CSET English (Subtests I 105 & II 106) study guide
CSET English (Subtests I 105 & II 106) · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
CSET English (Subtests I and II) is the subject-matter examination that California uses to verify English content knowledge for prospective secondary English teachers. It is typically taken by candidates in teacher-preparation programs, interns, and out-of-state teachers seeking a California credential; it is not a pedagogy test, so it assumes you can read and write about literature and language at a level beyond the introductory college course. The CSET English (Subtests I 105 & II 106) study guide has 4 sections and about 1,562 words.
01Reading Literature and Informational Texts
Subtest I's Reading Literature and Informational Texts domain asks you to read closely across genres and to make defensible claims about what a text says, how it is built, and why those choices matter. Expect multiple-choice items on main idea, theme, inference, text structure, point of view, tone, author's purpose, vocabulary in context, and the evaluation of arguments and evidence.
441 words, about 2 min02Literary Analysis and Interpretation
The Literary Analysis and Interpretation domain tests close reading of fiction, poetry, and drama. Items ask you to identify literary elements and devices, explain how form shapes meaning, interpret figurative language, and connect a text to its literary or historical context without letting context overwhelm the words on the page.
413 words, about 2 min03Language, Linguistics, and Literacy
This domain tests how English is structured, acquired, and used, and how those facts inform literacy instruction. Expect items on phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics; on first- and second-language acquisition; on dialect and register; and on instructional distinctions such as phonemic awareness versus phonics.
353 words, about 2 min04Composition and Rhetoric
The Composition and Rhetoric domain tests how writers analyze rhetorical situations, build arguments, organize ideas, and control style and conventions. Expect items on the writing process, thesis and organization, evidence and warrants, rhetorical appeals, logical fallacies, revision, and grammar in context.
355 words, about 2 min