How exactly does one get a GED? I have a friend who’s quite smart, but didn’t exactly pass high school. I’ve been doing my best to get him to try to earn a GED, but he isn’t sure how to begin, and including his parents, I alone seem to want him to. I’m confident he could pass any necessary tests, but does he have to take courses no matter what?
Find a local community collage that will give you a pre test. Than you could either take the classes or take the test right away as I did.
Your state’s Dept. of Ed. should have a GED office. You could also try your local vocational schools, junior colleges, and public library.
In Ohio, you just pay your forty-odd bucks and take the test, hopefully after studying a bit. An alarming number of people don’t seem to do that, though.
Make no mistake; the test is no joke. Eight hours long, and hard as hell. At my library, we offer a free, four-hour practice test. If you pass it, you’re awarded a voucher that waives the fee for the full version. Something like 75% of the people give up without completing it, though, usually complaining that it’s too tough. Well yeah, doofus. It’s supposed to replace four years of high school.
8 hours?!?! Wow! I took mine in PA a couple of years ago and I remember it being closer to 2-3 hours. Also, it wasn’t to hard for me. Most of the questions were fairly easy if you can reason well. The hardest part for me was the writing part but then again I’ve always sucked at English.
I got my ged. My scores were in the 600’s they added an extra diget in my state so instead of 60 its 600. It didnt take me that long to study for it. and the test wasnt all that long the longest one that I took was the hev wich is a diploma from a state not a school!
You sure? I took the Ohio GED test a few years ago, and I don’t remember it being 8 hours.
Of course, I don’t remember it being hard, either. I bet any smart 6th grader could pass it.
Actually, I remember doing extremely well - one of the very top scores in the state for that year - because I got offered a scholorship based on it. Too bad my priorities weren’t on college at that point.
I have a GED (aka “Good Enuff Diploma”). Here’s my experience in Massachusetts, about ten years ago. It may be different today, or in other states.
I somehow got put in touch with an adult-education night school, but I forget how. I’d follow the above suggestions: contact a community college, or even your old high school.
First, I took a practice test. There were two segments: English and math. It took two to three hours. It wasn’t difficult; just hard enough to be a slight challenge.
After I passed the practice test, I arranged to take the real thing. It was the exact same as the practice test, only with different questions, and the addition of a writing/essay section at the end. I passed, with percentile scores in the high 90s.
If your friend is nervous, see if you can at least persuade him to take the practice test. Once he discovers how easy (for a smart person) it is, it’ll be much easier going after that.
Yup.
http://www.cojvs.k12.oh.us/ged-test.htm
That’s just the first hit on google.
BTW, I’m a little dated in re the test fees. It’s apparently $55 to take the revised 2002 test in Ohio.
Oh. I did it pretty fast, then…
After quite a misspent youth, I realized I’d be absolutely nowhere if I didn’t get at least a GED. I took mine in Chicago, about 13-14 years ago. I enrolled for the test at a community college, and bought a GED study guide with practice test at a book store. The test was 2 parts, or about 4hrs each on 2 weekends. There was a small fee, I don’t remember the cost. For anyone with half a good mind, it’s really quite easy if you want it.
H.S. drop outs are certainly capable of doing many jobs quite well. Sometimes “all I need to know, I learned in kindergarden”, but just getting the chance to prove your worth will be most difficult without at least some diploma somewhere. Good Luck in convincing your friend. I applaud your efforts to point him in the right direction. His decision very well may be the best, or worst, for the rest of his life.