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Pennsylvania HiSET® Requirements

About the Pennsylvania HiSET® Exam

Earn the credential your future needs with the HiSET® High School Equivalency Test.

If you want to find a better job or take the first step on a pathway to a career, then you need to earn a high school equivalency credential. It is required for college and more important than ever to employers. Taking the HiSET exam can help change your life and expand your opportunities like it’s done for other test takers.

See the Pennsylvania Education Department website for more information.

Pennsylvania Eligibility Requirements

To take the HiSET exam in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:

High School Equivalency Status: You must not be enrolled, nor required to be enrolled, in high school, and you must not have a high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma/credential.

Age:

  • If you are 18 years of age or older, you may test without any special conditions.
  • If you are 16 or 17 years of age, you may take the HiSET, however, you must have an approved age-waiver application request (PDF) from the Pennsylvania Department of Education before scheduling an appointment.
  • No one under 16 years of age is eligible.

Residency:

  • You must be a resident of Pennsylvania to take the HiSET exam.
  • You must provide documentation of your identity and Pennsylvania 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: You must provide acceptable proof of identity and Pennsylvania residency in the form of documentation that provides all of the following information:

  • Your name
  • Address
  • Date of birth
  • Signature
  • Current photograph

If you do not have the preferred identification, acceptable documentation to verify identity and residency can include any combination of the following:

  • valid U.S. or foreign passport, military ID, or other U.S.- or foreign government-issued document that includes a name, current photograph, date of birth, and signature, and
  • a utility bill, signed lease, tax record, voter registration form, bank statement or car registration that includes your current address


Math Calculator: Pennsylvania will allow either a 4-function or scientific calculator for the Math test in a test center. Test takers should be allowed to use the type of calculator, 4-function or scientific, that they are most comfortable with.

Access your myHiSET account on PSIExams.com

Pennsylvania myHiSET Login

HiSET Pennsylvania Testing Options and Fees

Total fees per paper subtest

$23

Total expected fees to complete the HiSET assuming no retake attempts and completion in a single calendar year:

$115

Subtest fee breakdown:

Test Fee: $15

Test Center Fee: $8

Remote Proctor Fee: $0

State Admin Fee: $0

Test Location: Test Center

Total fees per computer subtest

$23

Total expected fees to complete the HiSET assuming no retake attempts and completion in a single calendar year:

$115

Subtest fee breakdown:

Test Fee: $15

Test Center Fee: $8

Remote Proctor Fee: $0

State Admin Fee: $0

Test Location: Test Center

Total fees per Test @ Home subtest

$32.50

Total expected fees to complete the HiSET assuming no retake attempts and completion in a single calendar year:

$162.50

Subtest fee breakdown:

Test Fee: $15

Test Center Fee: $0

Remote Proctor Fee: $17.50

State Admin Fee: $0

Test Location: Offsite, remote proctored. System requirements and test environment guidelines must be met.

Retesting

What to know: HiSET test takers may take each subtest a maximum of three (3) times in a calendar year.

How it works: If you take your first official HiSET subtest in the month of January and then take two retakes at a test center in the months of February and March, you would not be permitted to take that subtest again until the next calendar year starting in January, and you would then need to pay the full test price.

What it costs: You may retake each subtest two times over the next 12 months by paying only the test center fee (noted above for each in-person subtest) or the at-home online proctor fee ($17.50 for each at-home subtest).

Access your myHiSET account on PSIExams.com

Pennsylvania myHiSET Login