Beginning with the graduating Class of 2006, all students enrolled in California public schools will have to pass both the Mathematics and English-Language Arts sections of the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) to receive a California high school diploma.

The CAHSEE was designed and developed to significantly improve student achievement in California public high schools and to ensure that students who graduate from California public high schools can demonstrate grade level competency in Mathematics, Reading, and Writing. The examination is given only in English and all students must pass the exam in English to receive a high school diploma.

The CAHSEE is administered over two days and has two different sections: English-Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. Students may retake the examination until they pass both the ELA and Mathematics parts; however, students will only have to retake the part that they have not previously passed. School districts are required to offer the CAHSEE once to tenth grade students in the spring and are encouraged to provide up to five additional opportunities to students who have not passed the test.

The CAHSEE helps identify 10th grade students who are not developing fundamental skills that are essential for life after high school and encourages California school districts to give these students the attention and resources needed to help them achieve these skills during their high school years. By state law, school districts must provide supplemental instruction aligned to the state content standards to assist students who do not pass the exam. It is up to each school and district to decide how to provide this instruction.