Get the GED FACTS
- About 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 upper 25th percentile in terms of class rank, 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 12.6 million people have earned high school equivalency diplomas 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: Language Arts – Writing, Social Studies, Science, Language Arts – 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 web site