HSE Frequently Asked Questions

No, we do not keep any tester documents. You must order your documents from DiplomaSender online via chat available Monday through Friday 8am-1pm MST or creating an account (see steps here).

NEW: Use the online chat to request a phone call.

DiplomaSender FAQ

Yes, DiplomaSender maintains all of Colorado's HSE student records*, including historical records and Colorado Department of Corrections records. In addition to electronic storage, they are able to do archive searches for old physical documents. In the rare case that DiplomaSender does not have a record, it's likely because the test location did not handle their records properly or did not give the student a legitimate GED test.

*If you tested in the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) in Florence, Colorado, DiplomaSender will not have your records. GED maintains those records, and you can request your FBOP records here. Contact Alena Barczak in Colorado's HSE office for more details or if you have questions about this.

DiplomaSender FAQ

CDE does not have any student records.

If you attended a public high school:

The public school district has your records: find your district here. Note, school districts are responsible for keeping student transcripts; most of them do not keep a copy of the diploma.

If you attended a private school:

CDE has no oversight for private schools, which operate as small businesses. If the school is still open, contact the school directly. If the school has closed, try one of the following:

1. Contact the parent organization (accreditation agency) that operated the school to see if they retained the records.
2. Contact the Colorado Secretary of State at 303-894-2200 x2. Private (non-public) schools are required to obtain a small business license from the Secretary of State, Licensing and Enforcement Division, in order to open, so they may have a contact for the school on file.

 You can read more on CDE's Non-Public Schools webpage.

The Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) maintains student records for closed private universities and closed occupational schools. Request those transcripts through CDHE's Transcript Request page.

No. Please request a third-party account with DiplomaSender or email third-party support. Do not send student PII (personally identifiable information) to that email address.

However, if you are in another state's Department of Corrections or a local Colorado school district, please contact Alena Barczak, 303-548-8427.

Testing centers cannot schedule your exams for you. You must login to your MyGED account or myHiSET account to schedule your exams at your preferred testing center. Check myHiSET step-by-step instructions if you are having trouble creating a myHiSET account.

Both programs are state-approved for determining high school equivalency, and earn you the exact same diploma from CDE. We do not endorse one over the other. The HSE homepage now has a comparison chart where you can learn about the differences between the two, such as cost and subjects, to help decide which test may be best for you.

Yes, since the COVID-19 pandemic, both exams began allowing students to test at home with online proctor monitoring. See the Online GED Test or the HiSET Test at Home for more details.

Since you are a minor being monitored by an (adult) online proctor, the test publisher may place a hold on your account before you can schedule. These are typically reviewed and lifted within a few days, but if the hold is taking too long, reach out to GED or HiSET directly or contact Alena Barczak at the state HSE Office.

No, CDE does not offer or endorse any HSE preparation courses. The best way to find classes is to search directly through the tester's website: GED class search or HiSET class search. Classes vary by length and cost.

The short answer is "no." The HSE Testing Office can only speak to the legitimacy of programs and products provided directly from our approved test providers, GED and HiSET, as there are fake HSE diploma companies on the internet. These are considered "diploma mills", which you can learn about on the U.S. Department of Education's Diploma Mill webpage. Check HiSET's practice tests and official prep providers (scroll down to the Prep Providers section), and GED's Test Previews (more practice tests and questions under the "Study" tab) and GED's Marketplace products here.

No, Colorado does not have a residency requirement for HSE exams. When you sign up on GED or HiSET’s website, you should choose Colorado as your jurisdiction to be issued a Colorado HSE Diploma.

While the age requirement is 17 years of age, you can be approved to take the test at 16 years of age via an age waiver. If you do not meet any of the conditions listed on the age waiver form, you must wait until you are 17 years old to test. 15-year-old students cannot request an age waiver and must wait until they are 16. 

The supporting letter is an additional document to the age waiver form that should come from the applicable party to support the student's request to test at 16 years old. Please read the detailed descriptions of each possible type of supporting letter in the Conditions for Approval section of the Age Waivers webpage.