HiSET practice test 2026: free, all five subtests, scored one by one

This free HiSET-style practice test gives you 50 original questions across all five HiSET subtests, Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies, each on its own clock at about the real pace. You see your percent right in every subtest, because the real HiSET needs at least 8 of 20 on each one and 45 in total. No sign-up.

50
questions, all five subtests: 69 min
on five clocks: 8 of 20
needed on each real subtest: 45
real total to pass

Last checked 20 October 2026

50
questions
69 min
time limit
Free
instant score

5 timed parts, each on its own clock: Language Arts – Reading, 12 questions in 16 minutes, then Language Arts – Writing, 10 questions in 13 minutes, then Mathematics, 11 questions in 18 minutes, then Science, 8 questions in 11 minutes, then Social Studies, 9 questions in 11 minutes. A part's clock starts when you begin it, and you cannot go back to an earlier part.

By the LifeScore Editorial Team · Updated 20 October 2026 · How we check facts · How this is scored

What is on this HiSET-style practice test?

50 original multiple-choice questions in five timed parts: Language Arts – Reading 12 in 16 minutes, Language Arts – Writing 10 in 13 minutes, Mathematics 11 in 18 minutes, Science 8 in 11 minutes, Social Studies 9 in 11 minutes.

Each part runs at about the real subtest's pace, and the mix inside it follows the HiSET program's published content weights: algebra is the biggest share of math, life science the biggest share of science, and reading mixes literary and informational passages.

You get a percent right for each subtest and a practice band, so you can see which subtest is holding the rest back. That matters on the HiSET, where one subtest under 8 means no credential however well the others go. Every subtest also has its own free 12-question drill on the HiSET test guide, and math has a full guide: HiSET math practice test.

What this practice test copies, and what it leaves out
Subtests	All five, each on its own clock
Length	50 questions in 69 minutes: Reading 12, Writing 10, Math 11, Science 8, Social Studies 9
Pace	About the real per-question pace of each subtest
Score	Percent right for each subtest and a practice band. Never a predicted HiSET score
Not included	The essay

How does the real HiSET compare?

The real HiSET has the same five subtests but 285 questions plus an essay over 425 minutes, scored 1 to 20 a subtest, with 8 needed on each, 45 in total and 2 on the essay.

The five subtests, from the HiSET Test at a Glance, with seconds a question as our arithmetic
Subtest	Questions	Time	Even pace
Language Arts – Reading	50 multiple choice	65 min	78 s
Language Arts – Writing	60 multiple choice plus an essay	120 min	120 s
Mathematics	55 multiple choice	90 min	98 s
Science	60 multiple choice	80 min	80 s
Social Studies	60 multiple choice	70 min	70 s

The real HiSET, with where each fact comes from
Subtests	Five: Reading, Writing (with an essay), Mathematics, Science and Social StudiesPublished by the ownerHiSET, "Test at a Glance" (PDF, 2025)
Time	425 minutes in all (7 hours 5 minutes): Reading 65, Writing 120, Math 90, Science 80, Social Studies 70Published by the ownerHiSET, "Test at a Glance" (PDF, 2025)
Scores	1 to 20 for each subtest; the essay is scored 1 to 6Published by the ownerHiSET, "Get your scores"
To pass	At least 8 on every subtest, at least 2 on the essay, and a total of at least 45 across the fivePublished by the ownerHiSET, "Get your scores"
College and career ready	15 or more on a subtest, and 4 or more on the essayPublished by the ownerHiSET, "Get your scores"
Calculator	Calculator-neutral: allowed on Math but the questions do not need one; a formula sheet is given, though some formulas are not on itPublished by the ownerHiSET, free practice test 8: Mathematics (PDF, with formula sheet)
Cost and retakes	Set by each state that offers the HiSETPublished by the ownerHiSET, "Test taker bulletin" (PDF)

What do HiSET-style questions look like?

Reading questions follow a passage or poem; writing questions ask for the correct version of a sentence; math, science and social studies are short multiple-choice questions, many with a table or a setting. Try a poem and four more below.

Read this passage: Snow Day

The town is a held breath this morning, roofs buried to the eaves, the road erased, the plow still hours away on Route Nine.

My grandmother, who has seen seventy winters, stands at the window in her blue robe and says the snow is "only making a point."

What point? I ask. She laughs. "That we are not in charge," she says, and goes to start the kettle.

All day the house is small and warm. We play cards. We burn the toast. We read aloud the parts of books we like the best.

By evening, I hear the scrape of the plow, the grind of tires, the world coming back, and I am surprised to find I do not want it to.

