Adult and Community Learning Services (ACLS)

New High School Equivalency Exam in Massachusetts

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has selected Educational Testing Service (ETS) to administer the new high school equivalency exam in Massachusetts. This series of exams will replace the former General Education Development (GED) assessment, which is no longer offered by the GED Testing Service as of December 31, 2013. HiSET™ will measure the academic knowledge and proficiency equivalent to those of a high school graduate. HiSET™ will be available to Massachusetts adult learners beginning in February and will include assessments in Language Arts - Reading, Language Arts - Writing, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science. For general information on the HiSET™, go to The HiSET Exam. However, be aware that the site does not include information specific to Massachusetts; moreover, some of its information does not apply to our state. ESE is in the process of finalizing state policies to be added to a page on the HiSET™ website that will be specific to Massachusetts. ACLS will soon provide information about test fees, test center locations, and related state policies. ACLS will also provide informational workshops to help programs learn about the new assessment. In the meantime, ESE has set up a Q & A mailbox in order to respond to your questions: HiSET@doe.mass.edu and responses to the Q & A will be posted at HSE Testing Program.

Last Updated: February 7, 2014