| Type | Paper-based, early-exit testing program |
|---|---|
| Developer / administrator | California State Board of Education |
| Knowledge / skills tested | Mathematics, English-language arts (reading and writing)[1] |
| Purpose | Early-exit from high school |
| Duration | 3.5 hours[1] |
| Score / grade range | 250–450 (multiple-choice) and 1-5 (writing).[1] |
| Offered | Thrice annually |
| Countries / regions | California |
| Languages | English |
| Prerequisites / eligibility criteria | Age 16+ or enrolled in at least two semesters of 10th grade[1] |
| Fee | $230 (2020-2021) |
| Website | cde |
The California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) was an early exit testing program established under California law (California Education Code Section 48412). Testers who passed the CHSPE received a high school-equivalent diploma from the California State Board of Education.[1] All individuals and institutions subject to California law that require a high school diploma are required to accept the CHSPE diploma as requirement fulfillment. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management has ruled it acceptable in federal civilian employment applications, and the U.S. Department of Education recognizes the CHSPE as a high school diploma equivalent for various purposes, including financial aid applications.[1]
A possible option for CHSPE test-takers was to enroll in a community college and transfer to their university of choice after two years. The University of California system accepts the Certificate of Proficiency awarded by the State Board of Education upon successful completion of CHSPE.[2]
Officially, the test was discontinued and replaced by the California Proficiency Program as of June 2023. This was due to the SAT10, the examination the CHSPE was based on, becoming obsolete and the new CPP being based on the HiSET.
While current enrollment in school was not required, testers had to be at least 16 years old or have completed, if not enrolled in their second semester of the 10th grade.[3] Students enrolled in schools outside of California may not register until they are sixteen years of age.[1] There is no upper age limit. Testers had to pay upwards of $230 by the regular registration deadline or more if late, and sit during one or more of the three (two in 2022) exam dates offered a year.[4]
The exam tests individuals based on the high school curriculum in California using a format similar to that of the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT10). Those who have taken the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE), required of all high school students to graduate in California, will find the CHSPE similar in format, but longer in length and with more difficult questions.
The CHSPE tests mathematics and English-Language Arts (reading and writing) abilities. The English-Language Arts section includes grammar and vocabulary questions, and also asks the examinee to write an essay. The math section assesses students on geometry, algebra, and pre-algebra. Testers have three and a half hours to complete the exam and are free to divide their time as they wish between the two sections. Because the math and English sections are graded separately and can be passed separately, some students can sit for the exam twice, with three and a half hours for the math section and three and a half hours for English.
The CHSPE mathematics section has 50 multiple-choice questions broken into 4 content clusters: number sense and operations; patterns, relationships, and algebra; data, statistics, and probability; and geometry and measurement.[1] Testers must score at least 350 within a range of 250–450 to pass the math section.[1]
The CHSPE English-language arts section has two subtests of reading and language (writing).
The reading subtest has 84 multiple-choice questions broken into seven content clusters: initial understanding; interpretation; critical analysis; strategies; synonyms; multiple meaning words; and context clues.[1] Testers must score at least 350 within a range of 250–450 to pass the reading subtest.[1]
The language subtest has 48 multiple-choice questions broken into six content clusters: capitalization; usage; punctuation; sentence structure; pre-writing; content and organization, in addition to a writing subtask.[1] Testers must score at least 350 within a range of 250–450 on the language subtest, in addition to at least a 2.5 within a score range of 1-5 on the writing subtask to pass the English-language arts section.[1]
The CHSPE was based on the SAT10[5] and only administered in English, and targeted at homeschoolers and students who desired to legally exit high school before 18 and/or start college early. Others were entertainment industry or agriculture professionals who preferred to start working at an earlier age.
In contrast, the GED is for adults 18 or over, who did not graduate high school and is administered in English, Spanish, and French.
Upon passing the exam, testers receive a legal, high school equivalency diploma and official transcript containing a score report,[1] which can be used to enroll in college early. As with any college enrollment, assessment tests may be required upon college entrance to determine the student's ability for placement in the appropriate courses.
Testers under 18 years of age who pass the exam may not leave high school without parent or guardian consent.[1] The CHSPE eliminates the need for minors to get a work permit before being employed, but is not otherwise considered "emancipation," and laws regulating minors still apply.