If you are not familiar with it, the CHSPE (California High School Proficiency Exam) testing program enables California high school students to obtain a certificate that is the legal equivalent of a high school diploma. The test can be taken as early as 10th grade and can be used to gain early access to community college or to some jobs that require a high school diploma. The homeschool community has taken advantage of this program, and according to an official at the Sacramento County Office of Education, have a very high success rate with the test.
That is why the following banner on the CHSPE official website may be causing concern for homeschool families: CHSPE (California High School Proficiency Exam) End-of-test series notification.
At first glance it may appear that the CHSPE will no longer be an option. However, the test is not ending, it is simply changing formats.
The content of the test will be changing somewhat as it is moving from the SAT 10 (which it is currently based on) to a different model based on the HiSET. This new format will enable the test to be offered online. Although it won’t happen initially, the goal is to move toward students being able to take the test at home rather than having to travel to a testing site, or deal with the challenge of the testing sites being full.
In the end, these changes should make the test more easily accessible to students. In the meantime, there may be challenges for those students who have passed some, but not all, of the CHSPE sections. Currently, you are allowed to retake sections not yet passed. However, progress made on the current test will not count towards passing the new test. The CHSPE website makes this clear:
The final testing date for the current paper-based test format will be on June 18, 2023. Currently, the CHSPE has three sections of testing: mathematics, reading comprehension, and language arts. You will need to pass any remaining sections of the test prior to the July 1, 2023 transition. If you have not yet earned a Certificate of Proficiency before the July 1, 2023 transition, you will need to begin the testing process again by taking the new test series; sections and subtests previously passed in the current test series will no longer be valid.
There are two more opportunities to complete the current CHSPE. The spring testing window is now closed, and the summer testing window is June 13-18. Visit www.chspe.org for more information. Registration for the spring session is currently open.