Adult and Community Learning Services (ACLS)

ACLS Policy Memo 2025-09: CLAS E Test Administration Guidance

To:
Program Directors, Assessment Coordinators, NRS Test Administrators
From:
Wyvonne Stevens-Carter, Associate Commissioner
Date:
October 7, 2025

Programs using TABE CLAS E tests for NRS pre- and post-testing purposes must use the guidelines in the Best Practice Guidance and the Next Test Assignment (NTA) Post-Testing issued by DRC, publisher of the TABE tests.

As per this guidance, programs must:

  • Administer the TABE CLAS-E locator test. Use the guidance from the Locator and any additional information about a student's skills to determine what level of TABE CLAS-E students should take.

  • Administer the CLAS E pre-test:

    • If the student's pre-test scale score is a number on the TABE CLAS-E scoring table for the level and form they took, it means that the student took a test level that was generally appropriate for their skills in that content area.

      In this situation, the program must:
      • Enter this score as the student's pre-test in LACES
      • Administer the same level but alternate form at post-test

    • If a student's pre-test scale score is denoted with a single asterisk (*), it means the student performed at a very high level given the difficulty of the TABE level test they took.

      In this situation, the program must:
      • Enter this score in LACES because the score marked with an asterisk is a valid pre-test score
      • Administer the next more difficult level at post-test and alternate form

    • If a student's pre-test scale score is out of range (O/R), it means the student took a test that is above their skills in that content area.

      In this situation, the program must:
      At pre-test
      • Re-test the student with the next lower level but same form

      • Enter the re-test score in LACES as the student's pre-test

        Note: This is the only scenario where a student should be re-tested at pre-test.

      At post-test:
      • If the student's pre-test scale score is a number on the scoring table for the level and form they took, then the program should administer the same level but alternate form at post-testing
      • If the student's pre-test is denoted with a single asterisk (*), then the program should administer the next more difficult level and alternate form

      Note: If, at post-test, the student scores very low on a TABE level test, and their post-test score is O/R, the student should immediately re-test at the next lower level of the TABE test but the same form (C and C, or D and D), and the program should enter this score in LACES as the student's post-test.

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Last Updated: November 3, 2025

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