Logo of the GED Testing Service, the only authorized provider of the GED test
The General Educational Development (GED) tests are a group of four academic subject tests in the United States and its territories certifying academic knowledge equivalent to a high school diploma. This certification is an alternative to the U.S. high school diploma, as is HiSET. Passing the GED test gives those who do not complete high school, or who do not meet requirements for high school diploma, the opportunity to earn a Certificate of High School Equivalency or similarly titled credential. GED Testing Service is a joint venture of the American Council on Education, which started the GED program in 1942.
The American Council on Education, in Washington, D.C. (U.S.), which owns the GED trademark, coined the initialism to identify "tests of general equivalency development" that measure proficiency in science, mathematics, social studies, reading, and writing. The GED Testing Service website as of 2023[update] does not refer to the test as anything but "GED".[1] It is called the GED in the majority of the United States,[2][3] and internationally. In 2014, some states in the United States switched from GED to the HiSET and TASC (discontinued December 31, 2021). Iowa and Maine do not accept the GED.[4][5][6]
The GED Testing Service is a joint venture of the American Council on Education. Pearson is the sole developer for the GED test. The test is taken in person. States and jurisdictions award a high school equivalency credential (also called a high school equivalency development or general equivalency diploma) to persons who meet the passing score requirements.[7][bettersourceneeded]
In addition to English, the GED tests are available in Spanish in several states (e.g. California, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Florida, Nevada, Texas).[8][bettersourceneeded] Tests and test preparation are also offered to people who are incarcerated or who live on military bases. People who live outside the United States and U.S. territories may be eligible to take the GED tests through Pearson VUE testing centers.[9][bettersourceneeded]Utah's Adult High School Completion program is an alternative for people who prefer to earn a diploma.[citation needed]
History
GED diploma with instructions, Pennsylvania, 1972
In November 1942, the United States Armed Forces Institute asked the American Council on Education (ACE) to develop a battery of tests to measure high school-level academic skills.[10][bettersourceneeded] These tests gave military personnel and veterans who had enrolled in the military before completing high school a way to demonstrate their proficiency. Passing these tests gave returning soldiers and sailors the academic credentials they needed to get civilian jobs and gain access to post-secondary education or training.
ACE revised the GED tests for a third time in 1988.[10][bettersourceneeded] The most noticeable change to the series was the addition of a writing sample, or essay. The new tests placed more emphasis on socially relevant topics and problem-solving skills. Surveys of test-takers found that more students (65%) reported taking the test with the intention of continuing their education beyond high school, rather than to get better employment (30%).[10][bettersourceneeded]
A fourth revision was made in 2002 to make the test comply with more recent standards for high-school education.[10][bettersourceneeded]
A fifth revision was released on January 2, 2014,[11][bettersourceneeded] designed to be administered on Pearson VUE, a proprietary computer-based testing platform. The new test applies to the United States and internationally, but not to Canada, which used the 2002 version. As of May 2024, Canada discontinued the GED. It retained four content areas—language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies—but with different content to "measure a foundational core of knowledge and skills that are essential for career and college readiness."[11][bettersourceneeded]
Test administration
There are more than 3,500 official GED Testing Centers in the United States and its territories, and several hundred in other countries.[citation needed] Testing centers are most often in adult-education centers, community colleges, and public schools. Students in metropolitan areas may be able to choose from several testing locations.
Official GED Testing Centers are controlled environments. All testing sessions take place either in person or online according to specific rules, and security measures are enforced. Breaks may be permitted between tests, depending on how many tests are being administered in a session. There may be restrictions on what test-takers may bring into the testing room.[12][bettersourceneeded][13]
There are approximately three to six GED test forms in circulation at any time.[citation needed] This helps catch test-takers who may be cheating. As with any standardized test, the various test forms are calibrated to the same level of difficulty
The GED has also been administered online since January 2020, but some states (Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, New York, Maine, Massachusetts, West Virginia, Wyoming) do not recognize the GED earned this way.
Eligibility
Regulations governing who is eligible to take the GED vary by state. According to GED Testing Service policy, students at least 16 years old and not enrolled in high school are eligible for the program.[14][15][16] However, many states require the candidate to be 17 years old and a resident of the state. Some states that allow students under 17 years of age to take the test require a letter of parental consent and a letter of consent from the student's school district.[citation needed] In South Africa and Namibia, students who are at least 17 years old are eligible.
