The GED test is a high school equivalency exam. But what does that mean? How can a test be the equivalent of high school? And what is it, exactly, that we expect high school graduates to know?

Over 39 million disenfranchised American adults have no high school diploma, and so the doors to higher education and better job opportunities are closed to them. As a group, these Americans make about $350,000 less in their lifetimes than high school graduates or people with GEDs. Instead of moving the economy and their lives forward, Americans without high school degrees. The most widely accepted option for adults without a high school degree is a GED—a high school equivalency exam. What is this examination? What is the GED really testing? Can it truly be the equivalent of high school?

The skills that the GED is designed to measure are core skills that all high school students should learn, including communication, mathematics, problem solving, critical thinking, evaluation, and information processing. The GED test designers identify skills that are demanded by employers and by colleges or vocational schools, and the GED test is created to measure these real-life skills. According to the American Council of Education (ACE), a successful GED candidate must score better than 40 percent of traditional high school graduates.

The GED test is divided into five sections: reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies. The GED tests competency in understanding important documents and communicating through writing—essential skills in any workplace or learning environment. It also tests fundamental math concepts, which are important in dealing with financial management and business issues which affect all adults.

However, perhaps the most important skills that the GED measures are thinking skills. Most GED questions are not focused on knowledge of facts. Instead, many questions on the GED measure the test-taker’s ability to carefully think through a problem and use reasoning to come to a correct answer. GED test-takers are asked to use critical thinking, problem solving, evaluation, and analysis skills, along with fundamental knowledge of the nature of science, language, math, and social sciences. Because thinking skills can be applied to any discipline or workplace, these are the most crucial skills for any adult to master.

This is good news for the GED test-taker. It means that studying for, and passing, the GED doesn’t need to involve memorizing four years’ worth of high school textbooks. Instead, GED test-takers can focus their learning on essential skills. It’s also good news for employers. The ACE states that many employers find that they “get a more educated, more committed workforce” by hiring GED graduates.

Michael Ormsby, president of The GED Academy, cites test preparation as the most important component in passing the GED. A wide variety of GED study programs are available, including test prep books, classes at adult learning centers, workplace programs, and local college programs. However, Ormbsby warns, “Be wary of any program that claims to award a GED or high school diploma through an online test. These ‘diplomas’ are usually worthless.”

About 95% of colleges and employers accept a GED credential, opening closed doors for the millions of adult Americans who never completed high school.

For more information about the GED test or GED test preparation, visit The GED Academy.

Over 39 million Americans lack a high school diploma or GED, and without that accomplishment, better jobs and higher education aren’t available. The GED is an important options for people who want to better their situations. But they are left with the question: Can I pass?

The benefits of earning a GED are clear. Adults with a GED diploma earn on average $350,000 more during their lifetime than those who never got a high school degree. For those who use the GED as a stepping stone to higher education at a college, university, trade, or technical school, that amount could rise steeply–and they could earn up to a million dollars more in their careers.

The biggest stumbling blocks to earning a GED are usually the same factors that stopped potential GED test-takers from graduating high school. Some had problems at home. Some had to get jobs. Many experienced frustration trying to learn in a traditional school environment. A recent study supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation found the most high school dropouts leave school because they found school uninteresting, boring, and not relevant to their lives. Most of these students had grade point averages of C or better and could have succeeded in school had they continued. (http://www.essentialed.org/thesilentepidemic3-06.pdf)

Many adults expect the same frustrating conditions as high school when studying for the GED test, and often adult learners have even more responsibilities now than in high school: paying rent, supporting a family, and making ends meet.

“The good news,” says Michael Ormsby, president of The GED Academy, “is that, no matter what your situation, you probably can pass the GED with the right preparation.”

