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United States · Exam

HiSET study guide: what’s on each subtest

The free official study guide is HiSET’s Test at a Glance, a PDF that gives each subtest’s time, number of questions and topics, with the share of questions on each. Use it as your HiSET study guide alongside the Study Companion, the sample questions and the math formula sheet. The only full book from the test makers is The Official Guide to the HiSET Exam, 2nd Edition, which you buy.

  • 45%Math questions on algebra
  • 3Math formulas missing from the sheet
  • 45 to 60 minutesFocused study sessions, per HiSET
Download the Test at a Glance

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What’s on each subtest

SubtestQuestionsMinutesTopics, share of questions
Language Arts Reading5065 (80 in Spanish)Literary texts 40%, informational texts 60%
Language Arts Writing60 + 1 essay120Organization 22%, language facility 43%, conventions 35%
Mathematics5590Algebra 45%, numbers 19%, geometry and measurement 18%, data and probability 18%
Science6080Life 49%, physical 28%, earth 23%
Social Studies6070History 35%, civics 35%, economics 20%, geography 10%

Each subtest may include questions that don’t count toward your score. The percentages are averages across test versions.

HiSET math study guide: what to learn

Algebra matters most, at about 45% of the 55 questions, so spend the most time on equations, inequalities, functions and rearranging formulas. The rest splits between numbers and operations, measurement and geometry, and data, probability and statistics.

You get a formula sheet, but it leaves three out: distance equals rate times time, the Pythagorean theorem and the quadratic formula. Learn those by heart. You can’t bring a calculator; the test center gives you one.

HiSET math formula sheet (PDF) ↗

Is there a free HiSET study guide?

  • Test at a Glance: every subtest’s content, in English and Spanish
  • Study Companion: checklists for before, during and after the test
  • Sample test questions: what each kind of question looks like, in English and Spanish
  • Mathematics formula sheet, in English and Spanish
  • Writing Response Scoring Guide and scored sample essays
  • Are You Ready?: score ranges for every practice test
HiSET Study Companion (PDF) ↗HiSET sample questions (PDF) ↗Official HiSET practice tests →

How HiSET suggests you study

The Test Taker Bulletin’s tips are practical: work through all the topics in the content outline, take notes, talk terms through with someone, and study in focused sessions of 45 to 60 minutes. The Study Companion adds test tips, like watching for NOT, LEAST and EXCEPT in a question and guessing when you’re out of time, since wrong answers don’t count against you.

HiSET test prep options →HiSET Academy →
Sources: HiSET and 5 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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