HiSET-style question 1 · Figurative language
In the first line, what does the comparison of the town to "a held breath" suggest?
1. AThe town is in danger
2. BThe town is about to hold a celebration
3. CPeople in the town are sick
4. DThe town is completely still and quiet
Worked answer
D: The town is completely still and quiet. A held breath is a pause with no movement; the snow has brought the town to a stop.
HiSET-style question 2 · Character
What does the grandmother mean when she says the snow shows "that we are not in charge"?
1. AThe town government cannot clear the roads
2. BThe speaker should obey the grandmother
3. CNature sometimes controls what people can do
4. DShe is no longer in charge of the house
Show the answer
C: Nature sometimes controls what people can do. The storm has stopped everyone's plans, a reminder that people cannot control the weather.
HiSET-style question 3 · Analysis
How does the speaker's attitude change by the end of the poem?
1. AThe speaker becomes worried about the grandmother
2. BThe speaker comes to value the quiet day and is sorry to see it end
3. CThe speaker grows bored and wants the plow to come sooner
4. DThe speaker decides to move away from the town
Show the answer
B: The speaker comes to value the quiet day and is sorry to see it end. The last line says the speaker is surprised not to want the world "coming back".
HiSET-style question 4 · Theme
Which theme does the poem best express?
1. AOlder people do not enjoy snow
2. BAn unexpected pause can bring people closer and show what matters
3. CRoads should be cleared more quickly
4. DWinter storms are always dangerous
Show the answer
B: An unexpected pause can bring people closer and show what matters. The snow day gives the family a small, warm day together, which the speaker comes to treasure.
HiSET-style question 5 · Parallel structure
Which version of the sentence is written correctly?
1. AOn weekends, Jada likes to hike, swimming, and cooking.
2. BOn weekends, Jada likes hiking, swimming, and to cook.
3. COn weekends, Jada likes hiking, swimming, and cooking.
4. DOn weekends, Jada likes hiking, to swim, and she cooks.
Show the answer
C: On weekends, Jada likes hiking, swimming, and cooking.. Items in a list should have the same form. "Hiking, swimming, and cooking" are all -ing words.
HiSET-style question 6 · Discount and tax
A jacket usually costs $96. It is on sale for 30% off, and 10% sales tax is added to the sale price. What is the total cost?
1. A$67.20
2. B$77.20
3. C$73.92
4. D$75.60
Worked answer
C: $73.92. Take the discount first: $96 × 0.7 = $67.20. Then add the tax: $67.20 × 1.1 = $73.92.
HiSET-style question 7 · Matter
A sealed balloon is moved from a warm room into a freezer. What happens to its volume, and why?
1. AIt shrinks, because gas particles leave through the balloon
2. BIt stays the same, because the balloon is sealed
3. CIt grows, because cold air is denser
4. DIt shrinks, because the gas particles slow down and push on the balloon less
Show the answer
D: It shrinks, because the gas particles slow down and push on the balloon less. Cooler gas particles move more slowly and hit the balloon's inside wall less often and less hard, so at the same outside pressure the gas takes up less space.
HiSET-style question 8 · Federalism
Under the U.S. system of federalism, which power belongs to the national government rather than the states?
1. ARunning public schools
2. BPrinting money
3. CSetting up local governments
4. DIssuing driver's licenses
Show the answer
B: Printing money. The Constitution gives Congress the power to coin money. Licensing drivers, running schools and creating local governments are powers kept by the states.

These come from our public sample set, so none of them is in a paid practice test.

After the free HiSET test

One test shows the weak subtest. 8 full HiSET-style tests and 20 subtest drills show when all five clear the line.

The HiSET Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 20 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.

Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The HiSET Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.

See the HiSET Pass Pack How our questions are built and checked

8
timed mocks: 20
topic drills: 1
score predictor

How do I read my HiSET practice result?

Read each subtest on its own. 65% or more is our sign a subtest is on track; under 45% means drill it first. These are LifeScore practice bands, not HiSET scores.

Our practice bands for each subtest (LifeScore's guide, not a HiSET figure)
Percent right in a subtest	Band	What to do
Below 45%	Building	Drill that subtest first: every one has to reach 8
45% to 64%	Developing	Close: lift it before booking, the total needs 45
65% to 79%	On track	Confirm with an official HiSET practice test, then book
80% or more	Strong	Aim for 15 or more, the college and career readiness range

The raw-to-scale conversion for the HiSET is not published, so no unofficial test can honestly predict your score. See the HiSET passing score for how 8, 45 and the essay fit together.

What should I do after this practice test?

Book the subtests you scored highest in, and drill the lowest daily until it is comfortably on track.

Read the HiSET test guide for the format and a drill for each subtest, and HiSET vs GED if your state offers both.

Retaking this free test mostly measures memory. The HiSET Pass Pack adds 7 more full tests, 20 subtest drills and an explanation for every miss.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the official HiSET practice test?

No. It is an original HiSET-style practice test. LifeScore is not affiliated with PSI Services, ETS or any state HiSET program. The HiSET program publishes its own free practice tests on hiset.org.

Is this HiSET practice test free?

Yes, with no sign-up. Each subtest also has a free 12-question drill on the HiSET test guide. Seven more full tests and 20 more drills are in the HiSET Pass Pack.

How many questions are on the real HiSET?

285 multiple-choice questions plus an essay: Reading 50, Writing 60, Math 55, Science 60 and Social Studies 60, over 7 hours 5 minutes in all.

Does this predict my HiSET score?

No. The conversion from raw answers to the 1 to 20 scale is not published, so we show percent right and a practice band for each subtest.

Does it include the HiSET essay?

No. The essay is scored by trained readers on a 1 to 6 scale; our practice tests cover the multiple-choice part of every subtest.

Know every subtest clears 8 before you book

8 full tests across all five subtests and 20 subtest drills, in one payment with no subscription.