(NewsUSA) – Twelve U.S. states now recognize Educational Testing Service’s (ETS) HiSET to earn your high school equivalency certificate. This list is to help you be prepared as you move forward with achieving your education goals and opening more career opportunities.

10. ETS hopes to eliminate barriers to your education goals, which is why the test is almost half the cost of the GED.

9. The culmination of all your preparation time comes down to one test period, but all people have their off days. That’s why you can choose to take all the tests in one day or space them over a period of time.

8. Quality preparation will ensure you’re ready for test day. Test takers can find free test prep, study tips and practice tests online provided by ETS.

7. The exam is offered in English and Spanish, allowing test takers to show their academic skills in the language they’re more comfortable with.

6. Earn almost $10,000 more per year. According the U.S. Department of Labor, people who have a high school diploma or certificate earn more per year than people who don’t.

5. Over a lifetime, you can earn over $300,000 more by having a high school diploma or certificate, for a more secure future for you and your family.

4. ETS is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide you with access to quality testing and free resources to support your educational growth.

3. You can apply to college by earning your high school credential. Experts at Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce say that two-thirds of all jobs in the United States will require some form of advanced education or training by 2018.

2. You can have access to a career, not just a job. More opportunities for work open when you’ve earned your high school certificate, which makes it more likely for you to choose your own path.

1. You don’t have to let your past determine your future. Recent test takers said that they had a significant feeling of accomplishment by knowing they had overcome this challenge they once thought unachievable.

For more information, visit www.hiset.ets.org.