California Basic Educational Skills Test
(Cbest) Exam Questions And Correct
Answers (Verified Answers) Plus Rationales
2026 Q&A | Instant Download Pdf
1. Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
A) She don’t like ice cream.
B) She doesn’t likes ice cream.
C) She doesn’t like ice cream.
D) She don’t likes ice cream.
Answer: C
Rationale: The correct negative form for third-person singular is
“doesn’t like,” not “don’t like” or “doesn’t likes.”
2. Identify the synonym for “elated.”
A) Sad
B) Joyful
C) Angry
D) Tired
Answer: B
Rationale: “Elated” means very happy or joyful.
3. Which of the following best summarizes the paragraph?
"Many people enjoy gardening because it allows them to connect with
nature. Additionally, gardening can be relaxing and helps reduce
stress."
A) Gardening is expensive and complicated.
B) Gardening is enjoyable and reduces stress.
,C) Gardening requires professional training.
D) Gardening is only for children.
Answer: B
Rationale: The paragraph focuses on the enjoyment and stress-relief
benefits of gardening.
4. Choose the correct meaning of the underlined word: “The teacher
admonished the students for being late.”
A) Praised
B) Scolded
C) Ignored
D) Helped
Answer: B
Rationale: “Admonished” means to warn or scold someone firmly.
5. Select the word that is spelled correctly.
A) Recieve
B) Acheive
C) Receive
D) Beleive
Answer: C
Rationale: “Receive” follows the correct i-before-e rule.
6. Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?
A) After finishing the homework, the TV was turned on.
B) The student finished the homework and watched TV.
C) The teacher graded the homework carefully.
D) She read the book in one day.
Answer: A
Rationale: The phrase “After finishing the homework” incorrectly
modifies “the TV.”
, 7. Identify the main idea:
"California has diverse landscapes, including beaches, deserts, forests,
and mountains, attracting millions of tourists every year."
A) California has many cities.
B) California has diverse landscapes attracting tourists.
C) California’s economy is strong.
D) California is a desert state.
Answer: B
Rationale: The sentence emphasizes landscapes and tourism.
8. Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.
A) I bought apples oranges and bananas.
B) I bought apples, oranges and, bananas.
C) I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.
D) I bought apples oranges, and bananas.
Answer: C
Rationale: In a list of three or more items, commas separate items, and
a comma before “and” is optional (Oxford comma recommended).
9. Which of the following is an example of an infinitive phrase?
A) Running through the park
B) To read a book
C) The tall building
D) Carefully painted the wall
Answer: B
Rationale: “To read a book” is an infinitive phrase because it begins
with “to + verb.”
10. Which of the following sentences uses parallel structure correctly?
A) She likes reading, to write, and jogging.
B) She likes reading, writing, and jogging.
(Cbest) Exam Questions And Correct
Answers (Verified Answers) Plus Rationales
2026 Q&A | Instant Download Pdf
1. Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
A) She don’t like ice cream.
B) She doesn’t likes ice cream.
C) She doesn’t like ice cream.
D) She don’t likes ice cream.
Answer: C
Rationale: The correct negative form for third-person singular is
“doesn’t like,” not “don’t like” or “doesn’t likes.”
2. Identify the synonym for “elated.”
A) Sad
B) Joyful
C) Angry
D) Tired
Answer: B
Rationale: “Elated” means very happy or joyful.
3. Which of the following best summarizes the paragraph?
"Many people enjoy gardening because it allows them to connect with
nature. Additionally, gardening can be relaxing and helps reduce
stress."
A) Gardening is expensive and complicated.
B) Gardening is enjoyable and reduces stress.
,C) Gardening requires professional training.
D) Gardening is only for children.
Answer: B
Rationale: The paragraph focuses on the enjoyment and stress-relief
benefits of gardening.
4. Choose the correct meaning of the underlined word: “The teacher
admonished the students for being late.”
A) Praised
B) Scolded
C) Ignored
D) Helped
Answer: B
Rationale: “Admonished” means to warn or scold someone firmly.
5. Select the word that is spelled correctly.
A) Recieve
B) Acheive
C) Receive
D) Beleive
Answer: C
Rationale: “Receive” follows the correct i-before-e rule.
6. Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?
A) After finishing the homework, the TV was turned on.
B) The student finished the homework and watched TV.
C) The teacher graded the homework carefully.
D) She read the book in one day.
Answer: A
Rationale: The phrase “After finishing the homework” incorrectly
modifies “the TV.”
, 7. Identify the main idea:
"California has diverse landscapes, including beaches, deserts, forests,
and mountains, attracting millions of tourists every year."
A) California has many cities.
B) California has diverse landscapes attracting tourists.
C) California’s economy is strong.
D) California is a desert state.
Answer: B
Rationale: The sentence emphasizes landscapes and tourism.
8. Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.
A) I bought apples oranges and bananas.
B) I bought apples, oranges and, bananas.
C) I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.
D) I bought apples oranges, and bananas.
Answer: C
Rationale: In a list of three or more items, commas separate items, and
a comma before “and” is optional (Oxford comma recommended).
9. Which of the following is an example of an infinitive phrase?
A) Running through the park
B) To read a book
C) The tall building
D) Carefully painted the wall
Answer: B
Rationale: “To read a book” is an infinitive phrase because it begins
with “to + verb.”
10. Which of the following sentences uses parallel structure correctly?
A) She likes reading, to write, and jogging.
B) She likes reading, writing, and jogging.
