Eligibility Requirements
To take the HiSET exam in California, you must be a California resident or a member of the armed forces assigned to duty in the state of California, have not completed high school and meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Age: To take the HiSET exam in California, you must meet any one of the following age requirements:
- You must be 18 years of age or older or within 60 days of your 18th birthday (regardless of school enrollment status).
- You must be within 60 days of when you would have graduated from high school had you remained in school and followed the usual course of study. (May not currently be enrolled in school.)
- You must be 17 years of age and out of school for at least 60 consecutive days. You must also provide a letter of request from the military, a post-secondary educational institution or a prospective employer.
- You must be 17 years of age, have accumulated fewer than 100 units of high school, be confined to a state or county or correctional agency, and meet all of the following criteria:
- You do not have a realistic chance of completing the requirements for a high school diploma.
- You have adequate academic skills to successfully complete the HiSET exam.
- You understand the options available regarding acquisition of a high school diploma, the high school equivalency certificate, or the high school proficiency certificate and the requirements, expectations, benefits and limitations of each option.
- You have sufficient time left to complete the entire HiSET exam; however, if released before the test is completed, you may complete testing at an authorized testing center.
- Residency: Proof of California residency must be verified, both at the time of registration and before admittance to the testing room.
The California Department of Education has provided the following list of documents that may be used to prove California residency:
- current rental or lease agreement
- current deed or title to residential real estate property
- current mortgage statement
- current home utility bill
- current cable or phone bill
- current employment documents
- current insurance documents
- current Internal Revenue Service or California Franchise Tax Board tax return
- current property tax bill or statement
- court documents that list the applicant as a California resident
- current California certificate of vehicle or vessel title or registration
- completion of the California High School Equivalency Declaration of California Residence
- Test Preparation or Instruction: You are not required to take HiSET preparation courses before taking the test.
- Practice Test: You are not required to take a practice test before taking the official exam
- Identification: Identity and age must be verified by current photo identification that includes your name, birth date, signature, photograph and address at time of scheduling and/or before admittance to the testing room. Acceptable identification includes:
- photographic driver’s license, with a signature, issued by any U.S. state or foreign government
- photographic identification card, with a signature, issued by any of the U.S. Armed Forces, any U.S. state, or any foreign government
- photographic Tribal enrollment card with a signature
- photographic identification card or badge, with a signature, issued by a California department or agency (e.g., California Conservation Corps)
- photographic passport, with a signature, issued by the United States or a foreign government
- Note: Certain California school districts or adult schools have different requirements. If you’re taking the HiSET exam in any of the following, please verify their requirements with them directly:
- Chula Vista Adult School
- Long Beach School for Adults
- photographic Tribal enrollment card with a signature
- Los Angeles Unified School District
In California, the HiSET test fee is $12.75 per computer-based subtest and $17.00 per paper-based subtest. The California state administrative fee of $20.00 and test center fees are not included in the HiSET test fees. Test center fees vary. Contact your test center for details.
Note: The HiSET test fee includes the cost of one printed transcript and one printed certificate.
- California-Chula Vista Adult School
- Individual subtest for computer-based tests: $24.75 with a retest fee of $14.00 for the second and third attempts (must be completed within 12 months from the date of purchase).
- Individual subtests for paper-based tests $29.00 with a retest fee of $14.00 for the second and third attempts (must be completed within 12 months from the date of purchase).
Note: A $20.00 state administration fee will be collected when you register for your first subtest
- California-Long Beach School for Adults
- The cost of all five computer-delivered subtests is $200.00 and the cost of all five paper-delivered subtests is $210.00
- Please contact LBSA for discount offers and additional information
- California-Los Angeles Unified School District Test Center
- The cost of the subtests are as follows:
- Paper-delivered tests: Individual subtests cost $35.00 each. The total cost to take the HiSET exam (all five subtests) is $185.00
- Computer-delivered tests: Individual subtests cost $30.00 each. The total cost of all the HiSET exams (all five subtests) is $150.00
