Goodbye GED, Hello HiSET
The GED has been a standard in the state of Missouri for so many years that it's difficult to imagine an alternative. But an alternative is definitely on the horizon for the Show-Me State. As of 2014, Missouri will be offering the HiSET, or High School Equivalency Test, in place of the GED.
Why the change? Recent shifts in how the GED is to be administered, along with an increase in the cost, were major contributing factors in the state's decision. The organization responsible for creating the GED, American Council on Education, announced a partnership with the Pearson company. Together they created a for-profit organization called GED Testing Service (GEDTS) as a replacement for the GED. The GEDTS will be completely computer-based and will come with a substantial price increase at $120 per test taker. As a result of these changes, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education decided to use the state's bid process to try and locate a more cost-effective high school equivalency exam. This resulted in the state's recent adoption of the HiSET.
HiSet is a product of Educational Testing Service (ETS). The cost for this exam will be $95, which includes a $60 registration fee and $7 for each of the five test sections. Each section can be taken at separate times. The HiSET will also be available in both paper- and computer-based formats. The HiSET is a new test and, as such, there are currently no test prep materials available for the Library to purchase. We will add those materials to the collection as they become available. In the meantime, practice tests for the HiSET are available online from ETS.
Read more:
- Missouri Chooses New High School Equivalency Test [Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education, June 12, 2013]
- GED Test Changes Could Be a Hurdle [Springfield News-Leader, May 21, 2013]
- Revamped GED Faces First Big Challenge [The Wall Street Journal, February 20, 2013]
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