High School Equivalency Testing (HiSET and GED)
Massachusetts residents who need a high school diploma can earn the High School Equivalency (HSE) Credential from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Visit the DESE website for complete information on eligibility
You can earn the HSE Credential by taking either the HiSET test or the GED test.
HiSET/GED Details
HiSET | GED |
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LANGUAGE ARTS Language Arts-Reading (65 minutes) 50 multiple Choice Questions Language Arts-Writing (120 minutes) 61 Questions 60 multiple choice questions 1 Essay |
REASONING THROUGH LANGUAGE ARTS (51 Questions)
*The time allotted for Sections 1 and 3 may vary slightly, but the total test time will always be 150 minutes. |
MATHEMATICS (90 minutes)
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MATHEMATICAL REASONING (115 minutes)
Calculator: TI-30XS scientific calculator |
SCIENCE (80 minutes)
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SCIENCE (90 minutes) (34 Questions)
Calculator: TI-30XS scientific calculator |
SOCIAL STUDIES (70 minutes)
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SOCIAL STUDIES (70 minutes)
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Scoring: scaled-score range per subtest: 0–20 To pass: no subtest score lower than 8 and a battery total of 45 or above. |
Scoring: scaled-score range per module: 100–200 To pass: a score on each module of 145 or above. |
Fee Structure: Computer Based Test:
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Fee Structure:
GED is now free in MA! Go to www.doe.mass.edu/hse for more information. |
Preparation
BHCC offers HiSET preparation classes: https://www.bhcc.edu/ce/testprep/
College Placement with GED and HiSET
After you get your high school equivalency diploma we would love to see you come back as a BHCC student! You can use your HiSET scores at BHCC instead of taking a placement test:
HiSET score | GED score | BHCC course you are eligible for |
Reading score 8-14 | Language Arts score 145-164 | College Writing I (ENG-111) with Writing Skills II (ENG-095) |
Reading score 15-20 | Language Arts score 165-200 | College Writing I (ENG-111) |
Math score 15-20 |
Math score 165-200 | MAT-099 Intermediate Algebra, MAT-171 Finite Mathematics, MAT-172 Contemporary Math, MAT-174 Quantitative Reasoning, MAT-181 Statistics, or MAT 099/194 College Algebra with Intermediate Algebra |