many resources available to help students prepare for the Basic Skills Tests. Go to Resources for Preparing for the Basic Skills Tests for a partial listing of these resources.