All students who entered 9th grade in or after 2005 are required to take and pass the High School Assessments in order to graduate, including students in special education, English language learners (ELLs), and students with 504 plans. (Students who entered 9th grade in or before 2004 are required only to take the HSAs.)

There are two ways to fulfill the HSA requirement:

• Students can earn a passing score on all four exams; or
• Students can use the combined-score option, which requires earning a total score of at least 1602. The combined-score option allows students to offset lower performance on one exam with higher performance on another.

What Happens If a Student Doesn't Pass?

Students can retake the HSAs as many times as necessary to pass. Students who do not pass an HSA should talk to their teachers or school counselors to find out how to get extra help before retaking the exam. Once students have gotten help, they can retake the exam the next time it is given..

The state has also developed resources to help students pass the HSAs. MSDE has developed online courses that teachers and parents can use with students to help them pass the exams. Additionally, each year MSDE releases one assessment per subject to the public. To review a sample test, click here; to take a practice test online, click here.

About: Testing Options: Bridge Plan

MSDE recognizes that there will be some students who will struggle on the HSAs, even after they take the tests several times and take advantage of academic remediation. The proposed Bridge Plan for Academic Validation would provide another way for students to meet the HSA graduation requirement and earn a high school diploma, while meeting the same standards as those students passing the HSAs.

The Bridge Plan is for students failing to meet the passing score on any one HSA at least twice. Eligible students would have to meet additional local and state criteria such as minimum GPA, satisfactory attendance, passing grades in all HSA subjects, and participation in academic remediation. Students meeting the eligibility criteria would be permitted to complete an Academic Validation project that demonstrates the content and skills of each HSA they failed to pass. For more information, talk to your student’s counsellor or log onto the state website at www.hsaexam.org

For practice log onto http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/hsa