CAST Score Guidelines and Official Score Table

The California Science Test uses scale scores and achievement levels. The most important score for families is the student’s overall CAST scale score. That score is reported in a grade-band scale: Grade 5 uses 150–250, Grade 8 uses 350–450, and High School uses 550–650. The achievement level attached to the scale score explains whether the student’s performance is Standard Not Met, Standard Nearly Met, Standard Met, or Standard Exceeded.

What Each CAST Level Means

Statewide 2024–25 CAST Result Snapshot

The most recent statewide CAASPP reporting data available for 2024–25 shows that California students improved in science. Across all CAST reporting, 14.06 percent were Standard Not Met, 53.29 percent were Standard Nearly Met, 21.50 percent were Standard Met, and 11.16 percent were Standard Exceeded. That means 32.66 percent met or exceeded the science standard statewide.

This calculator’s “rough state comparison” uses the statewide 2024–25 CAST level distribution only as a context estimate. It is not an official student percentile. For official percentile tables, use CDE’s CAASPP scale score percentile files.

CAST Testing Calendar and Next Testing Window

CAST does not work like a single national exam date. California sets a statewide CAASPP testing window, and each local educational agency chooses its own local testing window within the statewide rules. Schools then schedule exact testing days inside that local window. This is why two California districts may test CAST on different dates in the same school year.

As of May 3, 2026, the current statewide CAASPP/CAST window is already open and runs through June 30, 2026. Your exact “next CAST date” depends on your district and campus schedule.

Complete California Science Test CAST Guide

What Is the California Science Test?

The California Science Test, commonly called CAST, is California’s statewide science assessment under the CAASPP system. It is aligned to the California Next Generation Science Standards, often written as CA NGSS. The test is administered in Grade 5, Grade 8, and once in high school. The high school test may occur in Grade 10, 11, or 12 depending on local educational agency decisions and student eligibility.

CAST is not designed as a simple memorization test. It measures whether students can apply science knowledge and skills through the three-dimensional structure of the NGSS. That means students need to use science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts together. A student may know a science fact but still struggle on CAST if they cannot use that fact to explain a phenomenon, interpret data, evaluate a model, or solve a problem.

CAST is computer-based and includes performance tasks. It uses different item types, including selected response, constructed response, tables, graphing, technology-enhanced tasks, and performance-task questions. The test is estimated to take about two hours, but it is untimed. Students should work carefully rather than rushing to finish in a fixed time limit.

Why CAST Scores Matter

CAST scores help families, schools, districts, and the state understand how well students are learning science. The assessment is federally required in certain grades and provides a common measure of science achievement. It also helps educators identify where students need stronger instruction in science reasoning, content knowledge, and evidence-based explanation.

For students, CAST can be useful because it shows readiness in science practices that matter beyond one course. These skills include asking questions, developing and using models, planning investigations, analyzing data, using mathematics and computational thinking, constructing explanations, arguing from evidence, and communicating information. These are the same habits needed in biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, engineering, health science, data science, and many college and career pathways.

How CAST Is Scored

CAST reports an overall scale score and achievement level. The score range depends on the student’s grade band. Grade 5 students receive a score from 150 to 250. Grade 8 students receive a score from 350 to 450. High school students receive a score from 550 to 650. The achievement level is assigned based on where the score falls within the official scale-score ranges.

The score position formula above is not an official CAASPP reporting formula. It is a helpful calculator feature that shows where the student’s score sits inside the grade-band score range. For example, a Grade 5 score of 214 is the first score in Standard Met. A Grade 8 score of 415 is the first score in Standard Met. A High School score of 615 is the first score in Standard Met.

CAST Achievement Levels

Standard Not Met means the student demonstrates minimal understanding and ability to apply the knowledge and skills associated with the CA NGSS performance expectations. Students at this level should focus on foundational vocabulary, core science concepts, reading graphs, and explaining evidence.

Standard Nearly Met means the student demonstrates partial understanding and ability to apply CA NGSS knowledge and skills. This is the largest statewide CAST group in recent public reporting. Students at this level often know some science content but need stronger performance-task reasoning, data interpretation, and multidimensional explanation.

Standard Met means the student demonstrates adequate understanding and ability to apply CA NGSS knowledge and skills. This is the key benchmark many families look for because it indicates the student is meeting the science standard for the tested grade band.

Standard Exceeded means the student demonstrates thorough understanding and strong ability to apply science knowledge and skills. Students at this level usually show stronger control of evidence, models, scientific reasoning, and cross-domain application.

CAST Domains: Physical, Life, and Earth and Space Sciences

CAST reports performance across three major science domains: Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, and Earth and Space Sciences. Engineering, technology, and application of science are integrated across the domains. A strong CAST preparation plan should not treat these domains as isolated memorization lists. The test often asks students to connect content knowledge with practices and crosscutting concepts.

Physical Sciences questions may involve matter, energy, forces, motion, waves, interactions, and systems. Students may need to interpret a model, analyze a graph, compare data, or explain how energy and matter move through a system. A strong answer usually connects evidence to a scientific principle.

