CBE vs. GED in Texas — What's the Difference?

May 19, 2026 12 views

Texas parents ask us this constantly: "Is the CBE the same as the GED?" It is an easy mix-up — both are exams, both can change a student's path — but they are completely different programs with no direct link. One earns course credit for a student inside the K-12 system; the other is a high-school-equivalency credential for someone outside the traditional diploma route. Confusing the two can send a family down the wrong road. This guide lays out the difference plainly so you can tell which one (if either) your student actually needs.

Side-by-side: CBE vs. GED

Dimension	Credit by Exam (CBE)	GED
Who it's for	A K-12 student (including homeschoolers) who wants to earn or accelerate a specific course credit	Someone who did not complete high school and wants a high-school-equivalency credential
Purpose	Earn credit for a specific course (e.g., Algebra 1) without taking the class, or accelerate ahead	Demonstrate high-school-level skills as an equivalency to a diploma
What you earn	High-school course credit recorded by your school district on a transcript	The TxCHSE (Texas Certificate of High School Equivalency) — an equivalency credential
Who runs it	Your Texas school district (free acceleration exams) and university providers such as UT High School (UTHS) or Texas Tech University ISD; the district records the credit	GED Testing Service (a joint venture of Pearson VUE & the American Council on Education), contracted by the State Board of Education
Passing basis	80% for a credit-by-exam without prior instruction (acceleration); 70% for a credit-by-exam with prior instruction	Pass all four subject tests
Typical age	K-12 school-age students	Generally 18+ (with limited 16/17-year-old exceptions, see below)
Result	Course credit on a high-school transcript	A TxCHSE high-school-equivalency credential

They are not interchangeable

This is the single most important point, so it's worth stating bluntly:

CBE credit does NOT count toward a GED. Passing a Credit by Exam in Algebra 1 (or any subject) earns course credit on a transcript — it does not contribute to, or substitute for, the GED test.
A GED does NOT grant course credit. Earning the GED produces a high-school-equivalency credential (the TxCHSE); it does not put Algebra 1, Biology, or any individual course onto a transcript.

You cannot use one in place of the other. They sit in two separate systems that do not feed into each other.

Which one do you actually need?

A neutral way to decide — neither is universally "better," they simply answer different questions:

Pursuing a diploma, course credits, or acceleration? That points to the CBE path. CBE is for a student who is working toward (or within) a regular high-school diploma and wants to earn or accelerate specific course credits.
Need an equivalency credential outside the traditional diploma route? That points to the GED / TxCHSE path. The GED is for someone who is not completing a traditional diploma and needs a recognized equivalency credential instead.

If your student is on a normal diploma track and just wants to test out of a course or move ahead, the GED is almost certainly not what you're looking for — CBE is. If your student has left the traditional diploma route entirely, CBE course credit won't produce the credential they need — the GED/TxCHSE will.

GED specifics in Texas

For families who do need the equivalency route, here is what is accurate for Texas today:

The credential is the TxCHSE (Texas Certificate of High School Equivalency) — Texas's official high-school-equivalency credential.
In Texas, the TxCHSE is currently earned through the GED test only. HiSET was discontinued in Texas after 8/31/2021, so it is no longer an in-state option.
Four subject tests: Reasoning Through Language Arts, Mathematical Reasoning, Science, and Social Studies. You pass all four.
It is run by GED Testing Service, a joint venture of Pearson VUE and the American Council on Education, contracted by the State Board of Education.
Minimum age is generally 18. Limited exceptions: a 17-year-old must be officially withdrawn from school and have parent/guardian permission; a 16-year-old may test only under the direction of a state agency, a Texas Family Code court order, Texas Job Corps, or the Texas ChalleNGe Academy. Under 16 cannot test.

We do not prep for the GED. Texas CBE™ is built for Credit by Exam, not the GED. If the GED/TxCHSE is what your family needs, go directly to GED Testing Service and the Texas Education Agency for current, official requirements.

Homeschoolers: a common point of confusion

Many Texas homeschool families assume their student must take the GED. That is not the case. Under the Texas Supreme Court's unanimous (9-0) decision in Texas Education Agency v. Leeper (1994), Texas treats home schools as private schools. As a result:

There is no state registration, accreditation, or monitoring of Texas homeschools.
Homeschoolers are not required to take the GED. A homeschool diploma issued by the parent/home school is generally accepted by colleges and the military, so a GED is usually unnecessary — it is one optional pathway, not a requirement.
CBE is a common way homeschoolers earn course credit recorded by a district — for example, to validate mastery, accelerate, build a transcript for dual credit or college admissions, or re-enter public school smoothly.

For homeschoolers (and any K-12 student), there are two distinct CBE routes:

Route 1 — district-administered acceleration exams. Texas Education Code §28.023 requires districts to administer each board-approved exam at least four times a year, and these acceleration exams are offered at no charge. For acceleration with no prior instruction, the student must score 80% to earn credit.
Route 2 — university CBE through UT High School (UTHS) or Texas Tech University ISD. These are fee-based (commonly around $50–$150 per exam, varying by year, subject, and provider). For a credit-by-exam with prior instruction, the passing score is 70% under TAC §74.24, and scores can be transferred to the student's home district with district permission.

In both routes, only the school district grants and records the credit. UTHS or Texas Tech ISD score the exam; the district records it.

How Texas CBE™ helps

Texas CBE™ is an independent practice platform built for the CBE path — not the GED:

TEKS-mapped, CBE-style practice questions and full-length mock exams modeled after the official CBE format.
Per-TEKS-category scoring and step-by-step explanations so a student can see exactly which topics still need work before they sit the CBE.
A 5-language platform (English, Korean, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese) with free sample questions on every subject, no signup required.

Full-course access is listed at $29.99 per CBE subject, currently $23.99 with an automatic 20% launch discount — typically less than a single university CBE retake fee. To be clear: we prep for the CBE, not the GED.

→ Browse subjects and try free sample questions

This guide is based on publicly available information about Texas Credit by Exam, the GED/TxCHSE, and Texas homeschool law, and is for general information only — not legal or educational advice. Policies, fees, score requirements, and accepted providers vary by district and change over time. Always verify current requirements directly with your school counselor, your district's CBE coordinator, UT High School (UTHS), the Texas Education Agency (TEA), and GED Testing Service before making decisions. Texas CBE™ is an independent practice platform; it is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by TEA, UTHS, Texas Tech University ISD, GED Testing Service, the College Board, or any school district, and it does not administer the CBE or GED or grant academic credit.