Division of Career Education

One out of every seven people who receive high school diplomas each year earns that diploma by passing the GED tests.

Ninety percent of colleges and universities recognize the GED. Passing the GED tests puts a person in the top 60% of an estimated class rank of U.S. graduating high school seniors and lets colleges know the person has the skills and knowledge equivalent to applicants from traditional high schools.

More than 95 percent of employers nationwide employ GED graduates on the same basis as high school graduates in terms of hiring, salary, and opportunity for advancement.

Sixty-five percent of GED test-takers plan to enter college, a university, trade or technical school, or business school during the next year.

The average age of persons taking the GED tests is 24.7 years old.

GED Background

Tests of the General Educational Development (GED) were established in 1942 to help returning World War II veterans finish their studies and earn a high school credential.

Recognized throughout North America by employers and institutions of higher learning, the GED program served as a bridge to education and employment opportunities for millions of adults since 1942. An estimated 15 million people have earned high school equivalency credentials since the program began.

Today, GED tests measure the academic skills and knowledge students are expected to acquire during four years of high school. The GED test battery consists of five tests: writing skills, social studies, science, reading, and mathematics.

The GED testing program is jointly administered by the GED Testing Service of the American Council on Education and each participating state department of education. There are nearly 3,500 official GED Testing Centers in the U.S., Canada, and overseas.

Source: American Council on Education

Common Questions and Answers

Here are some commonly asked questions and answers:

What are the Score Requirements?

A minimum standard score of 2250, which is an average of 450 on the five tests, with no score below 410, is necessary to qualify for the certificate. Scores are valid for two years from test date.

What do the GED Tests Measure?

Language Arts, Reading: Literary Texts (poetry; drama: prose fiction before 1920, between 1920-1960, and after 1960) (75%); Nonfiction Prose (25%)

Language Arts, Writing Part I: Organization (15%); Sentence Structure (30%); Usage (30%); Mechanics (25%); Part II: Essay (45-minute direct writing exercise).

Mathematics: Number Operations and Number Sense (25%); Measurement and Geometry (25%); Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability (25%); Algebra, Functions, and Patterns (25%).

Science: Life Science (45%); Earth and Space Science (20%); Physical Science (Chemistry and Physics) (35%).

Social Studies: National History (25%); World History (15%); Economics (20%); Civics and Government (25%); Geography (15%).