The TASC (Test Assessing Secondary Completion) exam was used by several states in the period 2014-2021 as an alternative to the GED exam. The exam was discontinued at the end of 2021 for high school equivalency purposes.
The TASC contained five separate subtests (modules) that covered the academic fields of Mathematics, Language-Arts Writing, Language-Arts Reading, Science, and Social Studies. The subtests were scored on a 300-800 scale.
On each of the five subtests, you were required to attain at least a 500 score, so the minimally required overall score was 2500, and your essay score needed to be at least 2.
So even when your cumulative total score was 2500 or better, you still were required to attain a 500 score on all subtests to pass the TASC™ exam.
Each of these five modules included mostly multiple-choice questions, but the exam also included extended response questions (e.g., your essay) and gridded response questions.
The TASC exam was offered both on paper and on a computer, except in West Virginia and New Jersey, where you had to take the exam on a computer.
If you took the test in a computer-based format, you would also find advanced computer-based questions in, for example, a draggable format.
TASC Raw Score
The TASC raw score was based on the number of questions that you answered correctly in each of the five subtests.
This raw score was then put into a mathematical equation to convert it into a scaled score ranging from 300 to 800.
On each of the five subtests, you were required to attain at least a 500 score to pass that section. Additionally, you had to attain at least a 2 score (out of 8) on the essay portion.
TASC Essay
The second section of the TASC Language-Arts subtest also included writing your TASC essay based on a provided text and a prompt with instructions.
On the TASC exam, each multiple-choice or gridded response question was worth one point, and there were no deductions for incorrect answers. So students were wise if they answered all of the questions.
An extended response question could be worth more than one point if there were two or more correct answers. If questions had two parts, you were required to answer both parts correctly to get the answer right.
How Was The TASC Essay Graded?
Your essay was graded by two readers. They did so on a 0 to 4 scale, so your highest achievable essay score was 8.
If the readers scored your essay within one point of one another, the scores were simply added together, which would be your total essay score.
If the readers scored your essay by more than one point difference, there would be a third reader, and then, the two closest scores from these three scores were used for your final essay grade. This was different from what happens on the GED exam, where the essay is computer-graded.
So if, for example, one reader scored your essay 4 while the second reader scored it 3, your total score was 7.
So on the TASC exam, your highest possible score was 800 on each of the five subtests, or 4000 overall, and a score of 8 for your essay.
When you attained a 560 or higher score in Mathematics and Writing and 580 or higher in Reading, you would receive a TASC “Distinguished Achievement” notation for those subject fields.
What Was The TASC Test?
The TASC exam was one of the three recognized high school equivalency tests in the U.S. The tests provide individuals who could not complete their regular high school education with one more chance to secure a secondary education credential. The TASC exam was discontinued by the end of 2021.
Several states used the TASC exam as an alternative to the GED® test to measure knowledge and skills at a level that compares to that of graduating high school students.
That means that if you had attained satisfactory scores on all five subtests of the TASC exam, you would receive your state’s high school equivalency diploma.
This document has legally the same value as a common high school diploma, so it allows you to get a better job or continue your education in college or university. The credential also allows you to apply for financial aid.
When Would You Get Your TASC Results?
How long it took before you would receive your TASC scores varied slightly from state to state and also depended on whether you sat for the exam in a computer-based or paper-based format. In 2021, the TASC exam was used in Indiana (switched to the HiSET in June), New York State (switched to the GED in December), West Virginia (now the HiSET), and New Jersey (computer-based HiSET and GED testing).
In general, if you took the computer-based TASC version, your score reports would be available within 2 to 3 days through your TASC account.
If you took the paper-based version, it could take up to 14 days before your score reports would be available. If you took the computer-based TASC exam, you could see how you performed in most parts of the exam right after you finished the test.
What If You Didn’t Pass?
If you didn’t reach the TASC passing score on one of the five TASC subtests, you could retake that subtest as many times as you needed to pass that section. You didn’t need to take the entire TASC battery again. You only had to retake the subtest(s) you failed.
Retake policies, however, varied slightly by state. Indiana, for instance, required test-takers to complete the entire TASC battery before they could retake any subtest(s).
In North Carolina, on the other hand, students were allowed to keep retesting any of the five subtests until they had attained a passing score without first having to finish all five modules, but the state discontinued the TASC exam in 2020. In 2021, there were four states where the TASC exam was used.
States also had specific time limits when it came to retaking TASC subtests, so students had to carefully check their state’s regulations and rules when they planned their TASC test.
The TASC exam offered you two free retakes per subject test, but test centers could still charge a fee. But usually, you would have to complete the entire TASC battery first. After these free attempts, you would have the pay the full price again.
Prepare Well For The Exam
Passing the TASC exam (so now a different test) and earning your state’s high school equivalency (HSE) diploma is a great achievement and a fantastic step towards a much bright future.
However, earning your HSE diploma is a challenging endeavor. The exams that replaced the TASC are pretty difficult, and the passing criteria are set in such a way that around 40 percent of all high school grads would not attain passing scores on the first try.
So you’ll have to study hard to complete your HSE journey. This website offers you lots of preparation materials and practice tests at no cost at all to support you in achieving satisfactory HiSET or GED scores.