The GED testing program is jointly administered by the GED Testing Service (GEDTS) of the American Council on Education and the Commonwealth of Virginia. The GED battery of tests is developed by GEDTS and the same tests are given in all fifty states.

AGE REQUIREMENTS

The GED test provides adults at least 18 years of age with an opportunity to earn a high school equivalency credential.

IDENTIFICATION

Valid driver’s licenses, valid passports, military IDs, or other forms of
government-issued (national or foreign) identification that show name, address, date of birth, signature, and photograph are all acceptable forms of identification. A social security card is required only if candidates would like their social security number to be included as part of their record.

What fees will I be charged? The fee for the GED test is $58 including the one-time $12 fee for first-time testers in Fairfax County. Fees are payable by cash or money order. Money orders should be made out to Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).

ELIGIBILITY

The GED tests may be administered only to persons who:

• have not graduated from an accredited high school or received a high school equivalency certificate or diploma in this country or any other;
• are not currently enrolled in high school;
• are at least 18 years of age.

Note: If an individual has been enrolled in a public, private, or a home school setting in the last 12 months, he/she must present a withdrawal letter from the last school in which the student was enrolled before taking the GED test.

SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS: The GED test has accommodations for which test takers may apply.

GED candidates may contact the Fairfax County Public School Office of the GED Chief Examiner to request accommodation forms. These forms must be filled out by a doctor, advocate or school staff member who can provide professional diagnosis. The testing candidate requesting the accommodations must present the completed forms to our office. Our office forwards the forms to the Department of Education in Richmond for eligibility review. When a student has an IEP through the school system, it does not necessarily mean that the request will be accepted as the GED follows ADA guidelines and not IDEA guidelines.

Click here to view upcoming test dates.

SCORES

To get the GED credential, a student must pass a series of five tests in writing skills, social studies, science, interpreting literature and arts, and mathematics. (Read more about that below.)

Successfully passing these sections demonstrates that the student has acquired a level of learning that is comparable to that of high school graduates.

The GED has set a national standard for the minimum score an examinee can receive in order to pass the GED.

Tests scores range from 200 to 800 points. A minimum standard score of 410 is necessary to pass each individual section, but an average standard score of 450 is required to pass the full battery.

What are the requirements for retesting? If the average standard score is 430 or better, the applicant may retake the test at any time, but remedial study is recommended.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Five separate tests make up the GED battery of tests. Test questions range in difficulty and cover a wide range of subjects. Most of the questions are multiple choice with five possible answers given. Part II of the Writing Skills Tests does require you to write an essay. The content of these tests are as follows:

Writing Skills, Part I (50 questions, 1 essay, 120 minutes)
15% Organization
30% Sentence Structure
30% Usage
25% Mechanics
Writing Skills, Part II (45 minutes)
Essay

Language Arts, Reading (40 questions, 65 minutes)
20% Comprehension
15% Application
30-35% Analysis
30-35% Synthesis

Social Studies (50 questions, 70 minutes)
15% History
30% Geography
30% Civics and Government
25% Economics

Science (50 questions, 80 minutes)
45% Life Science
20% Earth and Space Science
35% Physical Sciences

Mathematics Part 1 (25 questions, 45 minutes)

Mathematics Part 2 (25 questions, 45 minutes)

REGISTER TODAY

To apply to take the GED tests, you will need to complete an official application form in person. Contact Ann Wyllie for details at ann.wyllie@fcps.edu.