What are GED tests? How can they help me?

A General Educational Development (GED) test is a high school proficiency test for adults who never completed high school and want to earn a high school equivalency (GED) certificate.[2770]

These tests are administered nationally, but three have been specifically approved by the California Department of Education:

    GED® (GED Testing Service);
    HiSET® (ETS); AND
    TASC™ (CTB-McGraw-Hill).[2771]

If you pass a GED test in California, you’ll receive a California High School Equivalency Certificate (CAHSEC) (this is the official name for a GED in California).[2772] This certificate is your official proof that you have high school level academic skills. Once you have this certificate, you can apply to colleges and jobs that require a high school credential.[2773] You will need to take and pass the test for several different subject matters (sometimes called “modules”) in order to get your CAHSEC.

  1. 2770

    5 Cal. Code Regs. §§ 11530-11532. ↑

  2. 2771

    Cal. Dep’t of Educ., http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/gd/. ↑

  3. 2772

    GED Description—CalEdFacts, Cal. Dep’t of Educ., www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/gd/cefged.asp; 2014 California, GED Testing Service, www.gedtestingservice.com/testers/policy_ca. ↑

  4. 2773

    U.S. Dep’t of Educ. Office of Vocational & Adult Educ., Take Charge of Your Future: Get the Education and Training You Need (2012); Frequently Asked Questions, GED Testing Service, www.gedtestingservice.com/testers/mygedfaqs. ↑