What are the GED Tests?
Who is eligible to take the GED Tests?
What documentation is required to take the GED Tests?
What are the special conditions under which a 16 or 17 year old may take the GED Test?
Where are the GED Tests offered?
What are the passing scores for a Kansas State high school diploma and how can they be interpreted?
Can GED candidates retest if they don't pass the first time?
What is the GED Practice Test?
Is there a fee for taking the GED Tests?
Are testing accommodations available for candidates with special needs and Spanish-language?
How are GED test scores related to rank-in-class?
Can GED scores be used for college admission?
Can GED test scores be upgraded by retesting after a diploma has been awarded?

Request for GED Form
 

What are the GED Tests?
The GED Tests measure the major academic skills and concepts associated with four years of regular high school instruction. They provide an opportunity for persons who have not graduated from high school to earn a high school equivalency diploma.

The GED Tests measure competency in five subject areas: Language Arts-Writing, Social Studies, Science, Language Arts-Reading, and Mathematics.
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Who is eligible to take the GED Tests?
Adults 18 years of age or older may test without any special conditions. Special conditions apply to persons who are at least 16 years of age (but have not reached their 18th birthday)

Persons who are not enrolled in an accredited high school.

Those who have not already graduated from an accredited high school nor received a GED high school equivalency diploma.

For additional information, please refer to the GED Rules & Regulations  (Back to Top)

What documentation is required to take the GED Tests?
When GED candidates register to take the GED Tests, they must provide current photo identification which includes name, address, date of birth, and signature. Acceptable current photo identification includes:

• Kansas Driver's License
• Photo ID cards issued by Kansas Division of Motor Vehicles
• Passport
• Military ID
• Other forms of national or foreign government ID
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What are the special conditions under which a 16 or 17 year old may take the GED Test?
Kansas law states that persons between the ages of 16 and 17 may take the GED Tests only under the following conditions:

A. Present a completed Compulsory School Attendance Disclaimer and/or a completed Compulsory Attendance Exemption form from the school district, in which the candidate currently resides, with a parent or guardian's signature

OR

B. Present a completed Compulsory School Attendance Disclaimer and/or a completed Compulsory Attendance Exemption form from the school district, in which the candidate currently resides, AND documentation regarding one of the following:

1. marriage certificate
2. court order
3. legal documentation of emancipation
4. Adjudication and still under court authority

OR

C. For those home schooled, present a graduation certificate or a letter of disenrollment from the home school signed by the parent or person in charge of the home school.
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Where are the GED Tests offered?
GED Tests are administered only by GED Testing Centers that have been authorized by the national GED Testing Service and approved by the Kansas State GED Administrator. No unauthorized sites may administer the GED Tests. There are currently 27 official GED Testing Centers in Kansas. Each Testing Center's testing schedule varies. To find out when the GED Tests are administered and how to register at a Testing Center; contact the Center(s) of your choice.

• GED Testing Centers
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What are the passing scores for a Kansas State high school diploma and how can they be interpreted?
The GED Diploma is awarded when a candidate receives a score of at least 420 on each of the five tests with an average score of 450 (2250 total points) on all five tests.

• The score scales for the GED Tests are referenced to the performance of graduating high school seniors on the GED Tests.
• To ensure that scores reflect the performance of contemporary high school seniors, the tests are periodically checked.
• Scores range from a minimum of 200 to a maximum of 800 points for each of the five GED Tests.
• Only an estimated 60% of high school graduates would pass the GED Tests at the minimum scores of 420 on each test and an average of 450 (2250 total points) on all five tests, according to the 2001 Norming Study.

