Taking the TASC®?

General Description 

The Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) is a high school equivalency test that measures test-takers’ readiness to attend college or excel in the 21st-century workforce.

The Test Assessing Secondary Completion exam or TASC was designed by CTB/McGraw-Hill as a High School Equivalency (HSE) exam. This is a cheaper alternative (free in New York) to popular HSE alternative such as the GED test, the HiSET or the CHSPE Test in California. This test allows students and adults who didn’t complete high school to show that they have the equivalent skills and knowledge as high school graduates. People without high school diplomas can use their TASC certificate to apply for higher education or qualify for jobs that require grade 12. The test was established in January 2014 and it is acceptable in New York, Nevada, California, New Jersey, Indiana, Wyoming and West Virginia.

Eligibility

Test takers must meet the following criteria to take the TASC test:

  • Not currently enrolled in high school
  • Not graduated from high school
  • At least 16 years old
  • All local requirements for your state or territory regarding age, residency, and length of time since leaving school

Registration 

The test is available at different test centers in the states where TASC is approved. Click on the links below to find test sites and register online.

New York
Nevada
New Jersey
Indiana
West Virginia

Test Content 

The Test Assessing Secondary Completion test assesses students on five core areas:

  • Mathematics
  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Social Studies
  • Science

Exam Format 

The test is available as a computer based exam and in pencil/paper format. The exam is also available in English and Spanish versions. Students need a scientific calculator for the Mathematics section and passing score is 500 for each sub-test. The exam lasts for about nine hours and usually takes a day or two to administer. Students who fail any sub-test can re-take the test after 60 days.

Scores

The passing score is 500 for each TASC test subject area with the additional requirement to score at least 2 out of 8 on the Writing prompt to pass. Students pass the TASC test overall when they have passed each of the 5 subject area tests.

Subtest Passing Scores

  • Language Arts: 500
  • Mathematics: 500
  • Science: 500
  • Social Studies: 500
  • Writing: 500 and at least a 2 out of 8 on the Writing Prompt

After DRC receives paper/pencil tests, it can take up to 10 business days for reports to load into the reporting system.

The test can be administered in two ways:

  1. Online – The TASC test online is offered at test centers that are set up and equipped for online testing. The questions on the online test are the same questions that are on the paper test. To take the TASC Test online, you will need to be able to use a computer.
  2. Paper If you do not feel you can take the TASC test online, there is a paper-and-pencil version of the TASC test. It is the same test and only requires a pencil to answer the questions. Make sure that the test center you are going to offers this version of the test.

TASC FAQ

The Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) test is designed for adults looking for a high school diploma equivalent. It can be used to seek employment or to qualify to return back to school. The test measure knowledge in five subtest areas, which are Social Studies, Writing, Reading, Science, and Math.
TASC are administered in approved community colleges, adult education centers and schools.
In total, TASC takes about eight and half hours to complete. The exam is normally administered in two days. The test measure knowledge in five subtest areas, which are Social Studies (75 minutes), Writing (110 minutes), Reading (85 minutes), Science (75 minutes), Math Part 1 (55 minutes) and Math Part II (50 minutes).
TASC is available as a computer-based test (with a writing section) and as a paper/pencil test.
Results from the TASC computer based test is available between three and 24 hours, while results for the paper/pencil test would normally take about 10 business days.
Candidates can register for TASC online.
The minimum pass score for each of the five TASC subtest is 500. Candidates are said to have successfully passed TASC when they have met the minimum pass requirement of each of the five subtests.
Students would only be allowed to use a calculator for the Math Part I section. Was this helpful?

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TASC Study Practice Course

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TASC Test Strategy Cover

Test Strategy

Winning Multiple Choice Strategy for the Test Assessing Secondary Completion exam



Increase your score with winning multiple choice strategies from exam experts! Learn and practice practice powerful multiple choice strategies for reading comprehension, basic math, and word problems!

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Getting Started
The TASC® Exam 6
A Better Score Is Possible 7
Who does well on Multiple-Choice exams? 9

Types of Multiple-Choice
Multiple-Choice Quick Tips 13

Multiple-choice Step-by-Step

Multiple-choice Strategy Practice
Answer Key 39
Reading Comprehension Practice 52
Answer Key 66

Basic Math Multiple-Choice
Math Multiple-choice Strategy 76
Practice Questions 81
Answer Key 87
Fraction Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts 93
Decimal Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts 97
Percent Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts 98
Word Problem Multiple-choice Strategy
Types of Word problems 103
Practice Questions 113
Answer Key 116

How to Write an Essay
Common Essay Mistakes I 129
Common Essay Mistakes II 131
Writing Concisely 133
Avoiding Redundancy 135

How to Prepare for a Test
Mental Preparation 146

How to Take a Test
Reading the Instructions 148
How to Take a Test - The Basics 199
In the Test Room – What you MUST do! 154
Common Test-Taking Mistakes 161

Conclusion

Written by, Brian Stocker MA., Complete Test Preparation Inc.

Date Published: Monday, December 15th, 2014
Date Modified: Friday, October 16th, 2020

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