High school equivalency exams

[busymama7]

So I know I should have looked into this sooner, I actually thought I had. But alas, my senior needs to take one of the following exams for the college she wants to go to:

 

GED

HiSET

TASC

California High School Profiency Exam(we don't live in CA if that matters)

ACT compass

 

She is very strong in English and weaker in math. She did pass all of our high school Profiency exams for our state (NV) last year while enrolled in a charter school online.

 

I am clueless about these tests. Which would be the easiest and quickest to get done so she can submit her application?

 

ETA: I don't mean easiest test. I mean the simplest to get done in a timely manner, not having to wait for test dates and such. I mention that she's weaker in math in case that matters but not really expecting it to.

Edited November 19, 2015 by busymama7

[Lori D.]

What school is she applying to??

 

First, I would speak carefully with the college admission office. When push comes to shove, virtually no colleges or universities REQUIRE the GED from homeschool students, as they accept parent-awarded homeschool diplomas. Yes, sometimes there are a few additional hoops the student must jump, such as:

- the college may require an ACT or SAT Reasoning test score

- the college may require a few SAT Subject test scores

- the college may require a letter from the school superintendent (NY, for example)

 

The SAT Subject tests DO show the student is proficient in high school level of work. And both the ACT or SAT Reasoning test scores are used all the time by colleges for admissions and awarding scholarships by showing how high school students compare on national standardized tests. It is odd that a college would not accept any of these test scores as proof of level of work by a homeschool high school student...

 

The only schools I've seen that require either a GED or an accredited diploma (so, you have to have gone through an accredited umbrella school or organization for the diploma) are cosmetology schools or some vocational-technical schools, as they are trying to bypass being a magnet for high school dropouts who might just *say* they were "home schooled and graduated early".

 

 

Second, the tests you listed serve different purposes:

 

ACT Compass

one of several different academic proficiency tests administered by colleges to all new students to determine what classes the student is ready for, or to determine if the student needs to take a pre-requisite or even a remedial class in Math or Writing first. This is a computerized test and the student gets their results right after completing it. The questions start at a low level and get progressively more difficult, until the student starts missing answers, which places the student at the level of their skill in that subject. Most colleges offer this test for FREE, since they use the test for class placements, so you would call the college's test center and schedule a testing time.

 

CHSPE (CA High School Proficiency Exam)

is a test for CA residents. While it does function as a high school equivalency similar to the the 3 tests above, it is more often taken by high school students who then continue high school classes in order to graduate with a degree, but it is useful for helping high school students be able to enroll for dual enrollment in CA community colleges.

 

GED, TASC, and HiSET

are all tests to show high school equivalency for those who have not earned a high school diploma.  If your student will be completing your homeschool requirements for graduation this year and earning your parent-awarded diploma, or if your student is graduating from a high school and earning a diploma, your student will NOT be eligible for these tests, which are for those who did NOT graduate from high school, or are current students withdrawing from high school before graduating.

 

GED is available at testing centers in most states

TASC is available online or as a paper/pencil version

HiSET is available at testing centers in CA, IA, LA, ME, MS, MI, MO, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NC, OK, WY

 

You register/pay and sign up for a test date.

 

If you absolutely must take a GED/TASC/HiSET, very carefully weigh the one positive -- admission to one extraordinarily picky college (which doesn't bode well for the rest of the college experience for a homeschool student) -- versus a number of negatives:

 

- these tests are for those who did not complete high school, or current high school students who plan to NOT complete high school and earn a diploma

- the GED (TASC / HiSE)T needs to be studied for in order to pass

- having the GED (TASC/HiSET) still can carry the "drop out" stigma with employers

- the GED (TASC/HiSET) pretty much closes the door to entering the military, as several branches no longer accept applicants with a GED, and the other branches drastically limit how many GED applicants they accept

- even if the student does graduate and have a diploma, when asked on applications if the student has a GED, it must be acknowledged

- the GED was completely overhauled in Jan. 2014 and is now harder to pass (apparently a lot of this has to do with the fact that it is now taken via computer; and also that many of the new questions are vague, misleading, or poorly worded so that multiple answers look like they are equally correct to the test-takers)

- the GED is less widely-accepted than it used to be as a number of states are offering their own state high school equivalency tests; the TASC and HiSET also have a somewhat limited acceptance as they are both new tests, and limited in region

 

 

If you HAVE to choose between these test options, it certainly looks like the ACT Compass is the way to go! :) Otherwise, if the college accepts ACT/SAT scores, those are each offered once a month all the way into June, and the SAT Subject tests are offered on the same dates as the SAT Reasoning test (depending on the subject, as not all subjects are offered on all test dates) -- so you can test as early as December, if you don't mind the late registration fee. :)

 

BEST of luck! Warmly, Lori D.

