What is a GED?

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A GED (General Education Development) diploma is an alternative to a high school diploma. It’s for adults who want to finish their education and get a job, but didn’t complete high school the first time around. The GED test covers four subjects – math, science, social studies and language arts. If you pass all these tests then you can receive your GED certificate!

CollegeRanker is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

General Education Development (GED)

The GED, or General Educational Diploma, is a certificate issued to individuals without a High School Diploma. To assess your aptitude, knowledge, and skills, study and take a battery of examinations. It’s designed for people who never finished high school. Near you may find a test center that administers the GED.

Since its inception in 1943, more than 17 million people have received a GED credential. Individuals who have not earned a high school diploma are eligible to take the GED examinations. The Language Arts/Writing, Language Arts/Reading, Social Studies, Science, and Mathematics subject area tests are included in the GED Tests.

The GED tests are available in English, Spanish, French, large print, audiocassette, and Braille. The state government, province or territory where the test taker resides issues the GED credential. Many government agencies and colleges consider the GED to be equivalent to a high school diploma when it comes to program eligibility and as a

To take GED Tests, you must be at least 16 years old. To take the GED Tests, go in person to a GED Testing Center.

Who created the GED?

Tests were created by experts in the field, including high school instructors and adult and secondary educators. The examinations are designed to match high school coursework. They function as a measuring stick for high school attainment. Candidates who pass the state and provincial examinations are eligible to receive high school certificates from all 50 states and Canadian provinces.

Do you get a high school diploma when you pass the GED?

The GED Testing Program is used to assess adults’ high school level knowledge and abilities, allowing them to demonstrate what they know. The test provides a consistent gauge of high school competence and is acknowledged nationally as a measure of high school learning. After passing the GED Tests, examinees receive a State High School Diploma.

The GED Tests evaluate communication, information processing, problem solving, and critical thinking abilities in five topic areas: reading, writing (including an essay on an assigned subject), mathematics, science, and social studies. The entire test battery lasts approximately 7 1/2 hours.

The GED examinations are difficult; GED applicants must score well above the performance of the top 60% of high school graduands. This means that four out of every ten typical high school graduates will fail the GED Tests. The GED Testing Service of the American Council on Education (ACE), which is a private nonprofit organization, and each state’s Department of Education work together to provide the GED Testing program.

The GED is a standardized test that provides a valid means of evaluating the English proficiency of individuals who do not have a high school diploma or GED. There are roughly 3,500 official GED Testing Centers in the United States, Canada, and other countries. Adults who have not earned a high school credential may use the GED tests to begin

Do employers and colleges accept GEDs?

More than 95% of employers, colleges, and universities in the United States accept the GED high school diploma. Passing the GED Tests might lead to a better job, more training, or a route to higher education. Achieving the aim of obtaining a high school diploma may also improve one’s self-esteem.

You are not alone if you wish to take the GED Tests. Every year, around 800,000 adults take at least one of the five GED tests (the GED is a series of standardized achievement examinations). By passing the GED Tests, over 500,000 people obtained their jurisdiction’s high school diploma. The GED test battery was passed by 69 percent of the completers.

According to the American Council on Education, one in seven high school diplomas issued each year in the United States is based on passing the GED Tests. For further information about the GED Tests, please see our frequently asked questions and examinee resources sections.

You may also obtain information about GED testing at the official website of General Educational Development Testing Services. If you believe that your disability makes it difficult for you to take the GED Tests in a regular manner, you may be entitled to receive appropriate testing alternatives.