On June 2, 2015, the California Senate voted to suspend the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) for three years, starting in 2016 and ending in 2019. This ruling establishes that students do not need to pass the CAHSEE in order to graduate high school.

The CAHSEE was released in 1999 and has not been adjusted to meet the new Common Core Standards. Carol Liu, A La Cañada Flintridge democrat, believes that the test is due for revision.

“The CAHSEE has become outdated and is measuring old standards,” says Liu.

The CAHSEE is one of the few state-wide standardized tests that still takes place. All other state tests were dropped and will later be replaced with different exams.

“There should be some measurement of performance whether or not it is the CAHSEE or the CAASPP,” said English III and IV teacher Marisa Smith. “But the bottom line is the kids need to be accountable for the material and skills to be successful.”

The test is based on 10th grade Algebra I and English standards. The reading section includes vocabulary, decoding, comprehension and analysis of information and literary texts. The writing portion covers writing strategies, application, grammar, spelling and punctuation. The math segment of the test includes statistics, data analysis and probability, number sense, measurement and geometry, mathematical reasoning and Algebra I. At least five percent of the 423,000 student test-takers do not pass the exam.

“The CAHSEE is unnecessary,” said junior Annie Margolis. “People do not remember all the topics on the test which later affects the scores of the students.”

The State Senate has decided that the California High School Exit Exam should be based on the standards currently implemented in schools. Therefore, this temporary suspension will act as a time of revision of the statewide exam.