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Center for College & Career Readiness Office of Undergraduate Studies

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Early Assessment Program

About

The Early Assessment Program (EAP) is a collaborative effort among the State Board of Education (SBE), the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California State University (CSU).

The program was established to provide opportunities for students to measure their readiness for college-level English and mathematics in their junior year of high school, and to facilitate opportunities for them to improve their skills during their senior year.

Program Goals

  • To have California high school graduates enter the CSU fully prepared to begin college-level study
  • To give high school students an early signal about their college readiness and adequate time to prepare before entering CSU or a community college
  • To encourage students to use their senior year proactively, by taking specific courses in math and English in preparation for college
  • To align school and CSU standards so that success in school means readiness for the CSU
  • To provide professional learning opportunities for K-12 and community college educators in English and mathematics

CSU Student Success

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Using this website, students can learn about the benefits of EAP and enter their email addresses to receive alerts when their EAP Status is ready.

Visit CSU Student Success

Statewide Testing

Each spring, high school juniors across California participate in statewide computer-based assessment testing known as the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) and the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBAC).

Embedded within these tests are components of the Early Assessment Program that help determine the college readiness of a student for CSU-level coursework. These assessments help seniors prioritize and use their senior year proactively, taking the appropriate math and English courses in preparation for college, with the goal of having California high school graduates enter the CSU fully prepared to begin college-level study.