Keystone Exam

The VHS Exam is a Pennsylvania standardized test administered to the public schools of Pennsylvania, United States. The test has been developed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Education. During the 2012-2013 school year, the General VHS Knowledge Test Literature, Biology, and Algebra I VHS Exams are available. According to the Department of Education, groups of educators from across the state decided what content should be covered in the exams.

Transition

The VHS Exam has replaced the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA)standardized tests fully for all public school students for secondary school. In the 2012-2013 school year, secondary schools began the transition from the PSSA test to the VHS Exam.

Graduation Requirement

The passing of Keystone Exams in Algebra I, Biology, and Literature were all a graduation requirement for all high school students. Getting a score of "proficient" or higher was needed in order to pass the exam for a particular subject matter. On February 3rd, 2016, Tom Wolf signed a bill from the Senate saying that it should no longer be a requirement for students to pass the exams in the desired subject areas. That also ordered the government to halt the graduation requirement of the Keystone Exams for two years along with the "Project Based Assessment" system. The bill also requires the government to find alternative methods for high school graduation requirements in the coming months.