I’m ready to take a GED test. how do I sign up?

If you’re currently incarcerated:

    In a federal prison: Ask your education advisor to sign you up. You should be able to take the test if the education staff thinks you’re ready based on your most recent assessment and/or your current work in class.[2795]
    In a California state prison: First, sign up with your facility’s testing coordinator to take a GED predictor test. Depending on your score, you may be scheduled for the next available GED test date at your facility, or you may be enrolled in a GED preparation program for further study.[2796] Ask your correctional counselor or education department staff if you have questions about GED classes, VEP, or the GED predictor test.
    In a California county jail: Ask the education staff at your facility to sign you up to take the test the next time it is offered (if it is offered at your facility).

GED vs. High school diploma

Compared to a GED program, which may focus on preparing you to answer test questions quickly, a high school diploma program requires you to complete many classes that are part of a high school education. Required course subjects include: English (reading, writing, literature); math (algebra, geometry); natural science (biology, ecology, physics); social science (history, civics, economics); humanities (art, religion); and electives (health, media literacy).

If you’re formerly incarcerated:

    Create an online account at www.ged.com, and then sign up for a specific test date at a specific GED test center. To complete your registration, you must pay the fee ($35 per test module) using a credit card.
    To find out what GED test centers are near you, call the GED Testing Service at 1-800-626-9433.[2797] If you have Internet access, you can also use the search tool on the GED Testing Service website,[2798] or visit the GED test center directory on the California Department of Education website at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/gd/gedtestcntrs.asp.[2799]

General Tips

    You may want to register for just 1 or 2 test modules at a time if you can’t afford the full fee or if you want to give yourself time off between studying for the different subjects.[2800] To take the test in California, you must provide state-issued ID[2801] and proof of California residency.[2802] Before registering, ensure that you will have these documents on your test date. (You do not have to be a U.S. citizen or have a SSN to take the GED.[2803]) If you have more questions, contact the GED office at (916) 445-9438 or [email protected]. If you have Internet access, you can also find information posted online by the California Department of Education[2804] and the GED Testing Service.[2805]
  1. 2795

    If you don’t have a high school credential, you must be enrolled in a literacy class; and you must participate until you’ve spent 240 hours in class or until you earn your GED, whichever comes first. 28 C.F.R. § 544.70-75; see U.S. Dep’t Justice Fed. Bureau of Prisons, Program Statement 5350.28 Literacy Program (GED Standard) (Feb. 1, 2003); U.S. Dep’t Justice Fed. Bureau of Prisons, Program Statement 5300.21 Education Training & Leisure Time (Feb. 18, 2001); U.S. Dep’t Justice Fed. Bureau of Prisons, A Directory of Bureau of Prisons’ National Programs (May 21, 2014) at 1-3. ↑

  2. 2796

    Cal. Dep’t Corr. & Rehab., Operations Manual 101010.5.4 (2015); General Education Development, Cal. Dep’t of Corr. & Rehab. Div. of Rehabilitative Programs, www.cdcr.ca.gov/rehabilitation/general-education-development.html. You may also be able to get extra tutoring support through the Voluntary Education Program (VEP). See Voluntary Education Program, Cal. Dep’t of Corr. & Rehab. Div. of Rehabilitative Programs, www.cdcr.ca.gov/rehabilitation/voluntary-education-program.html. ↑

  3. 2797

    Test Taker Frequently Asked Questions, GED Testing Serv., www.gedtestingservice.com/testers/faqs-test-taker; Locate a Prep Center, GED Testing Serv., www.gedtestingservice.com/testers/locate-a-prep-center. ↑

  4. 2798

    Locate a Prep Center, GED Testing Serv., www.gedtestingservice.com/testers/locate-a-prep-center. ↑

  5. 2799

    Local GED Test Centers by City, Cal. Dep’t of Educ., www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/gd/gedtestcntrs.asp; see also Local GED Test Centers by County, Cal. Dep’t of Educ., www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/gd/centercounty.asp. ↑

  6. 2800

    Note: If you took any parts of the old paper-based GED before January 1, 2014, those scores no longer count. You must now take all four modules in the new computer-based format to earn your GED. See GED Testing Service: On the Record (June 25 - 26, 2012), www.ceanational.org/PDFs/QuestionsfromCorrectionsWebinarsFINAL.pdf. ↑

  7. 2801

    Acceptable forms of ID include: California driver license or ID card, passport, employment or work visa, green card, military or other government ID card, college ID card. See GED Eligibility, City Coll. of San Francisco, www.ccsf.edu/en/student-services/matriculation_services/ged_center/ged_eligibility.html. ↑

  8. 2802

    Acceptable forms of proof include: California driver license or ID card, birth certificate, tax returns, marriage license, car registration, utility bill, voter registration, bank statement, or apartment lease. 2014 California, GED Testing Serv., www.gedtestingservice.com/testers/policy_ca ↑

  9. 2803

    Frequently Asked Questions, GED Academy, www.passged.com/faqs.php. ↑

  10. 2804

    GED Test, Cal. Dep’t of Educ., www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/gd/gedtest.asp. ↑

  11. 2805

    2014 California, GED Testing Serv., www.gedtestingservice.com/testers/policy_ca. ↑