High schools typically do not have graduation exams in the sense that there are standard exams that are required for your degree. It depends on the state; some states may have standardized tests, some may have much looser requirements.
The standards for graduation across schools are massively different and the SAT/ACT is a private “solution” to the problem of measuring students across regions, for college admissions.
US high schools that is. There are definitely countries that require an exam score for a diploma and some fields where you have to pass a test to get your degree.
The standards for graduation across schools are massively different and the SAT/ACT is a private “solution” to the problem of measuring students across regions, for college admissions.