California Proficiency Program
About the Test
Registration is now open for the California Proficiency Program (CPP)! Please visit the HiSET-Proficiency registration page
for further instructions.
Please note that it may take up to 10 business days for PSI to verify a student's eligibility during the HiSET-Proficiency application review process. Due to initial higher-than-expected demand, PSI has reported a longer duration than expected for completing eligibility verifications. We advise you to stay updated on the status of your requests by checking your myHiSET account regularly. Once the review process is complete, HiSET will notify you via email and provide you with an update on the next steps.
The CPP has replaced the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) established by California Education Code Section 48412. The CPP utilizes the State Board of Education approved GED® or HiSET® subtests for language arts and mathematics to measure proficiency.
Students may take the CPP with paper-pencil or on a computer at a testing center, or at home, online, with live proctoring. (Note: paper-pencil tests are only available at testing centers). The CPP tests are offered in English and Spanish.
HiSET will be the first test in the new CPP. To prepare for the HiSET-Proficiency, please visit the HiSET Test Prep Resources
webpage to access prep materials to study for the mathematics and language arts subtests. Both vendors provide a list of testing accommodations, test specifications, and testing locations on their webpages.
After passing the language arts and mathematics subtests of the proficiency program, the student will earn a State Board of Education issued Certificate of Proficiency which is the legal equivalent to a high school diploma issued by the state of California. After passing the CPP, the student may choose to remain in high school or exit with parent or guardian’s permission to begin attending higher education or their career.
Once an individual has taken the CPP, passed both language arts and mathematics subtests, and exited high school, they may choose to take the remaining HSE subtests to earn their HSE Certificate, opening even more doors than the Certificate of Proficiency alone. The CPP is referred to as a program because it acts as a stepping stone for individuals that may choose to earn their HSE Certificate.
Eligibility
The CPP tests will serve the same population as the previous CHSPE. Eligible students may be either excelling or struggling in high school and need to take the CPP tests in order to exit high school to begin attending higher education or start their career.
A person is eligible to take a CPP test if they are currently enrolled in high school and either:
- 16 years of age or older, or
- They have completed one year of enrollment in grade ten, or
- They will have completed one year of enrollment in grade ten at the end of the semester during which the next exam is administered.
Transcript Requests and Verifications
If you would like to request transcripts for the CHSPE, please complete and mail the CHSPE Transcript Request Form (PDF) to:
California Department of Education
Attn. CHSPE Office
1430 N Street Suite 4409
Sacramento, CA 95814
Stay Up-To-Date
If you would like to receive email updates about the CPP, send a blank email to join-cpp-updates@mlist.cde.ca.gov.
The Assessment Spotlight web page contains archives of all previous Assessment Spotlight emails. Send a blank email to subscribe-caaspp@mlist.cde.ca.gov to receive regular updates on the latest information about the statewide assessment system.
