If you need help studying for the High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) or just want some more information about what the test is like, you’ve come to the right place.
Click below to take a free HiSET practice test!
What is the HiSET?
What’s on the HiSET?
How to Register
HiSET Scores
Retaking the HiSET
Online HiSET Prep Course
FAQs
Self-Assessment Modules
HiSET Practice Tests
If you need some extra practice in a specific subject, click one of the subjects below to get started on a subject-specific HiSET practice test.
What is the HiSET?
The HiSET is simply a high school equivalency test. It’s used to evaluate your knowledge and skills across five subjects: Reading, Writing, Math, Science, and Social Studies.
The HiSET was created as a more flexible and affordable alternative to the GED.
What’s on the HiSET?
As mentioned earlier, the HiSET is split into five sections, each covering a different subject. Each section contains 50-60 multiple-choice questions, and the Writing section contains an essay assignment.
Let’s take a closer look at each section of the test.
Reading
50 questions | 65 minutes
These are some of the specifics covered in this section:
- Understanding explicit details
- Determining the meaning of words and phrases
- The impact of specific word choices
- Making inferences
- Drawing conclusions
- Inferring traits, motives, and feelings of characters
- Interpreting figurative language, connotation, and symbolism
- Determining the main idea of a text
- Determining the author’s point of view and purpose
- Recognizing aspects of an author’s style
- Evaluating arguments
- Making generalizations
- Making predictions
Writing
60 questions and 1 essay | 2 hours
These are some of the specifics covered by the multiple-choice questions:
- Selecting logical/effective sentences
- Evaluating the relevance of information
- Analyzing the organizational structure of a text
- Recognizing logical/effective transitions
- Appropriate use of phrases and clauses
- Appropriate use of parallel structure
- Idiomatic usage
- Expressing ideas precisely
- Analyzing nuance
- Recognizing the correct forms of verbs, pronouns, and modifiers
- Grammatical agreement
- Correcting sentence fragments and run-on sentences
- Using correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
- Using reference sources
Mathematics
55 questions | 90 minutes
You’re allowed to use a calculator during this section, but you’ll have to request one from the testing center. You cannot bring your own calculator.
These are some of the specifics covered in this section:
- Rational and irrational numbers
- Radicals and rational exponents
- Scientific notation
- Proportional relationships
- Transformations
- The Pythagorean theorem
- Density based on area and volume
- Similarity and congruence
- Supplementary, complementary, vertical, and adjacent angles
- Interpreting data from graphs and tables
- Scatter plots
- Finding probabilities of compound events
- Drawing inferences about populations by using measures of center
- Interpreting parts of an expression
- Linear equations and inequalities
- Graphing various functions
- Rearranging formulas and equations to highlight a quantity of interest
- Domain and range
- Rate of change
Science
60 questions | 80 minutes
These are some of the specifics covered in this section:
- Organisms and their life cycles
- The interdependence of organisms
- Structure and functions of living systems
- The human body systems
- Physical properties such as color, volume, and mass
- Principles of light, heat, and electricity
- Magnetism
- The principles of matter and atomic structure
- Chemical reactions
- The properties of earth materials
- Earth’s systems and geologic structures
- Earth’s movements and position in the solar system
- The Sun and other stars
Social Studies
60 questions | 70 minutes
These are some of the specifics covered in this section:
- Historical sources and their perspectives
- Interconnections among the past, present, and future
- Specific eras in world and US history
- The role of citizens in a democratic society
- Different levels of US government
- Purposes and characteristics of various governance systems
- Fundamental economic concepts
- Government involvement in the economy
- Consumer economics
- Physical and human geography
- Analyzing spatial phenomena
- Interpreting maps
How to Register
To get started with the registration process, you’ll need to ensure that your state or jurisdiction actually offers the HiSET:
- American Samoa
- California
- Colorado
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Marshall Islands
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Palau
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
The next step is to sign upo for a My HiSET account, which will let you register for the test and schedule a testing appointment. The testing fees will vary from state to state.
HiSET Study Guide and Flashcards
Get practice questions, detailed study lessons, and complex subjects broken down into easily understandable concepts.
HiSET Scores
The HiSET is scored using a scaled scoring method. Here’s how it works:
A passing score is a scaled score of at least 45.
The reason your raw score is converted to a scaled score is because everyone who takes the exam is given a slightly different set of questions. Since everyone has a different arrangement of questions, and because some questions are harder than others, converting your raw score to a scaled score ensures a more even playing field.
Retaking the Exam
If you did not get the score you wanted on your first try, that’s okay! Every state is different, but most states will let you schedule a retest within 24 hours of your original test date.
Online HiSET Prep Course
If you want to be fully prepared, Mometrix offers an online HiSET prep course. The course is designed to provide you with any and every resource you might want while studying. The HiSET course includes:
- Review Lessons Covering Every Topic
- 1,400+ HiSET Practice Questions
- More than 1,200 Digital Flashcards
- Over 380 Instructional Videos
- Money-back Guarantee
- Free Mobile Access
- and More!
The HiSET prep course is designed to help any learner get everything they need to prepare for their HiSET exam. Click below to check it out!
FAQs
Is the GED or HiSET better?
It depends! Both tests have their pros and cons depending on your situation.
For instance, the GED is more widely accepted but tends to be more expensive. On the other hand, the HiSET is less challenging but isn’t as widely accepted.
What is HiSET?
HiSET (High School Equivalency Test) is an alternative test to the GED that evaluates your knowledge and skills across five common subjects.
Can you go to college with a HiSET?
Yes! Many colleges accept HiSET scores.
How many questions are on the HiSET?
The full test contains 285 questions and one essay.
What is the time limit for the HiSET?
The full test is timed at about 7 hours.
What is the passing score for the HiSET?
You’ll need to get a final scaled score of at least 45 to pass.
How much does the HiSET cost?
The testing fees vary from state to state.
Self-Assessment Modules
One of the most important parts of preparing for a test is determining which topics you need to brush up on as you study.
To get started with a self-assessment of your knowledge, click on one of the modules below!
