USF 1997-98 Undergraduate Catalog - Page 36

College Level Academic Skills Test

The College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) is a part of Florida's system of educational accountability. CLAST is a state-mandated achievement test that measures attainment of communication and mathematics skills expected of students completing their sophomore year in college.These skills were identified by the faculties of community colleges and state universities and adopted by the State Board of Education. A student must pass the CLAST to receive an Associate of Arts or a baccalaureate degree from any Florida public institution.

Students who have already earned a baccalaureate degree from a regionally-accredited institution are exempt from the CLAST requirement at USF.

The State Board of Education has established minimum CLAST score standards for the awarding of the Associate of Arts degree and for the Bachelor's degree from October 1, 1992 as follows: Reading, 295; English Language Skills, 295; Mathematics, 295; and Essay, 6.

CLAST may be taken by undergraduate, degree-seeking students who have earned 18 semester hours or the equivalent and who apply to take the test on or before the deadline established for registration. Students at USF are required to take the CLAST by the time they complete 45 semester hours. First-time-in-college and lower-level transfer students are encouraged to take the CLAST as early as possible. Transfer students must take the CLAST the first semester they are enrolled as degree-seeking students if they have already exceeded the 45 hours from previous institutions.

If one or more subtests of the CLAST have not been passed by the time a student has reached 70 semester hours, the student may not register for classes until he/she has scheduled to take a remedial course or workshop covering the content of the failed subtest and has registered for CLAST. A student is required to participate in remediation for only one failed subtest per term. Classes may be withdrawn for failure to attend the scheduled remediation.

If the student has completed 96 semester hours and has not passed all four subtests, he/she will be allowed to register only for preparatory courses until he/she has successfully completed CLAST.

Please Note: Several options for meeting the CLAST requirement are available. Refer to the Office of Evaluation and Testing, SVC 2054, for the current policies on CLAST.

Send comments to:
Karen M. Hall - webCat@ugs.usf.edu
Effective Date: Semester I, 1997