The GED (General Educational Development) test offers adults who have left school an opportunity to earn a high school credential. GED test-takers must demonstrate major skills in subtests covering five subject areas.
The Language Arts: Writing subtest includes questions on sentence structure, organization, usage, mechanics, and an original essay. Social Studies includes U.S. history, civics and government, economics, world history, and geography. Science includes biology, earth and space science, and physical science. Language Arts: Reading includes literary text and nonfiction prose. Finally, the Mathematics subtest includes arithmetic, algebra, geometry, data, statistics, and probability.
You are eligible to take the GED test if you are at least 17 years old, have lived in Indiana for at least 30 days immediately preceding the testing, and have not earned a high school diploma from a U.S. high school. Seventeen-year-olds wishing to take the GED test must provide documentation of a completed exit interview that shows their withdrawal from high school, as well as passing GED practice test scores.
You may wish to enroll in an adult basic education program, which provides free, individualized instruction year-round for adults who have not earned a high school diploma. For information, check with your local high school or call the Indiana Department of Education at 317-232-0522.
You may wish to prepare on your own. Many self-study books for the GED are available in bookstores and libraries. These guides, with titles like How to Prepare for the High School Equivalency Exam, may provide explanations of the correct answers to sample test questions. For information on “GED on TV,” a learn-at-home project sponsored by PBS public television, call toll-free 1-877-GEDONTV (1-877-433-6688).
In Indiana, it will cost up to $60 to take the GED test, depending on the testing site. The cost covers all five subtests. An individual subtest can also be taken separately for $10-$12. You must determine the testing schedule of a site close to you, register in person, and pay ahead of time. You should bring three forms of identification when you register, including one picture identification. (Bring the same three forms of identification to the testing session).
For a list of the state’s 69 testing sites, all of which are accessible to individuals with disabilities, call 317-232-0522 or visit the Indiana Department of Education Web site at www.doe.state.in.us/adulted/ged.htm.
If you require accommodations on the GED test, specific procedures must be followed in making a request. An accommodations form must be completed and sent to the testing site with documentation of a disability and the need for the accommodation. The chief examiner of the testing site will sign the form and send it to the GED state administrator. It usually takes two to three weeks to receive an answer to your request, but can take up to six weeks. If approved, you can then be scheduled to take the test with the accommodations.
GED tests are available in audiocassette, Braille, and large print versions. The most common accommodations allowed are the use of a private room, frequent breaks, sign language interpreter, scribe, calculator, or extended time. GED test-takers may also request the test in Spanish or French.
If you have additional questions about the GED test, call Nancy Waite, GED administrator, at 317-232-0523.
GED Fall 05 INDEPENDENCE
Request for Testing Accommodations - Checklist for Completing Forms
Request for Testing Accommodations - Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Request for Testing Accommodations - Emotional/Mental Health
Request for Testing Accommodations - Learning and Other Cognitive Disabilities
Request for Testing Accommodations - Physical/Chronic Health Disability