Registration Open for Proficiency Exam

Registration for the California High School Proficiency Examination is now open to those able to prove proficiency in basic skills and wish to earn the equivalent of a high school diploma.

The State Department of Education defines proficiency as the average performance of a second-semester senior in a California high school.

Those 16 years and older, whether enrolled in school or not, may sign up for the test through Nov. 6. A $47 registration fee is required.

The three-hour exam will be held Nov. 16 at several testing sites in California, including El Camino Real High School, 5440 Valley Circle Blvd. in Woodland Hills.

Applicants younger than 16 must have completed or be enrolled in the second semester of the 10th grade to take the exam.

A Certificate of Proficiency is awarded by the department to those who pass, enabling them to use it much the same way a diploma is used, including when applying for jobs. The certificate, however, cannot be used to obtain a state grant for higher education.

Applications for the exam, with sample test questions, are available at public and private high schools and all public libraries. The November exam is the last time the test will be given in 1996.