Family, Career and Technical Education
Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT IS THE GED?
The G.E.D. is the General Educational Development program that represents the alternative to a High School Diploma. It requires tests verifying an equivalency to accepted high school standards. The GED Test is comprised of 5 tests: Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts/Reading, and Language Arts/Writing. The candidate must earn a minimum standard score of 410 on each test and an average standard score of 450.
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WHERE CAN I TAKE THE GED TEST?
You may contact the Adult Education Program Supervisor in your parish, or information is available at www.louisianaschools.net.
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IS IT POSSIBLE TO TAKE THE GED TEST ONLINE?
No. The GED Testing Service does not have a system in place to allow a candidate to take the GED Test online. The following are reasons that underlie this decision:
· Security. The GED Testing Service has not developed a reliable method of determining if the person registered to take the test is the actual person who takes the test.
· Online capability. Online capability invites hackers to tap into the tests and sell for a price.
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WHAT ARE THE MINIMUM PASSING TEST SCORES?
The minimum passing scores for the GED Test is an earned standard score of 410 on each test and an average standard score of 450 on all five tests.
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IS THERE A FEE FOR TAKING THE GED TEST?
The recommended GED Test fee is $50.00 for initial testing and $30.00 for any retesting. The retesting candidate must retake the test(s) if the standard score(s) is/are less than 410 and/or the average standard score is less than 450.
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WHAT HAPPENS IF I DO NOT PASS THE TEST?
Students 16-18 years old:
Required to return to classes and re-qualify by passing the half-length GED Official Practice Test.
Students may retake any or all parts of the test in order to improve individual or overall scores. Persons may only test three times in a calendar year and are required to wait at least 30 days between each subsequent testing period.
Students 19 years of age or older:
Students 19 years of age or older may retake the test after a 30-day wait, for a maximum of three (3) times per calendar year. Any or all parts of the test may be retaken in order to improve individual or overall scores.
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IS CLASS ATTENDENCE REQUIRED?
Students who are 16-18 years of age must enroll in an adult education program. Others are encouraged to participate in an adult education program. These programs are designed to offer access to class resources, including GED acquisition training and test preparation skills, and to enhance workplace skills.
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WHAT ARE THE GED TESTING REQUIREMENTS?
State policy requires that students who are 16-18 years of age attend classes and demonstrate, by taking the GED Official Practice Test (OPT), their ability to pass the GED Test.
· Those who are 16 years of age will have additional requirements before they can enroll in an Adult Education program. The Adult Education Program Supervisor or High School Guidance Counselor in your area will assist the participant in qualifying for an adult education program.
· Those who are 17-18 years old are required to enroll in the Adult Education program in their area.
· Those who are 19 years of age can contact the Adult Education program in their area to be scheduled to take the GED test without the necessity of enrolling in Adult Education classes.
Contact the nearest Adult Education Program Supervisor for times and locations of classes and testing and/or any additional requirements.
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HOW CAN A 16-YEAR-OLD TAKE THE GED?
Compulsory School Age Attendance Law requires that students meet attendance criteria until the age of 17. The process of exiting school prior to 17 years of age will require contacting the current school of attendance and petitioning the LEA for a waiver. For details on specific requirements for this process, please contact the High School Guidance Counselor or Principal in your school.
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ARE THERE ANY ACCOMMODATIONS AVAILABLE FOR DISABILITIES?
There are four types of disabilities: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Emotional/Mental Health, Physical/Chronic Health Disability, and Learning and Other Cognitive Disabilities. Each of the four has a specific form that is to be used when requesting accommodations. These forms can be acquired from the GED Chief Examiner in your area. All sections of the forms must be completed. If a section is not completed, it will be returned to the GED Examiner.
Accommodations that are available are:
-Talking calculator
-Closed Circuit TV
-Extended time (1.5x, 2.0x)
-Audiocassette
-Signed essay or video/deaf and hard of hearing
-Video instructions/deaf and hard of hearing
-Scribe
-Calculator (for part II of math test)
-Private room
-Supervised breaks
-Instruction Interpreted
-BRAILLE
The accommodations request must be completed by the professional diagnostician. Alternatively, an advocate may complete the form using information from the professional diagnostician's report, if the professional is unavailable or documentation is currently on file with a candidate's school district. An advocate is someone other than the professional diagnostician who helps the candidate request testing accommodations. The professional's report must indicate certification or licensure. Documentation and assessment tests must include a clear diagnosis and provide information on current functional limitations that might affect the candidate's ability to take the tests under standard conditions.
In order for the Department of Education to determine which accommodation(s) is/are appropriate, there must be a discrepancy between the two sections. It is understood that Louisiana does not require 504 students to be IQ tested. However, the GED Testing Service in Washington, D.C., has decreed the necessity of the comparison. The following statement from the GED Testing Service should help to clarify the rationale for this decision:
The candidate requesting accommodations must have the intellectual capacity (an IQ within one standard deviation of the average IQ of all persons assessed by accepted Intelligence Instruments) to pass the GED.
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IS THE GED OFFERED IN LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH?
Yes. The GED is offered in Spanish and French print versions.
Other information or clarifications can be obtained through the Adult Education Office in your area.
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