If you pass the Exit Exam in high school are you then automatically eligible to leave with a diploma in hand?

Nope. You still need the credits, hours, plus whatever else your school may require on top of the exit exam.

Trust me, when you take the exit exam you’ll see why they don’t just hand you your diploma afterwards. That thing is stupid easy.

My son had to attend school on the last day or he was not given his leaving certificate. You need to check (I am sure they will tell you anyway) on the rules and regulations in your school. Don’t assume you can do the test and never show up again.

Talk to your school counselor and they will explain how it works. It isn’t the same in every school district.

@Vincent_Lloyd and what country are you in?

In the US, schools are not governed on a federal level. They aren’t even governed at the State or City level. They are governed by districts. I have seen some as large as an entire county with many cities in it (Polk county Florida is run this way) But I’ve also seen single town broken up into 9 different school districts (Indianapolis is run this way)

The reason this is important is that except for a very few exceptions – like certain guidelines a school must follow to be eligible for some extra funding, the districts run the show. If you live in Indianapolis in certain areas, what may be possible and legal for one kid who lives two blocks away from you may not be legal for you to do. You need to ask your school guidance councilor about this.

Depending on the rules and local laws, you MAY be able to get your parents to “home school” you and instead of being taught in school, you could just take the GED and graduate on your own. But some places make sure you can’t do this until you’re legally old enough to be a senior.

I do know one kid who did this – he had his parents “home school” him, but all they really did was allow him to take the GED when he was 16. Then he enrolled for college with summers and stuff he managed to get his BS at 19 while running his own business, which now he makes more money than his parents. He’s the only kid I know who wanted to drop out of school because it was slowing him down.

In South Carolina, in order to graduate high school, you must (if I remember correctly) pass the exit exam, have 3 math credits, 2 social studies credits, 3 English credits, 1 PE credit, 1 technology credit, 2 foreign language credits, 2 science credits, and maybe something else. As far as I know, these requirements are state-wide. Obviously, these differ state-to-state and country-to-country.

@PhiNotPi – But you may be able to get around those requirements with home schooling. If your parents are into what you are wanting to do instead of going to high school, they may be able to help you with your goal. I know the Southern States have more strict rules about home schools, but it’s still a valid option.

The thing is, I don’t know many parents who would be into this. But it still is a completely valid option. If my daughter was really smart and motivated and wanted to do so, I’d pull her out so she could do whatever she wanted to do until she could pass the GED. I wouldn’t let her lay around playing video games, but if she wanted to get really into a musical instrument , go to college or start her own business, I’d probably help her out.

In California it is only one of several requirements as @DeanV stated. My son passed earlier this year as a sophomore; he needs to complete all his credits to graduate.

@keobooks I don’t exactly recommend the GED route if you’re planning on going to college, though, as it’s weighted differently than a high school diploma when reviewing applications.

@DeanV more people are opting for the open enrollment community colleges for their first two years rather than the more exclusive four year schools. These schools tend to be more forgiving of upperclassmen’s high school records than incoming freshmen. This saves money and stress.

Most of the kids I know who would opt for this route are really smart, but having trouble for various reasons in high school and probably wouldn’t really fit into the traditional college setting.