HSE (HiSET/GED) Testing

Age

You must be 18 years of age or older to be eligible to take the HSE test in Massachusetts with no qualifications. If you are 16 or 17, you cannot schedule any HSE exams until an official Letter of Withdrawal from your last school attended has been approved by the Massachusetts High School Equivalency Office. However, you must complete a Letter of Withdrawal. If you already have the Letter of Withdrawal or if you need to get it, please make sure it contains the following information:

• Be on school letterhead, including the address and phone number; Includes your last date of attendance and your date of withdrawal and it comes from the office of the Principal/Headmaster or the Head of Guidance; and must be signed by the Principal/Headmaster or the Head of Guidance. Then submit the letter making sure you have provided your HSE/GED ID number, your phone number and your e-mail address. The letter and the additional information must be submitted: either by mail or email to the following address:
  • By mail:
    DESE
    HSE Office, 3rd Floor
    75 Pleasant Street
    Malden MA 02148
    Attn: Olympia Stroud
  • By email:
    Olympia Stroud
    ostroud@doe.mass.edu. 

     

Once you have received email approval of your Letter of Withdrawal, you will be able to go to your HiSET/GED account and schedule your HSE exams.

No faxed letters will be accepted. You will be contacted via email by the HSE Office within three business days of the receipt of your document and the required HiSET/GED ID number.

School Enrollment Status

You must Not be enrolled in any secondary school program and must not have received a high school diploma or high school equivalency credential.

Residency

You must be a resident of Massachusetts, living at a Massachusetts address. You will be required to complete the Eligibility Form verifying your information and bring it to the test center.

Identification

Eligibility Requirements – High School Equivalency (HSE) Testing Program

You must present proper identification at the test center for each test session. Outdated or expired identification will not be accepted. Failure to provide documentation will prohibit you from taking the test.

Important: The name on your ID must match the name on your registration exactly. Use all capital letters in your name when registering.

The approved identification documents include:

• A valid passport from any country
• A valid driver’s license from any state
• A government-issued ID card with a recent, recognizable photo (e.g. a state ID, a temporary license, learner’s permit, or permanent resident card)
• A high school ID with a recent, recognizable photo (only allowed for 16 and 17-year-olds)
  • 16 and 17-year-olds may still use other forms of ID if desired. Test takers who wish to use a student ID will fill out a form at the test center confirming their age.
• Students will fill out a form at the test center confirming their age.
  • High School Equivalency Test Taker Age Verification Form
• National ID card
• Military ID card
• Pre-approved ID from a DESE-funded adult education program – Must be cleared by the State Chief Examiner

Test Preparation or Instruction

• Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education resources
• Academic Placement & Testing Center HSE Prep Resources.

Practice Test

You are not required to have done any special preparation in order to register for and take one of the two HSE assessments in Massachusetts, the GED© or the HiSET®. However, you may feel that enrolling in preparation classes would be helpful in passing the tests.