GED exam faces first update in 12 years

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The GED has always been a safe haven for those that never finished high school for one reason another. Created over 70 years ago, the General Educational Development test is now facing some design and policy overhauls.

The new tests will be aligned to match the Common Core State Standards that are being introduced to many schools across the United States. According to Dr. Anthony Carnevale, director of the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University, the new tests will “focus much more on the ability to use knowledge to learn more and solve problems.”

Another new feature is the test will administered by computers, rather than the traditional paper-based assessment. While the price of exams is currently set by local jurisdictions, Dr. Carnevale believes the prices will increase, in part, due to the infrastructure of the new computer-based system. According to the official GED test provider, GED Testing Service, most jurisdictions have price the exam around $120. Since administrators set their own price, the official costs can be as high as $400.

The GED tests were created in 1942 as a tool to test the academic skills of serviceman who left for World War II before completing high school. It has since provided a means of academic validation for many people seeking a foot in the door to the highly competitive workforce. The GED was last updated in 2002 and in 1988 before that. To read more about the changes, visit the GED Testing Service website.