By MONIQUE FORTMANN
Change is Good! You’ve heard it time and time again. Big change is in the air when it comes to the High School Equivalency (formally the GED®) Exam. The State of Montana has adopted a new exam to assess if an individual has the knowledge and skills equal to or greater than one who graduates from High School and it is called the HiSET®.
There are a lot of similarities between the GED® and the new HiSET® exam as well as some changes. It is still a five part exam that assesses knowledge in Science, Social Studies, Reading, Writing and Math; and if taken with the maximum amount of time allotted for each part it would take 7 ½ hours. All of the GED® Testing centers in Montana have been approved as HiSET® testing centers and have administered the last GED® and are anxiously preparing to administer the HiSET®. The costs of the HiSET® will be slightly higher. The GED® costs $61 and the HiSET® will cost $50 (due at time of scheduling online) and $15 due to The Lifelong Learning Center to administer the exam. This $15 fee doesn’t come close to covering the costs associated to administering the HiSET®, but we are committed to keeping these fees low for test takers.
What’s new? The Lifelong Learning Center will be administering this exam on the Computer. Computer based testing will allow more flexibility in scheduling for the test takers and may reduce the amount of time a test taker spends in the testing center. The HiSET® score reports have two benchmarks. The first is for High School Equivalency and the second is for College Readiness. This is especially helpful for test takers wishing to enroll in Post-Secondary education. Other differences include an online registration and payment system or through a call center at 1-855-MyHiSET (1-855-694-4738).
Because this is a new assessment, it is difficult to compare the content of the two assessments. Our instruction in the Adult Basic Education program are working hard to adjust to the new method of testing and continue to update classroom materials based on the content of the HiSET. They are eager to share they knowledge and to assist individuals prepare for the new exam.
So what if you have taken part of the GED® but didn’t finish it? No problem! We will be able to combine scores from both assessments for the first year. I encourage you to learn more online about the HiSET®.
************
A native of Montana, Monique earned her undergraduate degree from UM in 1991 and her Master’s in Public administration from UM in 2002. She continues to enjoy her career with the Missoula Adult Education Division which has spanned 23 years.
Along with her responsibilities as the Director of the largest Adult Education program in the State, Monique teaches a number of fitness classes in our community including Bootcamp, Strength and Conditioning, and indoor cycling. When not working, Monique enjoys spending time with her husband and two teenage kids while taking advantage of the abundant recreational opportunities in Montana. When she’s not in Montana, she’s traveling to Mexico or one of the many islands in the Caribbean.