Life Sciences questions may involve organisms, ecosystems, heredity, evolution, structures, processes, and biological interactions. Students should understand how traits are inherited, how organisms interact with their environment, how ecosystems transfer energy, and how evidence supports explanations of biological change.

Earth and Space Sciences questions may involve Earth systems, natural resources, climate, space systems, human impact, geology, weather, and environmental change. Students should be able to interpret maps, diagrams, models, and data sets about Earth processes.

Three-Dimensional Science Learning

The CA NGSS framework uses three dimensions: Science and Engineering Practices, Disciplinary Core Ideas, and Crosscutting Concepts. These dimensions work together. CAST questions are designed to measure how students use science, not just what students can repeat from memory.

Science and Engineering Practices include asking questions, defining problems, developing models, planning investigations, analyzing data, using mathematics, constructing explanations, designing solutions, arguing from evidence, and communicating information. These practices appear throughout CAST performance tasks and discrete questions.

Disciplinary Core Ideas are the science content areas. These include physical sciences, life sciences, Earth and space sciences, and engineering design. Crosscutting Concepts are the big ideas that appear across science, such as patterns, cause and effect, scale, systems, energy and matter, structure and function, and stability and change.

How to Prepare for CAST

CAST preparation should begin with the official score goal. If the student is below Standard Met, the main target is reaching Level 3. If the student is already Standard Met, the target is moving toward Standard Exceeded. If the student is already Standard Exceeded, the goal is to maintain performance through advanced reasoning and careful reading.

The best preparation is not random question drilling. Students should practice reading scientific scenarios, interpreting data, writing evidence-based explanations, and using models. A student should learn to ask: What is the phenomenon? What evidence is shown? What scientific concept explains the evidence? Which model best represents the system? What claim is supported by the data?

Performance tasks require special attention. A performance task may contain multiple related questions about one phenomenon or investigation. Students should read the introduction carefully, track variables, understand the model or data table, and use prior answers only when they are clearly relevant. Rushing through the opening scenario often causes mistakes later in the task.

Preparation Strategy for Standard Not Met

Students at Standard Not Met should focus first on scientific literacy. That means understanding the question, reading diagrams, identifying variables, and explaining evidence. Many students at this level do not need harder science first; they need clearer routines. A useful routine is claim, evidence, reasoning. The claim answers the question. The evidence comes from the data, graph, diagram, or text. The reasoning explains why the evidence supports the claim.

Students should also review basic science vocabulary in context. Vocabulary should not be memorized as isolated definitions only. Terms like model, variable, evidence, system, energy, matter, interaction, adaptation, inheritance, erosion, force, wave, and stability should be connected to examples.

Preparation Strategy for Standard Nearly Met

Students at Standard Nearly Met are close to the key benchmark. They often understand some content but need stronger application. The goal is to move from partial understanding to adequate understanding. These students should practice mixed questions that combine content with data and models. They should explain why wrong answer choices are wrong, not only mark the correct answer.

A strong review plan includes one physical science task, one life science task, and one Earth and space science task each week. After each task, the student should identify the science practice used. Was the question asking them to analyze data, use a model, plan an investigation, construct an explanation, or argue from evidence? Recognizing the practice improves future accuracy.

Preparation Strategy for Standard Met and Standard Exceeded

Students already at Standard Met should aim for consistency. They should practice harder data displays, multi-step performance tasks, and explanations that connect evidence to scientific principles. Standard Exceeded preparation should focus on precision, advanced model interpretation, and transfer across unfamiliar scenarios.

High-performing students sometimes lose points because they answer from memory instead of reading the scenario. CAST often uses phenomena that look unfamiliar. The student’s job is not to recognize the exact example. The student’s job is to apply science practices and core ideas to the evidence provided.

Common CAST Mistakes

One common mistake is ignoring the stimulus. CAST questions often include diagrams, tables, graphs, models, or investigation descriptions. The correct answer is usually tied to that evidence. Students should not choose an answer only because it sounds scientifically true. It must answer the specific question.

Another common mistake is confusing observation and inference. An observation is directly noticed or measured. An inference is a conclusion based on evidence. CAST questions may ask students to identify what the data show versus what explanation is supported by the data.

Students also confuse variables in investigations. The independent variable is what is changed. The dependent variable is what is measured. Controlled variables are kept the same. If students can identify variables quickly, many investigation questions become easier.

Another frequent problem is weak graph reading. Students should read the title, axes, units, trend, and comparison before answering. A graph may show an increase, decrease, no change, peak, relationship, or pattern. The answer should match the pattern, not just the topic.

How Parents Can Use CAST Results

Parents should first identify the overall achievement level. If the student is Standard Met or Standard Exceeded, the student is performing at or above the expected science standard. If the student is Standard Nearly Met, the student is close but needs stronger support. If the student is Standard Not Met, the student needs more targeted help with science concepts and reasoning.

Next, parents should look at the domain profile. A student might be near or above standard in Life Sciences but below standard in Physical Sciences. That pattern is useful. It means review should not be generic. The student should focus on the domain where the score report shows the greatest need.

Official Sources to Verify

Final results should always be verified through the official CAASPP Student Score Report, district portal, or CAASPP reporting system. This calculator is an educational planning tool, not an official score report.

CAST Score Calculator FAQ