What is the GED?
General Educational Development (GED) exams are a collection of four subject exams which, when passed, provide certification that the student has American or Canadian high school-level academic abilities.
The GED Testing Service is a joint endeavor of the American Council on Education. Pearson is the single developer for the GED exam. The exam is taken on a computer and in person. States and jurisdictions award a Certificate of High School Equivalency or equally titled qualification to individuals who meet the passing score requirements.
The GED functions as an assessment of high school equivalency. This means that successful students validate the academic skills and knowledge naturally attained by pupils of a four-year high school education program. People typically earn the GED in order to qualify for admission to colleges or universities or to become qualified to apply for jobs necessitating a high school education.
In 2012, more than 702,000 students took at least one of the GED subject area exams. Of these people, 68.8% passed the test.
Many students find that using test preparations books help to improve their scores.
See our list of the best GED prep books here.
GED Format
| Reasoning Through Language Arts | |
| Mathematical Reasoning | |
| Sciences | |
| Social Studies |
GED Scoring Structure
The GED exam is a computer exam made out of 200 points worth of problems. These problems will take the form of drag and drop, drop down, fill in the blank, multiple choice, short answer, hot spot, and extended response. The four subject units that make up this test consist of Reasoning Through Language Arts, Mathematical Reasoning, Science, and Social Studies. In all, the test period lasts about seven and a half hours.
Possible scores on an individual unit within the GED battery, range from a minimum of 100 to a maximum of 200. A score of 200 on an specific unit puts the student in the top 1% of graduating high school seniors. ACE issues recommendations for what institutes a minimum passing score for any given unit (currently 145) and for the exam as a whole (currently 580). Although most GED-issuing authorities accept these minimum standards as their own, an authority may launch higher standards for issuance of the diploma if it chooses. Many authorities award honors-level equivalency certificates to pupils meeting certain standards higher than those for a standard certificate in a given dominion. Some districts hold completion ceremonies for GED exam passers and/or award scholarships to the highest scorers.
Colleges that admit based upon high school grades may necessitate a minimum score on the GED test for admission based upon the exam.
If a pupil passes one or more, but not all four units within the battery, he or she only needs to repeat the exam(s) they did not pass. Most places limit the amount of times pupils may take each individual exam within a year. A pupil may encounter a waiting period before being permitted to retake a failed exam. Exams must be finished by the expiration date, which is usually every two years on the last day of the year.
GED Availability
There are more than 3,000 official GED exam hubs in the United States and increasingly in Canada, as well as around the world. Exam hubs are most often in adult-education centers, community colleges, and public schools. Students in urban areas may be able to pick from several exam locations.
Find your nearest testing location here.
Official GED exam hubs are controlled settings. All examing sessions take place in person (not online) according to very precise rules, and security procedures are imposed. Breaks may be allowed between units, depending on how many units are being administered in a sitting. There may be limitations on what students may bring into the exam room.
Guidelines governing eligibility to take the GED vary by state. According to GED Testing Service policy, pupils at least 16 years old and not registered in high school are eligible for the program. But, many states require the applicant to be 17 years of age and a resident of the state. Some states which permit students under 17 years of age to take the test require a letter of parental agreement and a letter of agreement from the pupil’s school district.