Essential Skills - What Are They?

Essential Skills in Reading Certificate – CASAS Score 236 +

Individuals at this level generally can handle most routine reading tasks related to their life roles. Other skills may include: interpreting routine charts, graphs, maps, labels and menus; reading and interpreting a simple employee handbook; interpreting a pay stub; following multi-step diagrams and written instructions. Individuals at this level may be successful in jobs that involve following basic oral communications, simple written instructions and diagrams.

Essential Skills in Math Certificate – CASAS Score 236 +

Individuals at this level generally can handle most computational tasks related to their life roles. Other skills may include: adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing whole numbers; interpreting routine charts, graphs and labels; interpreting a payroll stub; reconciling a bank statement and completing calculations on a simple order form. Individuals at this level may be successful in entry-level jobs that involve following basic oral communications, simple written instructions and diagrams.

Essential Skills in Writing Certificate – CASAS Score 261 +

Individuals at this level generally can write short, routine work memos or reports. Other skills may include: writing e-mail messages, filling out basic medical forms and job applications, describing basic work procedures in writing, completing incident report forms, making log entries to document work activities, taking notes and phone messages, writing personal notes or letters.

Essential Skills in Listening Certificate – CASAS Score 221 + / 236 +*

Individuals at this level generally can comprehend communication in most routine survival and social contexts. They can participate in conversations on a variety of everyday subjects. They can follow detailed spoken directions on familiar topics. They can understand the main idea and some details of informational communication on non-technical topics, simple discussions, and descriptive narrative in familiar contexts.

*A CASAS score of 221 is required on the "old" Lifeskills listening test.  For programs using the newer Life and Work listening test, a score of 236 is required.