For complete information, please see the GED Rules & Regulations.  (Back to Top)

Can GED candidates retest if they don't pass the first time?
Yes. Retests are administered using a form of the GED Test(s) different from the form(s) the candidate has already taken. Candidates do not have to complete the full battery of five GED Tests before they can retest on any single test. Candidates that did not receive the minimum passing score of420 points may retest on any of the five GED Tests in order to bring the score up to the minimum. When candidates have received the minimum passing score of 420 points on each of the GED tests and still have a total score of less than 2250, they may retest on whichever tests they choose, as long as the form of the particular test is different from the one that they took earlier. If a candidate retests on the same test form, the retest score will be automatically invalidated. Since there are only three test forms available in the state each year, a candidate may test only three times during any given year.
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What is the GED Practice Test?
The GED Practice Test is a shortened form of the GED Tests designed to indicate whether or not a person is ready to take and pass the GED Tests. Administered under timed conditions, it is a good predictor of success for the English version of the GED Tests. For information about taking the GED Practice Test, contact a GED Testing Center.
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Is there a fee for taking the GED Tests?
Most Kansas GED testing centers are supported primarily through fees charged for testing. As of July 1, 2011, the fees are as follows:

Students participating in Kansas Adult Education GED preparation (instructional) programs may not be charged a fee for taking the GED Official Practice Test, if these students already have paid the center's materials fees (approximately $25-$40).
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 Are testing accommodations available for candidates with special needs and Spanish-language?
Adult learners with special needs may apply for special testing accommodations if they can document that they are capable of passing the GED Tests but are prevented from doing so because of a disabling condition.

Candidates with learning or physical disabilities may request modifications of standard testing conditions based on documented special needs. Modifications include: extended testing time, assistance from a scribe, use of a calculator, testing in a private room and/or frequent supervised breaks. Special editions of English-language GED Tests are available in audiocassette, Braille, and large print formats when need is documented.

To receive testing accommodations, candidates must complete a request form that fulfills these criteria:

• Documentation of ability to pass the GED Tests
• Documentation of the disabling condition
• Relation of the requested accommodations to the documented disabling condition
• Completion of the request forms in their entirety

In addition to the listed criteria, requests for accommodations for specific learning disabilities and/or ADHD must provide recent documentation of academic achievement. Although the request forms for physical and/or emotional disabilities may be copies, the requests for accommodations for specific learning disabilities and/or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) must be submitted on original forms. Request forms are available at all Kansas GED Testing Centers and GED Testing Service, http://www.gedtestingservice.com/testers/accommodations-for-disability#Accommodations3.

Completed request forms must be reviewed by the testing center where the candidate plans to test. Incomplete requests will be returned to the candidate for completion. After review by the testing center, the request must be sent to the State GED Testing Office for approval. In unusual cases, the request will be forwarded to the national GED Testing Service for review.
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How are GED test scores related to rank-in-class?
 Grade point average cannot be determined from GED test scores. However, GED percentile ranks can be viewed as approximate class rank.

GED percentile rankings represent the GED graduate's performance related to the performance on the GED Tests of a representative group of graduating high school seniors.

GED Standard Score and Estimated Class Rank of Graduating High School Seniors

GED Score   Est. Class Rank  GED Score  Est. Class Rank
   700               Top 1%                 550              Top 25%
   670               Top 2%                 530              Top 33%
   660               Top 3%                 520              Top 40%
   640               Top 5%                 500              Top 50%
   610               Top 10%               460              Top 55%
   580               Top 15%               450              Top 60%
   570               Top 20%

• Link to Understanding Your Scores
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Can GED scores be used for college admission?
Nearly all colleges and universities in the U.S. accept the GED diploma as a high school equivalency credential. GED Tests cannot be used as a substitute for placement or admission tests.
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Can GED test scores be upgraded by retesting after a diploma has been awarded?
Passing GED scores for candidates that have qualified for a GED diploma can be upgraded ONLY if an employer, a college or a university requires higher scores. To upgrade scores, a candidate must have a letter from the college or workplace, on its letterhead, identifying the minimum average score required for employment or enrollment. The letter must be submitted to the State GED Administrator for approval. The candidate MUST receive approval BEFORE the tests are retaken.
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