Frequently Asked Questions

HiSET accounts for administrators are only available for approved test centers. Your state administrator will approve your access as a Test Administrator.

You will use your HiSET account to:

• Create user accounts for test takers
• Enter appointment information for test takers (in some states or jurisdictions)
• View scheduled appointments and print test day rosters
• Record test-taker attendance
• Check in test takers for paper-delivered tests
• View and print test-taker scores

The way test takers pay for the HiSET exam varies by state or jurisdiction. In some areas, the test taker can pay online using a debit card or credit card (American Express®, Discover®, MasterCard®, VISA® and JCB), PayPal,® or a HiSET Test Voucher.

In other states or jurisdictions, the fees are collected by the test center. Each state or jurisdiction determines policies on payment collection. The test center may set policies regarding the methods of acceptable payment.

Yes, you will be able to collect test center administration fees.

You can determine how you want to accept payment. The online payment option does include credit cards.

No. Because we have to collect all test fees through the online system, test takers cannot pay with cash.

Test takers who schedule online must pay online as well. However, if they are scheduling at the test center, the test center sets their own policies regarding whether or not they will accept cash for payment.

The fee for a single subtest (one content area) is $10.75 for computer-based tests and $15 for paper-based tests. Test takers will receive up to two retests per subtest purchased. These retests must be redeemed within 12 months of the initial purchase date. States, jurisdictions and test centers may charge additional fees, either for the initial purchase or for retesting.

No. After the test taker’s accommodation is approved, the test taker must schedule the testing appointments through Disability Services.

Test takers requiring accommodations should be sure to leave plenty of time for the review process, especially if they are requesting an alternate testing format. Documentation review takes approximately six weeks once all paperwork has been received. If additional documentation is required, it can take another six weeks from the time the new documentation is received until the review is complete.

Commonly requested accommodations for paper-delivered and computer-delivered administrations include:

• Separate room
• Extended time
• Special location/private room/small group
• Calculator/talking calculator
• Additional supervised break time
• Signed interpreted instructions for deaf or hard of hearing test takers

Accommodations available for paper-delivered administrations only include:

• Audiocassette
• Large print with extended time
• Scribe

Yes. See Test Taker accommodations for a list of items that do not require approval or arrangements prior to test day.

The HiSET program offers several free test prep resources to test takers, including a Study Companion, practice tests, sample questions and a tutorial video. We also offer practice tests for just $10 per subtest that provide additional information about test takers’ readiness.

Yes. Test takers can contact Disability Services for test preparation materials in accessible formats.

Site schedules will be created and maintained by PSI’s centralized capacity planning team, Session Management, based on the information you provide about your site’s schedule and operating hours when you complete the PSI HiSET – Test Center Schedule Form.

Contact your center’s authorized representative to order test materials.

Bundles contain different quantities depending on what materials you need.

• Test Forms: Each bundle contains six test booklets, one from each of the content areas plus an additional Writing booklet.
• Answer Sheets: Each bundle contains 100 answer sheets.
• Return Package Kits: Each return kit contains enough to cover 50 test administrations.

The HiSET Program provides all of the exam materials, including test books, answer sheets and return package kits at no cost to the test center. Additionally, all shipping costs for materials and return of materials and answer sheets are paid for by the HiSET Program.

Rosters can be used for making final arrangements for testing staff and rooms and checking in test takers on test day.

The test is also available in Spanish.

No, the test administration is the same for the HiSET exam in Spanish, including the timing limits for the test. The exam instructions are all designed to be self-read by the test taker.

Please refer to the HiSET® Program Manual for information on how to report misconduct.

Score reporting is dependent upon receiving scorable answer sheets from the Test Center.

• Multiple-choice — Unofficial multiple-choice scores are available immediately at the conclusion of computer-delivered testing for all tests except the Language Arts – Writing. Official scores and scores for paper-delivered tests are available within three business days of the HiSET program receiving scorable answer sheets.
• Essay — Essay scores for paper- and computer-delivered tests are available within five business days of the HiSET program receiving scorable answer sheets.

All scoring is performed by the HiSET program. The multiple-choice tests are machine-scored. The Language Arts – Writing subtest, Part 2 (essay) is human-scored. Each essay is double-scored to ensure inter-rater reliability. All human scorers are hired, paid and trained by us.

To pass, a test taker must achieve a minimum scaled score of 8 of 20 on each subtest, with a score of at least 2 on the essay portion of the Language Arts – Writing subtest, and a combined score of 45 on the exam. However, states are permitted to set their own passing scores.

To demonstrate college and career readiness, a test taker must achieve a minimum scaled score of 15 out of 20 on each subtest.

As long as a test taker has taken at least one subtest in your test center, you can view and print their scores through your HiSET account.

The Comprehensive Score Report includes the highest test scaled score for each subtest regardless of where the test taker took the test. It is automatically updated each time the test taker takes a subtest if the test taker’s score improves, and there is only one.

Individual Test Reports are issued for each subtest, so a test taker will have multiple reports for multiple subtests. They include the score for that subtest as well as a performance summary for the various content sections within that subtest.

The HiSET program does not charge for score reports. Test takers, test centers, and states have the ability to self-print score reports through their HiSET accounts. Official score reports can also be sent to designated institutions for free by contacting Customer Service.

The credential (e.g., diploma, certificate) is issued by the state or jurisdiction, and they may choose to charge a fee to provide this service.

If a test taker feels their HiSET scores were reported incorrectly or do not accurately reflect their performance, they can have them reviewed for a fee. The following score review services are available:

Constructed-response (Essay) Scoring Review — $25 per essay

A trained scorer will review the essay and original score received to determine whether it is consistent with HiSET Language Arts Writing test scoring rules. If there is a change in their score, the new score (which may be higher or lower than your originally reported score) will be reported to the test taker and to your state or jurisdiction, and the score review fee will be refunded. An individual’s essay is not available for disclosure. Please note that each essay will be reviewed only once. This service is available for both computer and paper-delivered tests.

Multiple-choice Scoring Review — $25 per test

Paper-delivered Tests — Multiple-choice responses will be hand scored by our trained Resolutions team. If there is a change in their score, the new score will be reported to the test taker and your state or jurisdiction, and the score review fee will be refunded. An individual’s test responses are not available for disclosure. Please note that each test will be reviewed only once.

Computer-delivered Tests — Computer-delivered tests will not be reviewed because those answers are scored once at the test center, then transmitted to the HiSET program where they are verified before being reported.

To request either of the services listed above, please call Customer Service at 1-855-MyHiSET (1-855-694-4738)

Test administration fees may be established by the state, jurisdiction or test center. The test center will collect and keep the test administration fee. This is not a HiSET program fee.

The HiSET program does not charge an error-correction fee.

The HiSET test fee includes both multiple-choice and essay scoring.

PSI is a global leader in workforce solutions with over 70 years’ experience delivering successful testing programs to help people achieve success in their academic, personal, and work lives.

PSI’s mission statement is “To help people meet their potential.” Delivering the HiSET program is tightly aligned with that mission.

On a practical level, given PSI’s strong presence in the US domestic certification market, we believe that there is considerable potential to grow the program, both through increased adoption by states and greater uptake among test takers, as well as exploiting synergies and broadening the range of associated products and services on offer from PSI’s wider portfolio.

PSI has complementary capabilities, such as additional career-oriented certifications and licenses, that HiSET test takers may be able to benefit from. PSI also has its own psychometrics and test development, test delivery and channel operations infrastructure to support the business.