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Free HiSET Practice Test 2026

All five HiSET subtests in two timed practice tests, plus fifteen drills that teach the basics first. Everything is free, no account needed.

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The HiSET exam at a glance

The HiSET is a high school equivalency test owned and run by PSI. It has five subtests, each taken and scored on its own: Language Arts - Reading (50 multiple-choice questions in 65 minutes), Language Arts - Writing (60 multiple-choice questions and one essay in 120 minutes), Mathematics (55 questions in 90 minutes), Science (60 questions in 80 minutes) and Social Studies (60 questions in 70 minutes). Each subtest is scored 1 to 20. To pass, you need at least 8 on every subtest, at least 2 out of 6 on the essay and a total of at least 45 across all five. It can be taken on a computer or on paper, at a test center or at home with a remote proctor, and the fee includes two free retests within 12 months.

Tigertest has two HiSET practice tests covering all five subtests at the real pace, each scored with an estimated 1 to 20 per subtest and an estimated total, plus 15 drills (ten open with the basics). All of it is free with no account required; the essay is not modeled.

Subtests
Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies (taken separately)
Questions
50, 60 plus an essay, 55, 60 and 60, all four-option multiple choice
Time
65, 120, 90, 80 and 70 minutes (7 hr 5 min in English)
Scoring
1 to 20 per subtest; the essay is scored 1 to 6
Passing
8 or more on each subtest, 2 or more on the essay, 45 or more in total
Calculator
Calculator neutral: the test center provides one on request
Delivery
Computer or paper, at a test center or at home with a remote proctor
Given by
PSI Services LLC

Updated by the Tigertest team. Practice questions follow PSI's HiSET Test at a Glance (TAAG) and the HiSET Test Taker Bulletin 2026. Exam rules change, so confirm current details with HiSET Test at a Glance (PSI).

How It Works

Skill Drills on Your Phone

Fifteen drills, one for each content area on the HiSET outline. The reading, writing, math and life science drills open with the basics: a rule card and a couple of one-line questions on fractions, solving for x, commas or finding the main idea before the test-level questions. One tap to check, an explanation right away, and every miss comes back until you have mastered it.

Full Test on a Computer

Five timed subtests with a break between them, a countdown clock, flag for review, a calculator and formula reference on Math, and the four-choice questions the real HiSET uses, including drafts to revise with NO CHANGE options. Finish with an estimated 1 to 20 score per subtest and a plan for what to drill next.

Built on the HiSET Content Categories

Each practice test follows the content categories and percentages in PSI's HiSET Test at a Glance, and the drills are split the same way, so your results show which subtest and which area is holding you back. The Writing essay is not modeled.

Literary and Informational TextsLanguage Arts - Reading40% / 60%
Organization, Language Facility, ConventionsLanguage Arts - Writing22% / 43% / 35%
Numbers, Geometry, Data, AlgebraMathematics19% / 18% / 18% / 45%
Life, Physical, Earth ScienceScience49% / 28% / 23%
History, Civics, Economics, GeographySocial Studies35% / 35% / 20% / 10%
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Teach a HiSET Class?

Adult education teachers can assign it to a class for free: post one link, students join with just their name, and you see who practiced, their test scores and the topics your class misses most.

Make a class at tigertest.io/teach

How to Pass the HiSET

1. Mind the total, not just the 8s

Scoring 8 on every subtest adds up to only 40, and you need 45. So you need more than the minimum somewhere. Plan to score well above 8 in your strongest subtests to carry the total, and make sure no subtest falls below 8.

2. Learn the basics before the test questions

If it has been a while since school, start with the basics inside each drill. They teach one rule at a time, fractions, percents, solving for x, commas, main idea, with an example and two quick questions, so you are not guessing at test-level problems you were never shown how to do.

3. Read the passage, the table or the draft first

Most Science and Social Studies questions can be answered from the investigation, data table or document in front of you. On Writing, read the whole sentence around the underlined part before you choose; NO CHANGE is sometimes the right answer. Practice that habit and those subtests get much easier.

4. Take a full practice test before you book

Sit Practice Test 1 with the timer on to see where you stand, drill your weakest subtest for a week or two, then take Practice Test 2. Its questions never appear in the drills, so it is an honest readiness check. Remember that the fee includes two free retests within 12 months, so one low subtest is not the end.

HiSET Frequently Asked Questions

What is on the HiSET test?

Five subtests, each taken and scored on its own: Language Arts - Reading (50 questions in 65 minutes), Language Arts - Writing (60 multiple-choice questions and an essay in 120 minutes), Mathematics (55 questions in 90 minutes), Science (60 questions in 80 minutes) and Social Studies (60 questions in 70 minutes). Every question is multiple choice with four answers, except the essay. You can take the subtests one at a time on different days. The Tigertest practice test covers all five in shorter sections at the same pace, about 2 hours 37 minutes with breaks.