One of the most common obstacles students face is being overwhelmed by the idea of having to relearn high school. However, GED test-takers don’t need to learn everything taught in high school to prepare for the GED. The GED tests essential skills. Instead of memorizing the history of Europe or complex math equations, adult learners need to understand basic, fundamental concepts of math, science, social studies, language, and communication. Perhaps most importantly, GED test-takers need the ability to think critically and solve problems. “These aren’t just ’school skills,’” says Ormsby. “These are skills that everyone should have. And everyone can learn them.”

Another crucial obstacle to the GED is that, often, adults who never graduated high school didn’t learn how to learn. Studying alone or attending adult education classes might not be right for many adult learners. Test prep books may be frustrating, and going to classes after a long day’s work may seem impossible. Fortunately, modern technology provides options. Computers and the Internet have changed our lives, and they’re also changing the way we learn. Innovative GED study programs are available online that can help students learn at their own pace. Effective programs usually focus on real-life issues and skills, and they engage learners through an entertaining and simple educational experience.

However, websites that offer a “GED” or “high school” diploma in 10 days or a week through an online test are usually scams. These “diploma mills” charge $200 to $1,000 for a piece of paper that has no value.

The real GED must be taken in person, at a test center. Ormsby recommends that every test-taker make a study plan to prepare. First, interested adults should take a GED practice test to see what skills they need to work on. Then, GED test-takers need to find a study program that allows them to focus on areas they need to improve and fits into their lifestyle and learning style. “Soon, you’ll be on your way to a GED credential, more options, and greater earning potential,” Ormsby says. “Earning your GED does take commitment, but if you want to earn your GED, you can.”

For more information about GED online study programs, visit: www.passged.com

Education has become a critical issue in America. 39 million Americans lack the most basic educational achievement: a high school diploma. What skills do these Americans need in order to earn their GED and move ahead in today’s economy?

The GED Academy guides hundreds of test-takers through the GED program. “We see the same stories over and over,” President Michael Ormsby says, “The first questions everyone asks are: What can I expect? What will the GED test be like? What do I need to know for the GED?”

The GED is a sophisticated test that measures the most important skills that people should learn in high school. The test is divided into five sections: mathematics, social studies, science, reading, and writing. Most of the sections are in a multiple choice format, and the writing section includes a timed essay. The questions are formulated to test essential real-life skills: problem solving, critical thinking, evaluation, information processing, and making inferences. “The GED,” Ormsby states, “is a thinking test. I call it a thinking marathon because the GED takes eight hours of almost non-stop thinking.”

The analogy is not a bad one. A person who planned to run a marathon would need to train his or her body, and in much the same way, GED test-takers need to train their minds to think in specific ways. Training for a marathon takes time, and runners spend time building up their muscles and lungs every day. In much the same way, Ormsby recommends that GED test-takers should set aside some time each day to practice. The amount of time adult learners spend in test preparation depends on their current level of learning. “GED test preparation is for a specific purpose. You’re learning a well-defined set of skills,” says Ormsby. “Not facts and figures, but skills, like how to think through a problem to come to the right conclusion. It may take a few weeks or a couple of months, but with the right preparation, adult learners are amazingly successful [at the GED].”

Just like running a marathon requires specific strategies to go all the way, passing the GED also requires strategies for pacing yourself and test-taking skills as well as specific thinking skills. The emphasis of the GED is on measuring test-takers’ ability to reason, observe, and think clearly…skills that Ormsby insists adults can learn using the right tools.

The benefits of the GED are difficult to deny. GED graduates can qualify for better jobs and higher education. With a GED, an adult will on average earn $350,000 more throughout a lifelong career. Adults who go on to higher education earn even more. Ormsby credits this, in part, to the real-life skills that students learn to pass the GED. “It’s more than just a paper,” he says. “The GED represents essential knowledge and understanding.”

