The High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA, pronounced "hess-pah" (/ˈhɛspə/) or sometimes just "H-S-P-A") was a standardized test that was administered by the New Jersey Department of Education to all New Jersey public high school students in March of their junior year until 2014-2015 when it was replaced by the PARCC.
The exam tests students' proficiency in a variety of academic subjects including mathematics and language arts literacy.
Beginning on September 1, 2001, state law in New Jersey required that all students pass the HSPA for high school graduation.
Additionally, for those who were still unable to pass the exam or felt that they were "not good test-takers," the state department of education gave students the option of participating in a "Special Review Assessment" process (SRA) to demonstrate their academic abilities.
The exam, first administered in 1989, was originally called the High School Proficiency Test (abbreviated as HSPT) and was taken during the freshman year.