{"id":5917,"date":"2026-04-05T13:50:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T13:50:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prepsaret.com\/hiset\/?p=5917"},"modified":"2026-04-05T13:50:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T13:50:18","slug":"south-carolina-hiset-alternative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prepsaret.com\/hiset\/south-carolina-hiset-alternative","title":{"rendered":"South Carolina HiSET Alternative: GED & Diploma Options"},"content":{"rendered":"

Is the HiSET Available in South Carolina? No. South Carolina does not offer the HiSET exam. The GED is the only state-approved high school equivalency test in South Carolina. The credential earned is the South Carolina High School Equivalency Diploma, administered by the SC Department of Education.<\/span><\/p>\n

South Carolina is among the majority of U.S. states that have standardized exclusively on the GED for high school equivalency testing. The HiSET \u2014 created by ETS and available in approximately 20 states \u2014 is not offered, administered, or accepted in South Carolina.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Note: the SC Works website still references TASC in some legacy pages, but TASC ended nationally on December 31, 2021 and is no longer administered anywhere. The GED is the only active exam-based pathway in South Carolina.<\/span><\/p>\n

The South Carolina Department of Education Office of Adult Education oversees 52 adult education programs serving all 79 school districts across the state. The programs serve adult learners with goals ranging from earning a GED to advancing career skills, learning English, and preparing for college.<\/span><\/p>\n

Which States Still Offer HiSET?<\/b><\/h2>\n

South Carolina borders North Carolina and Georgia. Of these neighbors, neither currently offers HiSET:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
State<\/b><\/td>\nAvailable Exam(s) \u2014 2026<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
South Carolina<\/b><\/td>\nGED only \u2014 HiSET not available; residency required; age 19 standard minimum<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
North Carolina (bordering)<\/span><\/td>\nGED only \u2014 HiSET not available<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Georgia (bordering)<\/span><\/td>\nGED only \u2014 HiSET not available<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tennessee<\/span><\/td>\nGED only \u2014 HiSET not available<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Virginia<\/span><\/td>\nGED only \u2014 HiSET not available<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pennsylvania<\/span><\/td>\nBoth GED and HiSET available<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oklahoma<\/span><\/td>\nBoth GED and HiSET available<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Massachusetts<\/span><\/td>\nHiSET is the primary exam; GED also available<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

What Is the South Carolina GED?<\/b><\/h2>\n

The South Carolina High School Equivalency Program administers the GED test through authorized testing centers across the state.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The credential earned \u2014 the South Carolina High School Equivalency Diploma \u2014 is issued by the South Carolina Department of Education and is accepted by all SC employers, colleges, military branches, and federal agencies as equivalent to a traditional South Carolina high school diploma.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

South Carolina GED At-a-Glance<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Fact<\/b><\/td>\nDetail<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Official credential name<\/b><\/td>\nSouth Carolina High School Equivalency Diploma<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Administered by<\/b><\/td>\nSC Department of Education (SCDE), Office of Adult Education<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
GED State Administrator<\/b><\/td>\nMichael R. King | mrking@ed.sc.gov | (803) 734-8347 | GED Testing Office, 428 Wholesale Lane, West Columbia, SC 29172<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SCDE Adult Education page<\/b><\/td>\nadulted.ed.sc.gov | AssessmentTeam@ed.sc.gov | 849 Learning Lane, West Columbia, SC 29172<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Minimum age<\/b><\/td>\n19 years old standard minimum (16-18 requires VOW form; 16-year-olds require additional DJJ or court order)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Number of subjects<\/b><\/td>\n4<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Passing score per subject<\/b><\/td>\n145 out of 200<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cost \u2014 In-Person (Test Center)<\/b><\/td>\n$37.50 per subject ($150 for all four)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cost \u2014 Online (Remote Proctored)<\/b><\/td>\n$43.50 per subject ($174 for all four)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Free retake attempts before 60-day wait<\/b><\/td>\nTHREE \u2014 test-takers may take a subject up to 3 times without a waiting period (unique; most states allow only 2)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Discounted retake fee \u2014 In-Person<\/b><\/td>\n$17.50 (GED waives $20); TWO discounted retakes per full-price purchase within 365 days<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Residency required?<\/b><\/td>\nYES \u2014 must provide SC residency proof; valid SC driver’s license\/ID satisfies both ID and residency<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Languages available<\/b><\/td>\nEnglish and Spanish \u2014 BUT Spanish GED earns ONLY a transcript, not the equivalency diploma<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Can combine English + Spanish?<\/b><\/td>\nNO \u2014 cannot combine different language versions to earn the SC diploma<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Online testing available?<\/b><\/td>\nYES \u2014 GED Online Proctored; requires GED Ready green score within 60 days<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Diploma\/credential delivery<\/b><\/td>\nAutomatically issued after passing; allow 2-week processing. Duplicate: $10 + $4 processing via doesc.scriborder.com<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Adult education programs<\/b><\/td>\n52 programs serving 79 school districts statewide (adulted.ed.sc.gov)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

South Carolina GED Eligibility Requirements<\/b><\/h2>\n

Adults 19 and Older: Standard Requirements<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
South Carolina’s Minimum Age Is 19 \u2014 Not 18<\/b><\/p>\n

South Carolina requires test-takers to be at least 19 years old for standard, no-documentation GED testing. This is one of a small number of states with a minimum age of 19. Test-takers who are 16, 17, or 18 may test under specific conditions with a completed Verification of School Withdrawal (VOW) form.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n