GED and HiSET in Massachusetts
In Massachusetts the GED costs $144 in person (online testing not offered) and the HiSET price is not confirmed, minimum age 18.
Check online testing and cost · Compare all states
How Massachusetts compares
GED, all 4 subjects in person
At $144, Massachusetts (GED, all 4 subjects in person) is cheaper than 14 states, the same price as 18 states and more expensive than 9 states.
That is exactly the national median. The national median is $144 (42 states with a confirmed price, range $0 to $200).
Compared with Massachusetts, it is cheaper in Connecticut ($13), New York ($0) and Rhode Island ($120); the same in New Hampshire ($144) and Vermont ($144).
HiSET, all 5 subtests
Massachusetts is not ranked (HiSET, all 5 subtests) because its price is not confirmed from an official source.
The national median is $130 (21 states with a confirmed price, range $0 to $190).
Rankings use only prices confirmed from an official source. Neighboring states come from the US Census county adjacency file.
Which test you can take
- Tests accepted
- GED and HiSETAlso listed on https://hiset.org/get-started/state-requirements/ and https://www.ged.com/policies/massachusetts.html. Candidates may combine GED and HiSET subtest scores. Source: hiset.org, checked 2026-10-10
- Credential awarded
- High School Equivalency CredentialSource: ged.com, checked 2026-10-10
Cost
- GED, all 4 subjects in person
- $144Calculated: 4 x $36, no other fees listed. Not stated as a total by an official source. Source: ged.com, checked 2026-10-10
- GED, one subject in person
- $36Full price before state funding; see reduced_cost_options. Also in https://www.ged.com/etc/clientlibs/websites/ged/assets/resources/dropdown-json/dropdown-price-and-rules.json. Source: ged.com, checked 2026-10-10
- GED, all 4 subjects online
- Not offeredNo online GED in Massachusetts. Source: ged.com, checked 2026-10-10
- GED, one subject online
- Not offeredGED price data flags Massachusetts as datanoonline=true: no online GED. Source: ged.com, checked 2026-10-10
- HiSET, all 5 subtests
- Not confirmedNo total on https://hiset.org/massachusetts/; state pays for first attempt and two retakes per subtest.
- HiSET, one subtest
- Not confirmedhttps://hiset.org/massachusetts/ lists no dollar amounts; the Commonwealth pays the first test per subtest plus two retakes per subtest (lifetime) via promo codes. Did not find an official per-subtest price.
- Ways to pay less
- Massachusetts pays for the first GED test in each subject plus two retakes per subject while funding lasts (codes MAFREEGED1, MARETAKE; the page lists MAFREEGED1 twice, so the second-retake code is unclear). HiSET: the Commonwealth covers the first test per subtest plus two retakes per subtest (lifetime) with promo codes MAHISETMATH, MAHISETSCIENCE, MAHISETSOCIALSTUDIES, MAHISETREADING, MAHISETWRITING.HiSET details from https://hiset.org/massachusetts/ (effective Feb 6, 2023). GED retakes also carry a $10 test center fee per the GED page. Source: ged.com, checked 2026-10-10
Online testing
- GED online at home
- NoMassachusetts entry has datanoonline=true; the GED state page describes only test-center testing. Source: ged.com, checked 2026-10-10
- HiSET at home
- NoOnline testing not currently available; no new online bookings. Candidates already registered for an online proctored test may take it. Source: hiset.org, checked 2026-10-10
Age
- Minimum age
- 18Same for HiSET: https://hiset.org/massachusetts/. Source: ged.com, checked 2026-10-10
- Under the minimum age
- 16- and 17-year-olds may schedule only after the Massachusetts High School Equivalency Office approves an official Letter of Withdrawal from their last school (on school letterhead, with last attendance and withdrawal dates, signed by the Principal/Headmaster or Head of Guidance). Submit to HSET@mass.gov; reply within three business days. Same process for GED and HiSET. Cannot be enrolled in secondary school or hold a diploma/equivalency.HiSET side: https://hiset.org/massachusetts/. Source: ged.com, checked 2026-10-10
Residency
- Residency rule
- Must live at a Massachusetts address, the same one used to register the account (the scheduling system rejects out-of-state addresses).Same for HiSET: https://hiset.org/massachusetts/. Source: ged.com, checked 2026-10-10
Retakes
- Retake policy
- GED: no wait for the first two retakes; after three attempts in a subject, wait 60 days; no yearly limit. One discounted retake per unpassed subject within 365 days of the full-price test (GED Testing Service waives its $26 fee; Massachusetts charges a $10 test center fee). HiSET: the page gives two limits (up to two retests per subtest per calendar year, and a maximum of three attempts per subtest per calendar year).HiSET side from https://hiset.org/massachusetts/, which is internally inconsistent. Source: ged.com, checked 2026-10-10