Introduction to the GED

What Is the GED?
GED stands for General Educational Development. GED Tests are standardized tests that measure skills required of high school graduates in the United States and Canada. These tests are designed to measure adult basic knowledge in five content areas (Language Arts, Reading; Language Arts, Writing; Social Studies; Science; and Math). The test is an opportunity for you to earn the equivalent of a high school diploma without having to return to a formal school setting. A GED certificate can be useful for gaining admission to college, for obtaining certain vocational licenses, or for finding employment in the many types of jobs that require a high school diploma or its equivalent.

The battery of five GED Tests are designed and administered by the GED Testing Service of the American Council of Education. 

Every state has testing centers that are qualified to administer the test. Currently, there are more than 3,400 testing centers throughout the United States and Canada, as well as international locations.

Testing centers are typically located at adult-education and community-education facilities. Some centers are located at military installations. The tests are offered in English, French, Spanish, large print, Braille, and even audiotape format. Special testing accommodations may be available for test-takers with a diagnosed learning disability. 

The number of times the GED Tests are administered each year varies from one testing center to another. Each center establishes its own schedule. Centers in urban areas may offer testing every day, whereas centers in remote, rural areas may offer testing only once or twice a year. Each state sets its own GED testing fees, which average about $100 for the entire test battery but vary from one center to another. The five GED tests are typically administered over two or three consecutive days or during two consecutive weekends. (The total GED testing time is over 7 hours, not including breaks between tests—far too long for a single testing day.)

The GED test also covers the Common Core Standards, used by 46 states. These standards are based on the actual expectations stated by employers and postsecondary institutions.

Why GED?

The GED test measures whether you understand what high-school seniors across the country have studied before they graduate. Employers need better-educated employees. In addition, some colleges may be uncertain of the quality of foreign credentials. The GED diploma provides those assurances. When you pass the GED test, you earn a high-school equivalency diploma. That can open many doors for you — perhaps doors that you don’t even know exist at this point.

People with high-school diplomas earn more and spend less time unemployed than people without. Some 59 percent of people with a high-school diploma or GED were employed full-time or part-time, compared to only 49 percent without a high-school diploma. Incomes were about 30 percent higher for high-school (or GED) graduates than people without high-school diplomas.

The GED test offers high-school dropouts, people who leave school early, and people who were educated outside the United States an opportunity to earn the equivalent of an American high-school diploma without the need for full-time attendance in either day or night school. The GED test is a recognized standard that makes securing a job or college placement easier.

Where Can I Take the GED?: The New GED Testing Format
The newly revised 2016 test is in line with current Grade 12 standards in the United States and meets the College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education.

A computer administers the GED test. That means that all the questions appear on a computer screen, and you enter all your answers into a computer. You read, calculate, evaluate, analyze, and write everything on the computer. Even for work like rough math calculations or draft essay writing, you don’t use paper. Instead, the test centers provide you with an erasable tablet. If you know how to use a computer and are comfortable with a keyboard and a mouse, you’re ahead of the game. If not, practice your keyboarding. Also, practice reading from a computer screen because reading from a screen is very different from reading printed materials.

You need to get more comfortable with computers, even if that means taking a short course at a local learning emporium. In the case of the GED test, the more familiar you are with computers, the more comfortable you’ll feel taking the computerized test.

Under certain circumstances, as a special accommodation, the sections are available in booklet format. Check with the GED Testing Service to see what exceptions are acceptable.

The computer-based GED test allows for speedy detailed feedback on your performance. When you pass, the GED Testing Service provides both a diploma and a detailed transcript of your scores, similar to what high-school graduates receive. They’re now available online at www.gedtestingservice.com within a day of completing the test. You can then send your transcript and diploma to an employer or college. Doing so allows employers and colleges access to a detailed outline of your scores, achievement, and demonstrated skills and abilities. This outline is also a useful tool for you to review your progress. It highlights those areas where you did well and areas where you need further work. If you want to (or have to) retake the test, these results will provide a detailed guide to what you should work on to improve your scores. Requests for additional copies of transcripts are handled online and also are available within a day.

Because the computerized GED test is new and still evolving as we write this book, be sure to check out the latest and greatest about the GED test at www.gedtestingservice.com.