What score do you need to pass the HiSET?

Each subtest is scored from 1 to 20. To pass, you need at least 8 on every subtest, at least 2 out of 6 on the essay, and a total of at least 45 across all five. A score of 15 or more on a subtest is PSI's College and Career Readiness level (on Writing, 15 with at least 4 on the essay). Tigertest converts your percent correct into an estimated 1 to 20 score, because PSI does not publish its conversion table. Treat it as a guide and aim for a margin above 8 in each subtest.

Can I use a calculator on the HiSET?

The Mathematics subtest is calculator neutral: you do not need one, but the test center must give you one if you ask. A formula sheet is provided, but it does not include distance equals rate times time, the Pythagorean Theorem or the quadratic formula, so learn those. The Tigertest practice test has a calculator and a formula reference one tap away on every Math question.

Is the essay included?

No. The real Writing subtest ends with an essay in which you take a position using a pair of short texts, scored 1 to 6. Tigertest does not model the essay. Everything else in Writing is covered: drafts with underlined parts to revise for organization, word choice, sentence structure, grammar and punctuation.

Should I take the HiSET or the GED?

It depends on what your state offers; some states give only one of them. The HiSET has five subtests, all multiple choice except the essay, and can be taken on paper or on a computer. The GED has four subjects and uses more question types. Both lead to a high school equivalency credential. Tigertest has a free practice test for each.

How do I prepare for the HiSET on my own?

Start with the drills that teach the basics: each opens with short rule cards and one-line questions before the test-level items, so a fraction, a comma rule or how to find the main idea is taught before it is tested. Ten minutes a night on your phone adds up. Take Practice Test 1 for a baseline, drill your weakest subtest, then take Practice Test 2, which is held out of the drills, to see if you are ready.

Is the Tigertest HiSET practice test free?

Yes, all of it: both practice tests, all fifteen drills, the basics lessons and every explanation, with no account required. An account saves your progress across devices.

I teach a HiSET or adult education class. Can my students use Tigertest?

Yes, for free. Make a class at tigertest.io/teach, post one link, and students join with just their name. You see who practiced, their test scores and the topics your class misses most.

HiSET sample questions and answers

6 of the 288 practice questions, one from each topic, with the answer explained.

  1. 1.

    Which of these numbers is irrational?

    • A.

      49\sqrt{49}

    • B.

      50\sqrt{50}

    • C.

      0.250.25

    • D.

      73\frac{7}{3}

    Answer: B.

    50 is not a perfect square, so 50\sqrt{50} cannot be written as a fraction of integers. 49=7\sqrt{49} = 7, 0.25 is 14\frac{1}{4}, and 73\frac{7}{3} is already a fraction.

  2. 2.

    A person 6 feet tall casts a shadow 4 feet long. At the same time, a tree casts a shadow 18 feet long. How tall is the tree?

    • A.

      12 feet

    • B.

      24 feet

    • C.

      27 feet

    • D.

      30 feet

    Answer: C.

    The triangles are similar, so height and shadow are in the same ratio: 64=h18\frac{6}{4} = \frac{h}{18}, giving h=27h = 27. Setting the ratio upside down gives 12.

  3. 3.

    The data set 12, 14, 15, 13, 46 includes an outlier, 46. What happens if 46 is removed?

    • A.

      The mean and median stay the same

    • B.

      The mean falls much more than the median

    • C.

      The median falls much more than the mean

    • D.

      The mean rises and the median falls

    Answer: B.

    The mean drops from 20 to 13.5, but the median only moves from 14 to 13.5. An outlier pulls the mean far more than the median.

  4. 4.

    What value of xx makes x+5=4\sqrt{x + 5} = 4 true?

    • A.

      -1

    • B.

      3

    • C.

      11

    • D.

      21

    Answer: C.

    Square both sides: x+5=16x + 5 = 16, so x=11x = 11. Check: 16=4\sqrt{16} = 4. Subtracting 5 from 4 before squaring gives −1-1, and adding 5 to 16 gives 21.

  5. 5.

    Which substances does a plant use to make sugar during photosynthesis?

    • A.

      Oxygen and sugar

    • B.

      Carbon dioxide and water

    • C.

      Carbon dioxide and oxygen

    • D.

      Nitrogen and oxygen

    Answer: B.

    Using light energy, plants combine carbon dioxide and water to make sugar, releasing oxygen. Oxygen and sugar are the products, not the starting materials.

  6. 6.

    Which of these is a chemical change?

    • A.

      Ice melting in a glass

    • B.

      Iron rusting in damp air

    • C.

      A glass bottle breaking

    • D.

      Sugar dissolving in hot tea

    Answer: B.

    Rusting forms a new substance, iron oxide. Melting, dissolving and breaking change the form of a substance but not what it is made of.

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Free. No account required. Two practice tests, fifteen drills and the basics, all five subtests.

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