What is the WEST-B?

WEST–B stands for the Washington Educator Skills Test–Basic® 

All individuals hoping to become certified teachers in Washington must meet Washington State's testing requirements Links to an external site.. 

In Washington, there are two required tests:

  1. WEST-B, which tests basic skills (reading, writing, and mathematics)

  2. WEST-E/NES, which tests subject or content area knowledge (for example, elementary teachers take the elementary subject area test, history teachers take the history subject area test, and so on) and is used to prove competency in your endorsement area.

These tests must be completed before a full teacher certificate can be issued from Washington State Certification Office (OSPI Links to an external site.)


Additional information regarding basic skills and endorsement test information click here: http://assessment.pesb.wa.gov Links to an external site.