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| GED Test Information at Massasoit |
| What is the GED? GED stands for General Educational Development. It is a test of high school equivalency. Even though you have not finished high school, you have probably gained knowledge and skills through experience, reading, and informal training. The GED Tests are designed to measure the important knowledge and skills, usually learned during four years of high school, that you may have obtained in a different manner. People who meet the standards established by both the American Council on Education / GED Testing Service and the Massachusetts Board of Education will receive a Massachusetts High School Equivalency Diploma. |
| You can contact the GED Office between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at 508-588-9100, extension 1994. |
| WHY DO YOU NEED A GED? (top) For most jobs today, the GED or a high school diploma is the minimum qualification for employment. The diploma means that you have mastered the skills necessary for communicating with and understanding supervisors, coworkers, and basic written and spoken interactions on the job. The diploma is also a basic requirement for most types of further education, including certificate programs and college work. Also, statistics show that people with a high school or a GED diploma make more money then those without the diploma. |
| WHAT LANGUAGE IS THE GED AVAILABLE IN? (top) The GED tests are available in English ONLY. Special large print and audiocassette of the GED tests are available, and adaptations to testing conditions are permitted for those individuals with documented disabilities. Prior approval is necessary for these testing conditions. |
| WHAT ARE THE GED TESTS LIKE? (top) With the exception of Part II of the Writing Skills Test, which requires you to write an essay, and the Mathematics Test, which requires the gridding of some answers, questions are provided in multiple-choice format. Each multiple-choice question lists five possible choices; you must select the best answer. The contents of the subject areas are as follows: |
| LANGUAGE ARTS, WRITING Part I (50 questions, 75 minutes) Organization 15%: Restructure paragraphs or ideas within paragraphs, identify topic sentences, and create unity and coherence in the document. Sentence Structure Usage 30%: Correct sentence fragments, run-on sentences, comma splices, improper coordination and subordination, misplaced modifiers, and lack of parallel structure. Usage 30%: Correct errors in subject-verb agreement, verb tense, and pronoun reference. Mechanics 25%: Correct errors in capitalization, punctuation, spelling (restricted to errors related to possessives, contractions, and homonyms). |
| Part II (essay, 45 minutes) The essay topic will require you to present your opinion or explain your views about the assigned topic. You will have 45 minutes in which to plan, write, and revise your essay. You will be given scratch paper on which you may jot notes, outline, and first draft. The answer booklet has two pages of lined paper on which you will write your final essay. |
| SOCIAL STUDIES (50 questions, 70 minutes) Most of the questions are based on written and visual texts drawn from a variety of sources, including academic and workplace texts, as well as primary and secondary sources. The information may be one or more paragraphs, a chart, table, graph, map, photograph, cartoon, or figure. History (United States) 20% World History 15% Geography 15% Civics and Government 25% Economics 20% |
| SOCIAL STUDIES (50 questions, 70 minutes) Most of the questions are based on written and visual texts drawn from a variety of sources, including academic and workplace texts, as well as primary and secondary sources. The information may be one or more paragraphs, a chart, table, graph, map, photograph, cartoon, or figure. History (United States) 20% World History 15% Geography 15% Civics and Government 25% Economics 20% |
| SCIENCE - (50 questions, 80 minutes) Test questions require you to understand, interpret, or apply information that is provided on the test or that is learned through life experience. The information may be a paragraph, chart, table, graph, map or figure. Physical Science (physics and chemistry) 35% Life Science 45% Earth and Space Science 20% |
| LANGUAGE ARTS, READING (40 questions, 65 minutes) This test measures your ability to comprehend and interpret workplace and academic reading selections and to apply those interpretations to new contexts. These questions ask you to understand, apply analyze, and synthesize information that you are given in the reading selections. Literary Texts 75% include a least one selection from each of the following areas: poetry drama prose fiction before 1920 prose fiction between 1920 and 1960 prose fiction after 1960 Nonfiction Texts 25% include two selections of non-fiction prose from any two of the following areas: nonfiction prose critical review of visual and performing arts workplace and community documents, such as mission and goal statements, rules for employee behavior, legal documents, and communications (for example, letters and excerpts from manuals |
| MATHEMATICS Part I (25 questions with optional calculator, 45 minutes) Part II (25 questions without a calculator, 45 minutes) Although 80% of the mathematics questions are multiple-choice, 20% of the questions require you to construct your own answer. Rather than select from five choices, you must record answers on either the standard or coordinate plane grids. Both Part I and Part II of the Mathematics Test have multiple-choice, standard grid, and coordinate grid questions. More information regarding this is provided during the registration process. |
| On Part I the test you are allowed to use a Casio fx-260 calculator to compute answers, which is provided for your use at testing. This test assesses your understanding of mathematical concepts and the application of those concepts to various real-world situations. The following four major areas are tested on the this test: Number operations and number sense 20% - 30% Measurement and geometry 20% - 30% Data analysis, statistics, and probability 20% - 30% Algebra, functions, and patterns 20% - 30% Alternate format questions |
