Testing News & Updates
CONTACT: Sarah Potter
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Vol. 47, No. 38
June 12, 2013
Missouri Chooses New High School Equivalency Test
Current GED® test expires at end of 2013
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has selected a new high school equivalency test. The state's current test, the GED®, is set to expire at the end of 2013.
Beginning January 2014, Missouri's new high school equivalency test will be the HiSET test developed by Educational Testing Service (ETS).
The cost of the new test will be $95, which includes a $60 registration fee for the cost of the test and $7 for each of the five test sections to cover the costs of administering the test. Because examinees do not have to complete the entire test at one time, they can take the test in sections.
The $60 registration fee will allow individuals to test three times during a 12-month period. Examinees who do not pass the test the first time can retake the entire test or any of the test sections two more times within the 12-month period by paying an additional $7-per-section fee.
Testing sites for the new exam are still being determined. Additional information about the test will be provided at www.hse.mo.gov as it becomes available.
In March 2011, the American Council on Education GED Testing Services (GEDTS) and Pearson announced plans to create a for-profit organization to develop a new computer-based high school equivalency test to replace the current GED test in January 2014. Shortly after the announcement, GEDTS revealed that the price of its new test would be $120, not including any state administrative fees.
As a result, the Department used the state's bid process to choose Educational Testing Service to provide a new high school equivalency test for Missouri at a cost of $95.
Missourians wanting to obtain their high school equivalency before the current GED test expires must apply by September 1, 2013. Those who have taken the test but not passed all the test sections have until November 4, 2013, to apply to retest.
Individuals who have taken the test but not scored well enough on all sections of the test to receive their certificate have until the end of the year to pass the exam. If they do not pass the GED® by January 1, 2014, scores from the current test sections will not transfer to the new one.
For more information about obtaining a high school equivalency certificate, visit www.hse.mo.gov or call 573-751-3504.
May 1, 2013
Update: GED Application Deadlines
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has set application deadlines for the GED® test for Missourians working to obtain their high school equivalency certificate before the exam expires at the end of the year.
The deadline for first-time test takers applying for the current paper-based exam is September 1, 2013. The deadline to apply for retesting is November 4, 2013. State testing centers still have about 6,000 openings for the paper-based exam before it expires.
Those who have taken the test but not scored well enough to receive their certificate have until the end of the year to pass the exam. If the GED® is not passed by January 1, 2014, scores from the current test will not transfer to the new one.
The current paper-based GED® test in Missouri requires payment of two fees‒a $20 fee to apply to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to become eligible to take the test and another $20 fee to the testing center to schedule the exam. Fees paid to the GED® office are non-refundable.
Individuals wanting to take the test in 2013 should apply to the Department as soon as possible so they can then schedule their test to ensure a seat is available.
Applying for computer-based GED® testing at selected locations in Missouri is available through the end of 2013.
Registration for the new test will begin in the fall of 2013. The new test will start January 2, 2014.
NOTE: The HSE Official Transcript Search and Duplicate Certificate Search systems are now available.
Countdown to New HSE test in 2014
The GED test used for the Missouri High School Equivalency test will be changing in 2014. The new test, aligned with Common Core State Standards, will be available as a Computer Based Test and is being designed to focus on college and career readiness. The test will not be available on the internet.
Individuals taking the new 2014 test are advised that test scores earned on the current version of the test, known as the 2002 version, will NOT transfer to the new test.
Transcript for Missouri HSE Graduates Are Now Online
An automated process is used to verify transcripts for Missouri’s HSE graduates. Universities, colleges, employers, and individuals will use the HSE Transcript Search to view official transcripts. Watch this video to walk through the step-by-step process of verifying whether or not an individual has earned their HSE transcript.
Requesting A Duplicate Missouri HSE Certificate
- Walk through the step-by-step process in this video of requesting a duplicate certificate online.
Compulsory Age Requirement
Only 16-year-olds who have successfully completed 16 units of credit toward high school graduation and have written permission from the superintendent or principal of the school last attended reflecting compliance are eligible to test. If homeschooled, only those 16-year-olds who have met the requirements of Section 167.031 RSMO for course instruction and have written permission of the parent or legal guardian indicating compliance, are eligible. Seventeen year-olds who have dropped out of school may take the test.
