HiSET® Test Information
If you didn’t finish high school, you can still demonstrate that you have the same skills and knowledge as a high school graduate through a test.
This test is called a high school equivalency (HSE) credential. For many years, Ohio only offered the GED® exam, but in 2017, the Ohio Department of Education approved three HSE testing assessment options for adult learners: GED, TASC®, and HiSET®.
The HiSET ®
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT: Both paper/pencil, as well as computerized
Test takers even have the option of mixing and matching by subject area. For example, math can be done on a computer, while the essay could be completed using paper and pencil.
Computer testing asks the same questions as the paper/pencil test but does have some different features, such as Technology Enhanced Questions, and:
- An on-screen calculator for math
- Word processing software with insert, delete, cut, paste and undo features for essay portion
- A special toolbar with Spanish-language characters for the essay
- A help button and a timer so you can budget your time
- A mark and skip feature that lets you bypass a question and return to it later
- A review tool that tells you which questions you still need to answer
SUBJECT AREAS:
- Reading: 50 multiple choice questions, 65 minutes
- Writing: 60 multiple choice questions, 1 essay question, 120 minutes
- Math: 55 multiple choice questions, 90 minutes
- Science: 60 multiple choice questions, 80 minutes
- Social Studies: 60 multiple choice questions, 70 minutes
SCORES: Range from 0 to 20
To pass, a total of 45 points are required. Each section must receive a score of at least 8, with a minimum of 2 out of 6 for the essay. Unlike some HSE tests, the HiSET is scored by a human being.
Students who complete the computerized version of the HiSET will get an unofficial score (excluding the Writing score) before they leave the test center. Those that take the paper/pencil version will have to wait for official scores — which can take up to 5 business days from the day the test center submits your answers to the test publishers.
Scores are not sent in the mail, they are only available through a student’s HiSET Account online.
TEST LENGTH: 7 hours, 5 minutes
The primarily multiple choice test is the shortest of the HSEs.
PUBLISHER: ETS
Educational Testing Service (ETS), the world’s largest private nonprofit educational testing assessment organization. In 1947, they began working on the development of the then-groundbreaking Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT®). Since then, they’ve also developed the GRE®, the world’s most widely administered graduate-level admissions test, and the TOEFL®, the standard for English-language tests for admissions use worldwide, among others.
Benefits of Earning Your High School Equivalency (HSE)
- There are many benefits that result from taking an HSE test, including significantly better job prospects and the opportunity to enter a community or 4-year college.
- Over the course of a lifetime, an HSE graduate earns an average of $1,000,000 more than someone without a high school diploma or HSE.
- An HSE is a is a way to increase financial security. Research also shows that once parents get an HSE, they’re more likely to encourage their children to seek educational opportunities and complete educational milestones.