People without a high school diploma pursuing their High School Equivalency credential now have two testing options to choose from. Students may take the General Educational Development (GED) exam or the High School Equivalency Test (HiSet).
Locally, both exams are offered by the Chester County Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) at the OIC testing center located in the CareerLink building, 479 Thomas Jones Way, Suite 500, Exton. HiSet testing hours are on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and GED testing hours are on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 pm.
"The HiSet is another test that individuals can use to obtain their high school equivalency diploma. It is another option in addition to the GED test that most people are familiar with," explained Maryann Stravous, director of workforce education for the Chester County OIC. "The GED is only able to be taken as a computer-based test. The HiSet can be done on paper or the computer."
According to http://www.hiset.ets.org, the test was developed in 2014. "It came about a few years ago. It has taken a while to become known," said Stravous. She compared the two tests to the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the ACT. "SAT was the only thing you could take. Now, ACT is accepted as well, so there are two tests that colleges accept. This is a similar situation," she said.
Stravous explained that there are some slight differences between the GED and the HiSet. "In the GED test there are four sections - reading and language arts, which we call RLA; social studies; science; and math," she noted. "HiSet has five sections because it breaks out the RLA to reading and writing separately. You do an essay on both tests. (The essay) is included in the RLA section for the GED and separate in the HiSet."
She also noted that the fee to take the HiSet is slightly lower than that of the GED.
Students are encouraged to take the tests in sections on different days. "There are four parts to the GED, and it is recommended that they take one part at a time," said Jackie Painter, testing center administrator and test proctor. "If they take two parts, it would be science and social studies because they are shorter."
Painter reported that about 20 to 25 people take the GED test at the CareerLink facility per month. As of mid-November, no one has registered to take the HiSet.
"We have four computers that deliver the tests, so there will only be four people in the room, and there is a proctor in there," explained Painter. "People taking the HiSet can have a calculator, and we provide it."
Stravous noted that some folks feel more comfortable taking a test on paper rather than online. "They can fill in multiple choice with pencil and paper," she said. "It gives an option for people that don't do well on a computer. We have (senior citizens) taking the test, and they feel uncomfortable using an online calculator or clicking on items with a mouse."
Those interested in taking the GED must register at http://www.myGED.com. To schedule a time for the HiSet, individuals can register at http://www.hiset.ets.org.
In addition to offering the GED and now the HiSet, the OIC provides daily classes to help people prepare for the tests, as well as one-on-one tutoring for adults. A class schedule can be found at http://www.ccoic.org/adult-education.
"Individuals can be tutored for a number of things - one of which is studying for the (tests)," Stravous pointed out, noting that English as a Second Language (ESL) classes are also offered. "Or they can come to us because they want to improve their reading or math skills for the workplace or for personal reasons," she said.
Stravous emphasized that any student who is a resident of Pennsylvania may take the HiSet or GED at CareerLink in Exton. "It's always nice to know you have another option," she added, referring to the HiSet.
For more information, readers may contact Stravous at mstravous@cc-oic.org or Painter at 610-692-2344.
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