General Educational Development (GED) Diploma

It's never too late to finish what you started.

The GED is an alternative to a regular high school diploma. You can earn a State of Florida High School Diploma by successfully passing the General Educational Development (GED) test. The GED tests your skills in Language Arts Writing, Language Arts Reading, Social Studies, Science and Mathematics. You are allowed to use a calculator on Part I of the Mathematics examination.

To be eligible for the test you must be 18 years of age, a Florida resident in possession of a valid State of Florida ID or Florida Driver License and present your social security card. You must register in person and pay a non-refundable $70.00 test fee, by cash or money order. The test fee is subject to change without notice.

Contents

Eligibility

  
  1. Florida resident
  2. Age (1) 18 years of age or older, or (2) 16-17 years old with permission as provided for in School Board Policy 5125(b)
   

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Registration

 

   Register for the GED® test at Mid Florida Tech, Orlando Tech, Westside Tech, Winter Park Tech or Winter Park Tech-Avalon Campus. Registration is based on a first-come, first-served basis as testing capacity is limited. Please call the Tech Centers for specific registration times and days. Click here for Tech Center contact information and maps.
   

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Ending the 2002 Series GED® Test 

   On December 31, 2013, the 2002 Series GED® Test will end its run as the GED® test, and be replaced by a new GED® assessment. After the Dec. 31, 2013 deadline, all incomplete 2002 Series GED® Tests will become invalid. Test-takers who didn't pass all five content areas will have to re-take all the content areas on the new GED® assessment. Please plan to complete all sections of the exam prior to January 1, 2014, especially if you have already passed one or more sections.
   

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Need Help?

   To see if you are ready to take the GED, try our Pre-Assessment test or sign up for GED Prep classes. Click here for information about Pre-Assessment and GED® prep classes.
   

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GED® Test Fees

  

Click here for fee, test dates, and accomodations.

   

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Special Accommodations

   Individuals with physical handicaps or with specific learning disabilities may be provided special test accommodations. Click the following link to visit the official GED® Testing site for further information on requesting accommodations: http://www.gedtestingservice.com/testers/accommodations-for-disability.
   

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Exam Descriptions

 

Test 1

  • Writing Skills – (50 multiple-choice questions, and an essay). Part I of the test covers the multiple-choice section. Part I of the test includes business communications, "how to" texts, sentence structure, usage, mechanics, and organization development skills. Part II of the test gauges your ability to write an essay on an expository topic. Candidates must write a focused, developed essay. (Part I, 75 minutes; Part II, 45 minutes)

Test 2

  • Social Studies – (50 multiple-choice questions). The test measures concepts and skills from American History, Geography, Civics and Government, and Economics. The test measures your ability to understand articles, speeches, maps, graphs, charts, tables, cartoons, and other source materials. The test will also have excerpts from the U.S. Constitution, Federalist Papers, U.S. Declaration of Independence, and a landmark Supreme Court case. (70 minutes)

Test 3

  • Science – (50 multiple-choice questions). Incorporates standards of Physical Science, Life, Earth and Space Science, unifying concepts and processes, science as inquiry, science and technology, and the history and nature of science. (80 minutes)

Test 4

  • Language Arts Reading – (40 multiple-choice questions). Comprehension and syntheses skills are measured. The test will include several 300-400 word passages, one poem, one piece of drama, one business document, and at least one compare/contrast question. (65 minutes)

Test 5

  • Mathematics – (50 questions). This test measures Algebra and Geometry, Measurement, Number relations and Data analysis
  • Part I of the test allows the use of the Casio fx-260 solar calculator. Part II does not. Each part of the test is equally weighted. Candidates must complete both parts in order to obtain a score. If unsuccessful, both parts must be taken again. (Part I, 45 minutes; Part II, 45 minutes)
  • Both parts 1 and 2 of the Writing Skills and Mathematics subtests are required for retesters.

Scoring

 

A minimum standardized score of 410 on each of the five sub-tests and an average of 450 is required to earn a diploma. A total score of 2250 is also needed with no individual test score below 410.  Meeting both requirements makes you eligible to receive your State of Florida High School Diploma.

 

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Result Reporting

  

Approximately six to eight weeks following the test week, you will receive a letter from the Orange County GED Office, which will inform you of your test scores. If your scores meet the State of Florida requirements, you will also receive a State of Florida High School Diploma.

 

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Retesting

 

Examinees who do not receive a diploma on the initial testing may retest in the areas that are unsatisfactory. A new application fee is required. During a calendar year, examinees that have made three attempts and have not obtained a total score of 2,250 and a standard score of 410 on each of the subtests cannot test until the following year.

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