California High School Proficiency Exam

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What is the California High School Proficiency Exam?

The California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) is an early high school exit testing program for students 16+ years or have completed the 10th grade. The exam tests students in 10th grade level Math and English-Language Arts and those who pass the CHSPE receive a legal diploma equivalent entitled Certificate of Proficiency.

 

What should I be aware of if I take the CHSPE route?

Limited College Options: Students who take the CHSPE have limited college options since they have not completed the minimum requirements to apply for four year colleges (A-G requirements). Students' only option for college is the community college system to transfer to a four-year university.

Academic Performance - The exam only covers English and Math material learned through the 10th grade. If a student only has up to grade 10 education, this can put a student at a disadvantage when starting at the community college. When students apply to community college, they must take english and math placement exams. If the goal is for your student to begin college early, but they place low on the placement exam, this may not “speed” up the process of graduating early, as students can only register for the course level they place into.

Maturity - The community college is a diverse system with students from various ages and backgrounds. Students who begin community college at 16 may not possess the level of maturity to keep up with older student populations. Students need to be very independent to ensure they understand the course material and complete assignments timely and thoroughly. 

Lack of High School Experiences - Students who take the CHSPE and decide not to attend high school anymore miss out on taking advantage of extracurricular opportunities (i.e., clubs, band, sports). These activities are especially important for students to explore and learn what their interests are and make students more competitive applicants for college. 

Long Term Impacts - If a student has a difficult start with college level courses (i.e., low GPA) this makes them a less competitive applicant to transfer to a competitive school (e.g., UCLA), which can ultimately limit their graduate school opportunities. 

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