Getting A GED: Application, Preparation And Process For a High School Equivalency Diploma

If you’re stuck on the career ladder and can’t go further up just because you didn’t finish high school, don’t worry. There is still a way to get what is called a General Education Development Diploma, also referred to as a high school equivalency.

There are standard tests that you need to take to qualify, which test your ability in various subjects that a high school graduate would have studied throughout their education. The qualifying criteria are simple: not a current high school student, over 18, and not a high school graduate.

Here are a few tip-top tips on how to get through your GED and safely to the other side:

1. Get an information packet from your local testing center. This will tell you the format, scoring and passing grade for each test. It will also give you an overview of what you’ll be expected to know about the subjects and the test itself.

2. Get yourself on the rolls of a prep course designed for the GED, or invest in study guides. If your high school days are far behind you, you might need a bit of boning up before the test. There are also valuable tips there that can get you unstuck when you face the really tough sections of the actual test.

3. Take a couple of mock up tests. Practice doesn’t need to make you perfect, but it will make you good enough for a passing grade. Prep courses will naturally have these as a part of their curriculum. You can also access free online versions of past tests on the internet.

4. When you think you’re ready to face the test, contact the nearest testing center and sign up for the GED test. There’s a tremendous amount of flexibility afforded to take the tests. Typically, each section will take about an hour and a half or less.

Scores are valid for three subsequent years in case you can’t take them all together. You won’t be able to do it online though – it’s not that they don’t trust you. It’s that they don’t trust anyone. Fair enough, considering the amount of flexibility they give you.

5. The next step is to cross your fingers and wait for three weeks, which is the time it takes for your test results to come back. If you’re at or above the 60 percent minimum passing grade, then congratulations you are in the right track. You are now eligible for higher pay, and even a college education if that’s what you’re after.

If you didn’t pass the first time, there’s no need to worry. You can take it two more times in the same calendar year, so next time, study harder, and success will ultimately be yours.