High School Equivalency (HSE)

The Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) - which is the corporation that the New York State Education Department (NYSED) contracts with to develop and score the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC™) - has announced that the TASC™ subtest forms PQR, and Readiness Assessment 8/9, will be launched in January 2020.

This notice is to provide you with some preliminary information and important dates about the transition from TASC™ Test MNO to TASC™ Test PQR. DRC will be sending out additional information to Test Centers in the coming weeks but wanted to make you aware of the form changes now.

Important Transition Dates: 

• January 17, 2020: LAST day TASC Test MNO will be scheduled for administration
• January 15-17, 2020: Paper-based versions of TASC Test PQR English delivered
• January 21, 2020: TASC Test PQR and Readiness 8/9 English available
• February 12-14, 2020: Paper-based versions of TASC Test PQR Spanish delivered
• February 18, 2020: TASC Test PQR and Readiness 8/9 Spanish available

Please take note: Spanish testing will not be available between January 18-February 17, 2020. 

Test Coordinator Kits will be delivered to Test Centers between January 8-10, 2020. The kits will contain administrative materials to be used in conjunction with TASC Test PQR as well as copies of the Test Administration Manual. 

The DRC Online Registration and Scheduling System will automatically handle the correct assignment of test forms. TASC Test MNO can be scheduled for test dates up to and including January 17; TASC Test PQR will be scheduled for test dates beginning January 21st or February 18th, depending on whether testing in English or Spanish. 

After the delivery of TASC Test PQR, Test Centers will need to inventory the print-based testing materials received against the TASC Test Security Checklist that will be included in the shipment. Please use the same boxes to return your old TASC Test MNO materials to DRC for secure destruction by February 21, 2020. 

For more information on the TASC Test and the TASC 8/9 Readiness Assessment, please visit TASC wesbsite.

*Tentative in person trainings for new coordinators and examiners.  If less than 10 participants register, the training will be rescheduled for early 2020.

You will receive a confirmation email approximately one week prior to the training.

Albany Training: December 13, 2019 from 10:00 AM - 3:00PM 

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NYSED’s TASC™ administration training will provide new hires a basic overview of the TASC™ exam, but the focus will be on NYSED testing policies and procedures. For hands on training, it is best practice to “shadow” another examiner or coordinator after attending training, prior to officially administering the exam. We understand that this is not always possible and is at the discretion of the Test Center Administrator.   

Also, both new AND returning Examiners and Coordinators need to participate in DRC/TASC™’s webinar series prior to the NYSED training to get a full overview of TASC™ administration.   

DRC Webinars – Required before training

1. NY TASC Test MNO – Level 2 Registration & Scheduling
2. NY TASC Test MNO – Level 2 Paper-Based Testing
3. NY TASC Test MNO – Level 2 Computer-Based Testing 
4. NY TASC Test MNO – Level 2 Accommodations 
5. NY TASC DRC Insight Technical Training, Live Webinar 
6. NY TASC Test MNO - Level 2 Return of Test Materials 

The Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) - which develops, distributes and scores the New York State High School Equivalency exam, which is the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC™) - has introduced an accessibility update. This feature allows individuals with the JAWS* screen reader to use that functionality to self-register for the TASC™. The self-registration process entails setting up an account for a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) which is needed for scheduling TASC™ subtests.  DRC is also continuing to work on enabling TASC™ forms to be viewed by screen readers and will provide updates over the next several months.

*JAWS, or Job Access with Speech, is a widely used screen reader developed for computer users whose vision loss prevents them from seeing the screen or navigating with a mouse. JAWS provides speech and Braille output for most popular computer applications on personal computers (PC).

The Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES promotes student success on obtaining their High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma by engaging in the Regents-HSE Exam Pathway, where passing Regents exam scores can be combined with passing subtest scores from the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC™) to fulfill diploma requirements.  For the full story, please visit the TASC website.

NYSED High School Equivalency (HSE) Cell Phone Policy for TASC™ Examinees

All examinees taking the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC ™) are prohibited from having their cell phones or any other electronic devices with them when they are taking the TASC™. All cell phones and electronic devices must either be left at home or turned over to the Test Center Coordinators, Examiners, or Proctors upon entering the TASC™ testing room. Any examinee who is in possession of a cell phone, or any other prohibited electronic devices, and refuses to relinquish them shall be denied entrance to the testing room and will not be allowed to take the TASC™. The electronic devices referenced above include, but are not limited to:

• Cell phones
• iPods and MP3 players
• iPads, tablets, and other e-Readers
• Personal laptops, notebooks, or any other computing devices
• Cameras or other photographic equipment
• Wearable devices/smart wearables, including smart watches and health wearables with a display
• Headphones, headsets, or in-ear headphones such as earbuds
• Any other device capable of recording audio, photographic or video content, or capable of viewing or playing back such content

It is the Test Center’s responsibility to enforce this policy, which is delineated in the Test Administration Manual published by the Data Recognition Corporation (DRC), and agreed to in the legal Three-Way Agreement signed by the Test Center, NYSED and DRC. Therefore, it is essential that this policy be communicated to all examinees - by the Test Center - prior to testing. The written information provided to the examinee when the TASC™ is scheduled should specifically convey this requirement.

If a cell phone, or any of the devices noted above, are found to be in possession of an examinee in the testing room, any exams taken must be invalidated and no score(s) will be awarded by DRC. Further, these examinees will be prohibited from taking the TASC™ again for a minimum of six months. Thank you in advance for your full compliance with this policy. If you have any questions, please contact the HSE Office at HSE@nysed.gov

Those who have taken the TASC™ previously but did not pass all five subtests are not required to produce an official High School Equivalency transcript from the NYSED Office. Examinees are responsible for their choice in subtests. Admission to testing should not be blocked by a lack of official transcript.

Also, please note that examinees who wish to take one or more subtests of the Test Assessing Secondary Completion, or TASC™, are not required to submit their official high school transcript prior to testing. 

However, it is the responsibility of the examinees  - not the Test Center - to determine which TASC™ subtests are required; specifically if they seek to combine TASC™ subtest scores with prior Regents exam scores as a pathway to a High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma: http://www.acces.nysed.gov/hse/regents-hse-exam

Further, since examinees must wait 60 days prior to taking any additional TASC™ subtests, it is recommended that they take all five subtests if they are not aware of which are required.

If there are any questions, please contact hse@nysed.gov.