For more information about GED online study programs, visit: www.passged.com

Additional GED Test Information:

http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Professionals&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=58&ContentID=24092

http://www.dtae.org/adultlit/Perspectives9/testtips.html

http://adulted.about.com/cs/ged/a/GED2002.htm

http://www.testpedition.com/GED/

By Michael Ormsby

The GED is the General Education Development credential, the adult learner’s alternative to a high school diploma. But many people don’t understand the difficulty and value of the GED test, the testing requirements or even the process of taking it.

The first GED tests were developed in 1942 to help military war veterans finish their basic education and high school study program. Today, the GED credential is a worthwhile goal for the 34 to 38 million US adults who never graduated from high school. A GED enables adults to complete an educational milestone, to progress at work or in a career, and opens the door to advanced training and higher educational opportunities. People with a GED make an average of $385,000 more in their lifetime than people who do not have a GED or high school diploma.

WHAT DOES THE GED TEST INVOLVE?
The GED is a set of five tests, a cumulative 7.5-hour exam that measures knowledge of math, science, social studies, reading and writing ability.

For the science, social studies and reading tests, questions determine ability to make inferences, evaluations and deductions from material presented in short passages. The multiple-choice math test requires knowledge of basic number operations, basic algebra and geometry and algebra and data analysis. Part of the math test requires use of a calculator to perform number operations.

The writing test has two parts. The first is a multiple-choice test about the mechanics of English usage. The second part of the test is a 45-minute essay, based on a given prompt.

The GED tests are given at official test centers in all major cities across the U.S. and Canada. Even though some companies claim to offer the GED online, it’s not possible. The GED is not given online, only at official test centers. International testing is also available.

HOW DOES THE TEST COMPARE TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDIES?
The GED test has gleaned the most essential knowledge and skills acquired during a high school education. The emphasis in the GED tests is not on memorization, but on the application of practical knowledge and critical-thinking skills in the context of given information.

WHAT’S A PASSING SCORE ON THE GED TEST?
The standard scores for the GED tests range from a minimum of 200 to a maximum of 800 on each test. To pass, 60% is required. This translates to a score of at least 410 on each GED test to pass it, and an overall average score of 450 for the five-test battery. The score for any single test cannot be below 410, but if some are lower, other GED tests need to be well above 410 so that the scores for all five GED tests average out to at least 450.

HOW DIFFICULT IS THE GED TEST?
In terms of difficulty, consider that an average of only 60% of high school graduates can pass the test. For some people, GED testing can seem more difficult than high school because it’s easier to just memorize information than to know how to use it. For people who haven’t had much experience in making inferences, analyzing data, and making judgments, the GED test can seem very difficult.

However, a solid GED study program goes a long way toward reducing the difficulty level and increasing scores. Test familiarity — understanding the way test questions are given — helps. So GED practice tests go a long way in preparedness.

WHAT SHOULD A GED STUDY PROGRAM INCLUDE?
Taking GED preparation classes is a good way to outline a path of study. Some employers offer GED prep programs or basic skills classes as part of a workforce development program. In addition, most communities offer low-cost or even no-cost classes through a local high school, family resource center, community college or university.

But for many adult learners, classes aren’t a viable option. Research shows that GED on-site classes often compete with schedules, job and family commitments, and that many students have little or no access to childcare and transportation. For these adult learners, e-learning or distance learning are options, through an online study at home program. Preparation books, study guides and GED practice tests are also readily available.

These materials and online study at home programs enable an adult learner to create a self-guided study course and pre-test to determine the most critical study areas. Other benefits of self-guided study are affordability; flexible scheduling and self-pacing, since many adult learners report a history of negative classroom experiences.

However, lots of companies do business online that promise bogus diplomas and costly learning solutions. When purchasing programs or classes online, it pays to shop, compare and to read the fine print.

More Resources
For additional GED study tips, test information and free resources on the GED test, including financial aid and student support, visit passGED.com. The website also provides links to federal agencies and nonprofits that serve GED students, instructors and workforce development programs. For a list of official GED testing sites and administrative contacts, visit Test Sites.

©2006 Essential Education Corporation / www.passGED.com
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