Cost
The cost of the GED test for test-takers varies depending on the state. As of 2014[update], costs in Maryland were $45, free in New York, but the typical fees are $120 for all four tests, or $30 for each of the four subject tests. There is an additional fee to take the test online, typically $6 per test.[17][18][bettersourceneeded] The cost of each test outside of the U.S. is $80 each.[citation needed]
In Canada the testing is free in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and the Northwest Territories. For the remaining provinces and territories the price varies between $6 per test in Newfoundland and Labrador to $40 per test in Alberta.[19]
Students with disabilities
People with disabilities who want to take the GED test may be entitled to receive reasonable testing accommodations.[20] If a qualified professional has documented the disability, the candidate should get the appropriate form from the Testing Center:
Physical disability and chronic-health disability (such as blindness, low vision, hearing impairment, and mobility impairment): "Request for Testing Accommodations—Physical/Chronic Health Disability" form
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (inattentive type, hyperactive–impulse type, or combined type): "Request for Testing Accommodations—Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder" form
The candidate returns the completed form to the GED testing center. Each request is considered individually. If accommodations are approved, the local GED testing examiner conducts the testing with the approved accommodations, which are provided at no extra charge.[citation needed] Accommodations may include, but are not limited to:[citation needed]
Use of a scribe (a person who writes down the test-taker's answers)
Extended testing time
Passing the GED testing battery
Possible scores on each test (4) within the GED battery range from a minimum of 100 to a maximum of 200.[21][bettersourceneeded] A score of 200 on an individual test puts the student in the top 1% of graduating high school seniors. ACE issues recommendations for what constitutes a minimum passing score for any given sub-test (currently 145) and for the test as a whole (currently 580—i.e., an average of 145 per test across all four sub-tests). Although most GED-issuing jurisdictions (for the most part, Boards of Education of U.S. states) adopt these minimum standards as their own, a jurisdiction may choose to establish higher standards for issuance of the certificate. Many jurisdictions award honors-level equivalency diplomas to students who meet certain criteria higher than those for a standard diploma in a given jurisdiction.[22] Some districts hold graduation ceremonies for GED tests passers and/or award scholarships to the highest scorers. The GED test pass rate for all takers is almost 60%.[citation needed]
Colleges that admit based upon high school grades may require a minimum score on the GED test in order to admit students based upon the test. For example, Arizona State University requires an average sub-test score of 500[clarification needed] in addition to the certificate.[23]
If a student passes one or more, but not all four, tests within the battery, he or she only needs to retake the test(s) not passed. Most places limit the number of times students may take each individual test within a year.[citation needed] A student may encounter a waiting period before being allowed to retake a failed test.[citation needed] Tests must be completed by the expiration date, which is generally every two years on the last day of the year.[clarification needed][citation needed]
The GED test is available in many countries around the world. Since 2015, the GED test has become popular in African countries including South Africa and Namibia.[citation needed]
Many government institutions and universities regard the GED test credential as the same as a high school diploma with respect to program eligibility and as a prerequisite for admissions. The U.S. military, however, has higher requirements in admissions for GED test takers to compensate for their lack of a traditional high school diploma.[24]
The test is administered to a representative sample of graduating high-school seniors each year, about 30% of whom fail the test.[25]
Effects on employability
The GED certification itself (i.e., without further post-secondary education or training) does not help people get jobs as much as a high school diploma does.[26] People who have earned the GED credential tend to earn more than dropouts and less than high school graduates. Economist James Heckman found in a 1993 study that this is primarily due to differences in the characteristics and backgrounds of GED test graduates. When controlling for other influences, he finds no evidence that, for the average taker, the GED test credential improves an individual's economic opportunities above those for other dropouts.[26]
However, there is a stigma for GED certification holders that affects their employability or pursuit of higher education.[27][28]
Calls for abolition
There are calls for the GED to be abolished. Those who support abolishing the GED say the program reduces high school graduation rates,[29] is outmoded, and a financial burden for low-income participants.[30]
As of May 3, 2024, the General Education Development (GED) high school equivalency program is no longer available in Canada and is now replaced with the new Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC).[31]
Special education is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual differences, disabilities, and special needs. This involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, and accessible settings. These interventions are designed to help individuals with special needs achieve a higher level of personal self-sufficiency and success in school and in their community, which may not be available if the student were only given access to a typical classroom education.
The California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) was an early exit testing program established under California law. Testers who passed the CHSPE received a high school equivalency (HSE) diploma granted by the California State Board of Education.
The Adult High School is an Ottawa-Carleton District School Board high school for adults in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is the only regular secondary school entirely for adults in the province of Ontario.
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a legal document under United States law that is developed for each public school child in the U.S. who needs special education. IEPs must be reviewed every year to keep track of the child's educational progress. Similar legal documents exist in other countries.
