Persons who are sixteen years of age and under nineteen years of age must have a substantial and warranted reason for leaving the regular high school program, or have completed a program of home-based instruction, as a condition to taking the general educational development test and receiving a certificate of educational competence. The purpose of these state board of education rules is to establish the process and criterion for determining whether a person within that age range has such a substantial and warranted reason or has completed a program of home-based instruction. Once such a person establishes that he or she has met either one of the two conditions, he or she is eligible to pursue taking the general educational development test in accordance with rules of the state board for community and technical colleges which are codified at chapter 131-48 WAC.