Hitting It Out of the Park with HiSET (Literally!)

By Abbie Martin

At the end of May, I was privileged to attend the HiSET Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, alongside two of my colleagues. As a first-time attendee, I approached the two-day event unsure of what to anticipate, and it exceeded my expectations.

Hosted at the St. Louis Cardinals stadium, the conference had a sold-out crowd of approximately 200 test-center administrators and adult educators. Upon arrival, we received welcome bags and heard opening remarks from the HiSET team, which fostered a personal and engaging atmosphere with ample opportunity to ask questions.

I chose the adult-educator breakout sessions throughout our learning tracks, while my colleague attended the test-center track. The educators’ session was especially insightful: ETS presenters reviewed test content, highlighted common student difficulties, and shared strategies to support learner success. I gained deeper insight into the test’s most challenging aspects and walked away with comprehensive presentation materials to share with our team. During the Q&A, I inquired about receiving a detailed essay score report—but learned that, for now, that feature is not available.

A second session spotlighted adult-education bootcamps led by St. Louis Community College instructors. These bootcamps support students working rapidly toward their diploma to enroll in an IET. The instructors also shared marketing strategies, including a shout-out to Indiana for the innovative use of geofencing.

On day two, we learned about upcoming HiSET developments: a refreshed website launching July 1, and a new “Yearbook” initiative for adult learners. Importantly, ETS’s acquisition of PSI in January 2024 marked the start of meaningful improvements, including enhanced transparency and usability. A panel of state-level administrators also discussed trends, particularly a growing emphasis on workforce development initiatives.

Overall, this conference solidified my confidence in continuing to offer the HiSET test at our facility. While we’ve considered GED as an alternative, the updates and support presented affirm that staying with HiSET is the right strategic decision for our program.

Resources to share:

HiSet Main Session Day 1 and 2 Presentation

HiSet Roadshow Test Admin Presentation

Subtests and Resources HiSet Conference

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