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About the Test
The California High School Proficiency Examination (CHSPE) is a program
established by California law
(Education Code Section 48412).
If eligible to take the test, you can earn the legal equivalent of a high school diploma by
passing the CHSPE. The CHSPE consists of two sections: an English-language
Arts section and a Mathematics section. If you pass both
sections of the CHSPE, the California State Board of Education will award you a
Certificate of Proficiency, which by state law is equivalent to a high school diploma
(although not equivalent to completing all coursework required for regular
graduation from high school). All persons and institutions subject to California
law that require a high school diploma for any purpose must accept the certificate
as satisfying the requirement. Although federal government agencies are
not bound by state laws, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management has ruled that the
Certificate of Proficiency shall be accepted in applications for federal civilian employment.
Military service policies vary. Check with your recruiter for details. If
you are planning to attend a university or college, contact the individual institutions
to verify entrance requirements.
Passing the CHSPE does not, by itself, exempt minors from attending school.
Minors who have a Certificate of Proficiency must also have verified parent/guardian
permission to stop attending school. Many students who pass the CHSPE
continue to attend school. State law provides that, if you leave school after passing
the CHSPE and are no more than 18 years old, you may reenroll in the
district in which you were registered with no adverse consequences.
If you do reenroll you may be required to meet new or additional requirements established
since you were previously enrolled. If you reenroll
and then leave school again, you may be denied readmittance until the
beginning of the following semester. Contact your guidance counselor or school
administrator for further information and details about leaving school after passing
the CHSPE.
Dropping out of school after registering for the CHSPE or while awaiting results
is unlawful for those under 18 years old. It may also result in failing grades for
courses in which you are enrolled.
Eligibility to Take the CHSPE
You may take the CHSPE only if, on the test date, you:
- are at least 16 years old, or
- have been enrolled in the tenth grade for one academic year or longer, or
- will complete one academic year of enrollment in the tenth grade 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.)
Description of the CHSPE
The CHSPE consists of two test sections: English-language Arts and Mathematics.
You must pass both sections to receive a Certificate of Proficiency.
For specific skills tested, visit the Test specifications.
Sample test questions, including a
sample writing task and the essay scoring scale, are
provided in pdf. On this PDF, the format of the multiple-choice questions
is the same as in the test booklet.
English-language Arts Section
The English-language Arts section consists of two subtests: Language and Reading. Both subtests must
be passed to pass the English-language Arts section. (The two subtests do not have to be passed at
the same test administration and can be taken separately.) The Language subtest has 48 multiple-choice
questions and one writing task, both of which must be completed at the same administration. The
multiple-choice questions measure language mechanics and language
expression. The writing task requires a persuasive essay, which will be scored on the basis of writing
proficiency and not on your knowledge of the subject addressed in your essay. The Reading subtest has
54 reading comprehension questions and 30 vocabulary questions, all of which are multiple-choice. The
reading comprehension questions test initial understanding, interpretation, critical analysis, and
strategies using three types of text: literary, informational, and functional. The vocabulary questions
assess synonyms, multiple-meaning words, and context clues. The chart below shows the number of test
questions in each content cluster assessed on the Language and Reading subtests. Note that the writing
task on the Language subtest must be taken in conjuction with the multiple-choice questions on that
subtest. It you only take the writing task, or you only take the multiple-choice questions, you will
not pass the Language subtest.
Mathematics Section
The Mathematics section has 50 multiple-choice questions that assess content in
the following areas: number sense and operations; patterns, relationships, and
algebra; data, statistics, and probability; and geometry and measurement. The
questions also assess the mathematical processes of communication and representation,
estimation, mathematical connections, and reasoning and problem
solving. The chart below shows the number of questions in each content cluster assessed on the Mathematics section.
Testing Time
A total of 3½ hours of testing time will be provided to take the CHSPE.
Neither test section is timed within the 3½, and you may spend as
much time as you like on either test section, and on either English-language Arts subtest,
until the testing session ends.
Taking and Passing the CHSPE
On a test administration date, you can take the Mathematics section, the English-language Arts
Language subtest, or the English-language Arts Reading subtest, or any
combination of the three. You can make that decision on the day of the test. The test
fee, however, is the same regardless of which parts of the test you take. To pass the
CHSPE and receive a Certificate of Proficiency, you must pass both the Mathematics section and the
English-language Arts section (which requires passing the Language subtest and the Reading subtest). You do not
have to pass both sections on the same day, nor do you have to pass the two English-language
Arts subtests on the same day. (Note, however, that on the Language subtest both the multiple-choice
questions and the writing task must be completed at the same administration.)You do not have to retake
a section or subtest that you previously passed.
There is no limit to the number of times you may take the CHSPE, but you must register and
pay the current test fee each time.
If you passed the CHSPE English-language Arts section in 2004, 2005, or 2006, you do not
need to take the English-language Arts section. Results on the CHSPE taken prior to
January 2004 cannot be combined with results on the CHSPE taken after January 2004. If,
in the future, the CHSPE series changes, it is possible that results on the current CHSPE
will not be combinable with results on the new test series.
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