GED Test Set to Change at End of 2013

NEWS FLASH! THE GED TEST will change at the end of 2013. Anyone who has not completed the current test will need to start all over, and the new test will be much more difficult. Exeter Adult Education Staff encourages everyone who has started the GED to get it completed now. GED preparation classes begin in September to help examinees strengthen their skills to get it done!

According to Debbie Tasker, New Hampshire GED Administrator

The GED Tests will change on January 1, 2014. According to the GED Testing Service, which is developing the new tests, there will be three changes:

1. The 2014 GED Tests will be keyed to the Common Core Standards, recently adopted by most states for K-12 schools.
2. The new GED Tests will be delivered as Computer Based Testing (CBT). 
3. There will be two cut scores for credentials—one a passing score signifying high school equivalence (similar to the current situation) and another score signifying college and career readiness.

Test-takers will still test at approved testing centers, such as Exeter Adult Education, but will have to take the test on a computer. Some of the test items will take advantage of CBT technology with “drag and drop” tasks or selections from a drop down menu. Test-takers will also need keyboarding skills to write several short answer responses and an essay. Given this information, it is apparent that the new tests will be more difficult for many examinees. All GED examiners agree that it’s beneficial for current GED students to complete and pass the tests now in use. Anyone who does not complete and pass all sections of the current GED Tests by the end of 2013 will have to start over.

The U.S. Census American Community Survey estimates that more than 6 per cent of New Hampshire residents between the ages of 25 and 64 lack a high school credential. This is a smaller percentage than in many states, but it still means that more than 47,000 working-age adults do not meet the minimum requirement for many of today’s jobs.

Last year 1,679 New Hampshire residents took steps to improve their qualifications by passing the General Educational Development (GED) Tests, earning the Certificate of High School Equivalency from the New Hampshire Department of Education. Forty-two percent of them cited “get a better job” as a key reason for taking GED Tests® and eighty-two percent hope to enter a job training program or postsecondary education.

“This is an excellent time to take GED Tests,” according to Debbie Tasker, “because the GED Testing Service will introduce a new version of the tests in January 2014, and we expect many New Hampshire residents to try to complete the current tests before that deadline. Many educators believe that the new tests will seem more difficult for many adults since the tests will be delivered on computer.  If you register now, you can test in a more relaxed atmosphere. You won’t have to deal with the last-minute rush of test-takers in 2013 or the uncertainty of a new test format in 2014.” 

If you or someone you know has started the GED or is considering it, please urge them to get in touch with Exeter Adult Education now, so it will be possible these individuals to reach their goal of earning a GED.  Classes begin in September:

GED CLASS REGISTRATION:

MORNING CLASS: Monday, September 10, 9:00 AM 

EVENING CLASS: Thursday, September 13, 6:30 PM

For more information regarding GED testing, official practice testing, and classes call Exeter Adult Education 775-8457 or go to adulted.sau16.org.

Submitted by Tammy Gluck, Exeter Adult Education.