Testing Out of High School

Let’s get this one out of the way:

Testing out of high school was the best decision I ever made.

Background

I was born into a family where I would be the first person to ever to obtain a college degree. That’s a lot of pressure, don’t you think?

With this in mind, I’ve always been one who’s dreaded the school system. I mean, having to take classes you don’t even get to pick? Attending a private, Catholic school where the teachers are only there to bring home the bacon? Practically wasting four years of my life, when I could easily take a test to truly start my life? Sounds about right.

My best friend at the time, who is now my sister, tested out of high school her sophomore year, at the ripe age of 16. From there, she went on to finish two years of community college, and now, she’s going for her BA in Psychology at an accredited university. When I heard about her ditching high school, I was immediately curious as to how she did it. I’m not saying she wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but I’m saying she wasn’t the ripest grape in the bunch. After she told me all she did was take a test, I knew I had to do the same.

CHSPE (California High School Proficiency Exam)

I owe all of my success to the CHSPE (California High School Proficiency Exam). My “success” consists of:

1. Avoiding another year’s worth of private high school tuition.

2. Avoiding wasting another year at a high school I dreaded.

3. Attending two full years of community college for practically no money.

4. And now being able to obtain my BBA in Management and MBA in Business Administration, in a total of 2 1/2 years.

I am currently 18 years old.

Because I made the decision to test out of high school, I was able to get a head start on life. If it were up to me, I would create a law to abolish the high school system, and for it to be required that everyone take an equivalency exam after 8th grade. Sadly, it’s not up to me.

What I can do for the time being, is inform students and parents about a second option.

General Info

The CHSPE holds three tests per year:

1) Fall, typically in October

2) Spring, typically in March

3) Summer, typically in June

The CHSPE costs $130.00 to take, and payment must be received in the CHSPE Office by 5pm on the regular registration deadline.

The time allowed to take the test is 3½ hours, although, it may be finished early. You may spend as much time on any section as you want.

There are two sections of the exam:

1. English Language Arts

Reading Subtest

-comprehension

-vocabulary

total questions: 84

Language Arts Subtest

-mechanics

-expressions

-essay writing

total questions: 48

2. Mathematics

-number sense and operations

-patterns, relationships, and algebra

-data, statistics, and probability

-geometry and measurement

total questions: 50

One essay is also written during the exam. My question was about whether or not a mandatory curfew should be implemented in the U.S. for minors.

Eligibility

You may take the CHSPE only if on the test date you:

-are at least sixteen years old, or

-have been enrolled in grade ten for one academic year or longer, or

-will complete one academic year of enrollment in grade ten at the end of the semester during which the next regular administration will be conducted. (Regular administrations are the fall and spring administration each school year.)

You can prove any of the above requirements by:

Method A-

mailing or uploading (depending on standard or electronic registration) a copy of an official document that verifies your date of birth. The CHSPE Office will review your documents and if the rest of your registration materials are acceptable, register you for the test.

Method B-

having your school verify your eligibility to test by completing a portion of your registration form and then placing a school seal on the form. You must use standard registration if you are using method B to prove your eligibility.

Taking & Passing

The exam is scored on a 0-3.5 number scale:

2 or lower- You cannot pass

2.5 and above- Passing!

In order to pass the test, your accumulated multiple-choice score must be at least 365.

If you plan on taking the CHSPE, it's always good to brush up on your core subjects. To do so, you can pick up a copy of "Barron's CHSPE: California High School Proficiency Exam," a thorough and helpful study guide. You can also hire a tutor.

In a few simple steps, you can register to test out of high school.