| WHAT IS A PASSING GRADE? (top) The Massachusetts State Department of Education has set 410 as the lowest passing score AND a total score of 2250. This means that all individuals must have GED scores on all five tests of at least 410 or higher and an average score of 450. GED test scores range from 200 to 800. (800 being a perfect score.) If you score below 410 on a section of the test, then you must retake that section. You may also retake any section if you need a higher total average. |
| WHAT DO THE SCORES MEAN? (top) Results on each of the five GED tests are given as "standard scores" ranging from 200 to 800 and "percentile ranks" ranging from 1 to 99; higher scores result from correctly answering more test questions. Both scores compare your results to scores earned by a recent representative national sample of high school seniors. Approximately 68% of all graduating seniors score between 400 - 600 on the standard score scale. Only 2% of graduating seniors score lower than 300 or higher than 700. |
| HOW DO YOU OBTAIN A COPY OF YOUR SCORES? DIPLOMA? (top) |
| Scores To obtain a copy of you GED scores (transcript) you can either complete a GED Score Request or submit a written request to the GED Office. You must include the following with your request: |
| · Your current name · Named used when tested if different · Year tested · Date of birth · Social Security Number · Current Address · Name & address of individual or agency to send scores to · $1.00 processing fee for each transcript requested |
| Diploma Diplomas are issued from the Massachusetts Department of Education. It is important to note that the Department of Education does NOT issue duplicate diplomas. If you need verification that you received the Massachusetts high School Equivalency Diploma, you can either complete a GED Letter of Certification Request (Print out the form and mail to the Department of Education with the $2.00 processing fee for each letter requested.) or submit a written request to the Department of Education at: GED Processing Unit, P.O. Box 9120, 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-9120 and a letter of verification will be sent. You must include the following with your request: · Your current name · Named used when tested if different · Year tested · Date of birth · Social Security Number · Current Address · Name & address of individual or agency to send scores to · $2.00 processing fee for each transcript requested |
| WHO IS ELIGIBLE? (top) Anyone 16 years of age or older may take the test if they have not graduated from high school. If you are 16 or 17 years old, you must provide a letter from the last school you attended stating that you have officially withdrawn. |
| WHAT IF I HAVE A DISABILITY? (top) The GED Testing Program here at Massasoit has long provided accommodations to candidates with disabilities and is committed to compliance with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In an effort to make GED Tests accessible to all applicants, accommodations are made for candidates with diagnosed physical, mental, sensory, or learning disabilities that can provide appropriate documentation from a qualified professional of their impairment and its effect on their ability to take the GED Tests under standard conditions. All approvals for accommodations are made by the Massachusetts State Department of Education. If you or someone you know would like more information about testing accommodations, please contact Mr. Smith in the testing office at ext. 1990 for an appointment to meet and discuss the possibilities of receiving accommodations. |
| WHEN IS THE GED GIVEN? (top) The GED test is administered every month on scheduled Tuesday and Thursday evenings. All testing begins promptly at 4:30 p.m. on the scheduled Tuesdays and Thursdays and you are required to attend both evenings to complete the 7-1/2 hour test. Each evening of testing is completed no later than 9:00 p.m. |
| HOW DO YOU REGISTER FOR THE GED? (top) Anyone interested in taking the GED test should contact the GED Office at 508-588-9100 extension 1994 to schedule a registration session. During the registration session you will complete the necessary forms to be scheduled for the GED test. Also, at the registration session a short video is shown, in which the use of the calculator, as well as standard and coordinate plane grids are explained. At the completion of the registration session you will be given your appointment to take your actual GED Test. Test dates are usually within two or three weeks of registering. |
| HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO TAKE THE GED? (top) The GED test costs $65.00 for all five tests. The fee must be submitted at the time of registration in money order form only and is non-refundable. If after completing the GED tests you have not achieved a passing score you may retest. For each test subject you retake a $15.00 fee is charged. |
| HOW LONG ARE GED SCORES VALID? (top) Individuals have one year from the date of their first GED test to successfully pass the GED test. If an individual does not successfully pass the test within a year, their scores become invalid (sunsetted). GED test centers are required to keep records on all individuals that have passed the GED test for a minimum of 60 years. |
| DO YOU NEED TO PREPARE FOR THE GED? (top) If students believe they need to review material, they have a few options. |
GED Review Course at MCC (course #CSED020) (top)
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| On-line GED Review Course at MCC |
Contact Laurie Maker in Workforce Development & Community Education for more information |
| HOW DO YOU GET MORE INFORMATION? (top) GED Test Information: Call the Student Assessment / GED Office at 508-588-9100 extension 1994. GED Preparation Course Call 508-588-9100, extension 1509 Canton: 781-821-2222, extension 1509 |
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