There are several states that have decided to use an alternative test instead of the GED for the purpose of high school equivalency testing.
Today, there are two nationally available options for that purpose, the GED and HiSET exams. The TASC exam was discontinued.
If you get an HSE (High School Equivalency) certificate, it means that, through testing, you prove to have the same skills and knowledge as a high school graduate.
In most states, you will need to pass the GED® (General Education Development) exam, but there are states that require you to take the HiSET® (High School Equivalency Test) to demonstrate that you have mastered the knowledge and skills that are usually expected of graduating high school seniors.
Quite a few states offer both options to earn your High School Equivalency diploma, and you can find all HSE schools and testing sites near you if you click on your state in the listing below.
The GED test includes four subtests (or modules) that may be taken one at a time.
The earlier Language Arts (or Literacy) Writing sub-test is now embedded in the other four sections, so the GED test has four subtests in the fields of Mathematics (Math), Social Studies, Science, and Language Arts (Literacy).
The HiSET exam is comprised of five subtests covering the academic subject areas of Language Arts-Reading, Language Arts-Writing, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. These subject tests can also be taken separately.
Both options (GED and HiSET) are available in English and Spanish in most states, and for applicants with disabilities, accommodations are offered all across the country upon timely request.
No matter which of the high school equivalency tests you take, the diploma that you’ll receive is accepted all across the nation.
You will notice that it’s absolutely worth getting your GED credential as college doors will open up for you, and your professional options will grow as well.
Please note that the TASC exam is no longer available.
GED And HiSET Overview
Here is an overview (by state) of available HSE (High School Equivalency) testing options:
- Alabama – GED
- Alaska – GED
- Arizona – GED
- Arkansas – GED
- California – GED – HiSET
- Colorado – GED – HiSET
- Connecticut – GED
- Delaware – GED
- District of Columbia – GED
- Florida – GED
- Georgia – GED – HiSET
- Hawaii – GED
- Idaho – GED
- Illinois – GED – HiSET
- Indiana – GED – HiSET
- Iowa – HiSET
- Kansas – GED
- Kentucky – GED
- Louisiana – HiSET
- Maine – HiSET
- Maryland – GED
- Massachusetts – GED – HiSET
- Michigan – GED – HiSET
- Minnesota – GED
- Mississippi – GED – HiSET
- Missouri – HiSET
- Montana – HiSET
- Nebraska – GED
- Nevada – GED – HiSET
- New Hampshire – HiSET
- New Jersey – GED – HiSET
- New Mexico – GED – HiSET
- New York State – GED
- North Carolina – GED – HiSET
- North Dakota – GED
- Ohio – GED – HiSET
- Oklahoma – GED – HiSET
- Oregon – GED
- Pennsylvania – GED – HiSET
- Rhode Island – GED
- South Carolina – GED
- South Dakota – GED
- Tennessee – HiSET
- Texas – GED
- Utah – GED
- Vermont – GED
- Virginia – GED
- Washington – GED
- West Virginia – HiSET
- Wisconsin – GED
- Wyoming – GED – HiSET
To locate a high school equivalency prep facility in your area, just click on your state and then on a major city near you. We list all prep sites across the U.S. by cities and their surrounding regions, so if you’ll be checking out the post about a city in your region, you will see all options. There are also states that use the National External Diploma Program for high school equivalency testing.
This website also offers totally free online GED/HiSET video lessons. Studies have demonstrated that if you want to get optimally prepared for your High School Equivalency Exam, video instruction is one of the most efficient preparation methods, and it will make learning a bit of fun again every once in a while!
Free GED Prep & Practice Tests
You are also welcome to use our free HSE practice tests to see which subject fields you need to focus on most. Please be aware that practice tests should not be used for studying certain fields but just to check if you understand the matter.
Practice tests are, however, great for discovering your weaker and stronger points and identifying your knowledge gaps. If you’ll know what topics and which subject areas require most of your attention and study time, you won’t have to go through all of the material in the same way. Just go quickly over what you already understand, and focus on what you need to learn.
The GED test can only be taken on a computer, whereas the HiSET is offered both on paper and on a computer (except in New Jersey, where only computer-based testing is available). West Virginia also requires test-takers to complete the HiSET exam on a computer.