HSE (High School Equivalency): Details, Exams, Benefits & More

Last Updated on July 24, 2023 by

Do you want to earn your HSE (High School Equivalency) in 2022? If yes, this post will be of help to you. Here, we will have an in-depth analysis of HSE. Here, readers will find the following details – basic details about HSE, the process to earn it, relevant tests/exams, uses of HSE, state-wise high school equivalency options and more.

When it comes to High School Equivalency, these are some common questions posed by students across the USA –

• What is HSE?
• How can I earn my HSE?
• What are the benefits of possessing HSE?
• Which equivalency options are endorsed by my state?

  In this post, you will find answers to the questions listed above. First of all, let us take a close look at HSE. Let us check out what it is all about. Let us begin –  

What is HSE (High School Equivalency)?

In simple terms, HSE or High School Equivalency is a recognized alternative to a high school diploma. This alternative is equivalent to a high school diploma.   Due to different reasons, many students fail to complete high school education and earn their high school diploma. HSE has been crafted keeping their needs in mind. By earning an HSE, a student can obtain the full benefits (further education, job opportunities, training etc) of a high school diploma.   In other words, if you don’t have a high school diploma, go for HSE and earn it! It is a recognized and equivalent alternative to the high school diploma that you’ve been missing so far!   Multiple exams are conducted to determine HSE. We will discuss about them later in this post.  

How to earn your HSE?

As I mentioned before, different HSE-related tests are conducted to determine high school equivalency. Some of the popular exams are – GED, HiSET and TASC.   A state usually promotes one or more HSE-related exam. I’ve provided a state-wise list of HSE exams in this post. A student may choose a relevant test and start his/her exam preparation. He/she may appear for the test/exam (it usually takes a day). Perform well in the test and earn your HSE!  

High school equivalency exams

Here’s the list of common HSE exams in the USA –

• GED (General Educational Development)
• HiSET (High School Equivalency Test)
• TASC (Test Assessing Secondary Completion)
• CHSPE (California)
• CT-NEDP (Connecticut)
• MD-NEDP (Maryland)
• NY-NEDP (New York)
• CSSD (Pennsylvania)
• RI-NEDP (Rhode Island)
• VT-ADP (Vermont)
• VA-NEDP (Virginia)
• WI-HSED (Wisconsin)
• DC-NEDP (Washington DC)

  Let us check out the state-wise list of HSE exams. Here it is –  

State-wise list of HSE exams

Sr No	State	Exams/Tests
1	Alabama	GED
2	Alaska	GED
3	Arizona	GED
4	Arkansas	GED
5	California	GED, HiSET, TASC, CHSPE
6	Colorado	GED, HiSET, TASC
7	Connecticut	GED, CT-NEDP
8	Delaware	GED
9	Florida	GED
10	Georgia	GED
11	Guam	GED
12	Hawaii	GED, HiSET
13	Idaho	GED
14	Illinois	GED, HiSET, TASC
15	Indiana	TASC
16	Iowa	HiSET
17	Kansas	GED
18	Kentucky	GED
19	Louisiana	HiSET
20	Maine	HiSET
21	Maryland	GED, MD-NEDP
22	Massachusetts	GED, HiSET
23	Michigan	GED, HiSET, TASC
24	Minnesota	GED
25	Mississippi	GED, HiSET, TASC
26	Missouri	HiSET
27	Montana	HiSET
28	Nebraska	GED
29	Nevada	GED, HiSET, TASC
30	New Hampshire	HiSET
31	New Jersey	GED, HiSET, TASC
32	New Mexico	GED, HiSET
33	New York	TASC, NY-NEDP
34	North Carolina	GED, HiSET, TASC
35	North Dakota	GED
36	Ohio	GED, HiSET, TASC
37	Oklahoma	GED
38	Oregon	GED
39	Pennsylvania	GED, HiSET, CSSD
40	Rhode Island	GED, RI-NEDP
41	South Carolina	GED, TASC
42	South Dakota	GED
43	Tennessee	HiSET
44	Texas	GED, HiSET, TASC
45	Utah	GED
46	Vermont	GED, VT-ADP
47	Virginia	GED, VA-NEDP
48	Washington	GED
49	West Virginia	TASC
50	Wisconsin	GED, WI-HSED
51	Wyoming	GED, HiSET
52	Washington DC	GED, DC-NEDP

  What are the benefits of earning HSE, some of you may ask. Come, let us check out the main benefits now –  

Benefits of HSE

High school equivalency is quite useful. HSE will help you in the following ways –

1. Qualify to enter a college
2. Quality for other training programs
3. Quality for various job opportunities

  A high school diploma is a useful qualification. Using a high school diploma, a candidate may apply for further studies (college, training institutes, certification organizations etc). He/she may even gain access to various job opportunities using a high school diploma.  

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  Without a high school certificate, you won’t be able to apply for college admission. Similarly, you won’t be considered eligible for job opportunities that require a high school diploma.   Under such circumstances, one may rely on HSE and gain access to college education and the above mentioned job opportunities. Since HSE is an equivalent alternative to a high school diploma, it carries the same value and benefits of a high school diploma.