Many states in the US require high school students to pass an exit exam as a graduation requirement. The exit exam is rapidly becoming a standardized assessment procedure for educational accountability. In 2006, high school students in 22 states were required to pass an exit exam to obtain their high school diplomas. Most states are phasing in exit exams and some have implemented more rigorous tests than the more traditional minimum-competency exams, adopting standards-based and end-of-course exams. These high school exit exams (HSEEs) are more prevalent in states with higher percentages of economically disadvantaged and minority students.