 

Edited November 20, 2015 by Lori D.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Just had a discussion regarding this locally (in NY so we were talking TASC).  No school I have heard of outright requires it.  The requirement basically centers around qualifying for NY financial aid grants which are only available to NYers.  And there are other ways to satisfy the requirement besides taking the TASC. 

 

So I agree with D to be sure that you absolutely must take it.  It may in fact be the easiest way to deal with whatever requirements.  I assume you are talking about a state school.  They seem to be the biggest sticklers for rules and regulations.  They also seem to be the most clueless.  Meaning if you get lucky you end up with someone who has no clue and tells you stuff that isn't true.

 

If she passed all the state proficiency exams, I bet she'd do just fine on any one of those. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[busymama7]

Thank you for your very through reply. She is applying to BYU Idaho. This is the link of requirements:

 

http://www.byui.edu/admissions/what-type-of-applicant-am-i/new-freshman/step-1-review-admission-requirements/home/private-school

 

I also called them because she is dual enrolled through them this year but won't have 15 credits by application time. They said she needs to take one of the tests. If the ACT compass is the one my older one took to dual enroll at our local CC then we will just go with that I think. It was straightforward and didn't take a long time.

 

Never mind. Our CC uses accuplacer?

 

It is a bit frustrating as she's taken the act and her score is well within the range they expect. She also spent a year at an online charter which could verify my grades/transcript.

 

This is not a difficult school to get into. I really would rather her not have the GED or similar if I can avoid it. I will look into the act compass

Edited November 20, 2015 by busymama7

[Lori D.]

Thank you for your very through reply. She is applying to BYU Idaho. This is the link of requirements:

 

http://www.byui.edu/admissions/what-type-of-applicant-am-i/new-freshman/step-1-review-admission-requirements/home/private-school

 

I also called them because she is dual enrolled through them this year but won't have 15 credits by application time. They said she needs to take one of the tests. If the ACT compass is the one my older one took to dual enroll at our local CC then we will just go with that I think. It was straightforward and didn't take a long time.

 

Yep, I wondered if that was the school. That one has come up before on these boards as being particularly sticky with homeschoolers. Here's the wording from the college website (in case anyone else is looking at this school):

 

Graduating from/completing a non-accredited program: Students whose secondary education program is not accredited (including those whose program is accredited through a non-state or regional accreditation agency) must submit ACT or SAT scores along with one of the following approved options:

• GED (www.gedtestingservice.com)
• HiSet (www.ets.org/hiset)
• TASC Test (www.tasctest.com)
• California High School Proficiency Exam (www.chspe.net)
• ACT Compass Test (www.act.org/compass)
• 15+ completed semester college credits

One other option, if your student had 1 full year of school left, is Pathway, which offers online college courses and credits that transfer directly to BYU Idaho, since it is a program in partnership with BYU Idaho. Actually, you might want to check into and see if it is an option even now for the spring and fall semesters, or maybe DD's first year of college. And apparently, if you continue with BYU-I with an online degree after completing Pathway, you continue to get the low-cost rate for classes.  :)

 

Accuplacer is College Board's version of a college placement test. That and the ACT Compass are the two big ones used most frequently. I'd look into universities and community colleges nearby to find one that will administer the ACT Compass, even if it means a 2 hour drive to get there -- better a time sacrifice for one morning, than carrying a totally unnecessary stigma for the rest of your life, just because one college was stinky about admitting homeschoolers. JMO. :)

 

Or look into the ACT Compass remote location options.

 

Or, start looking at applying at alternate schools. ;)

 

But it looks like as long as you have BOTH an ACT or SAT Reasoning test score AND the ACT Compass, you'll be fine. BEST of luck! Warmly, Lori D.

 

Edited November 20, 2015 by Lori D.