The California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) was an examination created by the California Department of Education, that was previously mandated to administer in high schools statewide in order to graduate. The examination was suspended in 2015, when Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill undoing the decade old requirement. It was originally created by the California Department of Education to improve the academic performance of California high school students, and especially of high school graduates, in the areas of reading, writing, and mathematics. In addition to other graduation requirements, public school students needed to pass the exam before they could receive a high school diploma.
Apex Learning, Inc. is a privately held provider of digital curriculum. Headquartered in Seattle, Apex Learning is accredited by AdvancED.
The Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) is a diploma granted to secondary school graduates in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is part of the publicly funded province-wide school system. It is awarded to all students who complete the Ontario education curriculum, including students in Special Education, the TOPS program, MaCS program, IB Program, and other focused secondary school programs.
Independent Learning Centre, branded as TVO ILC, is a public online high school in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is the exclusive provider of Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC) high school equivalency testing in Ontario, and was the province's provider of General Educational Development (GED) testing before that program was discontinued in Canada in 2024.
Cathedral School was a private, Roman Catholic school in Portland, Maine. Cathedral School was founded by Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1864. The school offered classes from kindergarten to 8th grade. It was the "mother school" of Maine's parochial school system. Shortly after temporarily housing what was formerly known as West School from 2012-2013, the building became home to Portland Adult Education, an adult education program committed to helping adults take the HiSET test, a GED equivalent, and, in certain circumstances, earn a high school diploma.
A graduate certificate is an educational credential representing completion of specialized training at the college or university level. A graduate certificate can be awarded by universities upon completion of certain coursework indicating mastering of a specific subject area. Graduate certificates represent training at different levels in different countries, for example a graduate certificate is at master's degree level in Ireland, but is at a bachelor's degree level in the United Kingdom. In both cases, the graduate certificate represents less work than a degree at the same level.
HSED or High School Equivalency Diploma or HEP is comparable to achieving a high school diploma instead of simply proving the skills by taking the GED. Sometimes it can be synonymous. When spelled HSed it can mean home schooled.
Albany Options School is a public alternative school in Albany, Oregon, United States. It provides alternative education for students who are working below or above state benchmark standards in a community-based setting that is put in place to support students who may struggle in a more traditional high school environment. These opportunities include transitional programs, credit-recovery programs, higher-education courses and education through contracted services. Albany Options School is an accredited alternative school serving high school and GED students. The school also had a preschool program linked with the Boys & Girls Club of Albany at the Albany Options School, serving up to 20 children close to the age of 5.
The University of New Mexico–Los Alamos (UNM-LA) in Los Alamos, New Mexico, is a branch campus of the University of New Mexico. UNM-LA offers 14 certificate programs and 18 associate degree programs. In addition, UNM-LA offers a Dual Credit program, which allows high school students to take college classes; an adult basic education program for students seeking their New Mexico High School Equivalency Credential ; and an ESL program. Students often work part-time at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
A certificate of attendance is an official document proving the attendance of a class, a language course or a training course.
A high school diploma is a diploma awarded upon graduation of high school. A high school diploma is awarded after completion of courses of studies lasting four years, from grade 9 to grade 12. It is the school leaving qualification in the United States and Canada.
Ability to benefit (ATB) is a term used in the context of post-secondary education in the United States to refer to students who have sufficient competency to benefit from post-secondary education but do not have a high school diploma or the Certificate of High School Equivalency. ATB, as assessed by government-approved tests, or high school Ed plan with 504 (IEP) with at least 1 year overlapping S.E.L.P.A as long as the student has taken and passed 5 hours of college or honors credits while on higher education plans. This is required for receiving financial aid by most US public colleges that admit students without a high school diploma or the certificate of equivalency. Until July 2012, such students could also receive student loans and grants from the US government if they had passed an approved ATB examination. However, the provision was dropped as part of the cuts to the Federal budget for fiscal year 2012.
The Test Assessing Secondary Completion, or TASC, was an alternative to a United States high school diploma, that was discontinued on December 31, 2021. It had been chosen by the states of New York and Indiana as a replacement for the GED exam, effective January 2, 2014.
HiSET is an alternative to a U.S. high school diploma and the GED test. The test was designed based on the OCTAE College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education. It is governed by ETS and is provided in cooperation with relevant authority in 26 states and 5 territories in the United States.
↑ "Programs and Services: FAQs". GED Testing Service. GED Testing Service LLC. 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2016. The cost of the 2014 GED® test will remain at $120 per test battery administration….
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