Preparing for Changes in the General Equivalency Degree (GED)

CLASP released an article discussing the new changes that will occur in 2014 to the General Equivalency Degree (GED) test. This change will impact roughly 25.7 million people between the ages 18 and 64 who are without a high school diploma. A major change includes a redesign of the subject-matter tests to incorporate more college readiness standards, as well as moving the test to a computerized-only format. The new GED test will also consider five primary issues that have implications on the youth and young adults participating in the test. These include: test preparation and instruction costs; transitioning to a computerized version; availability of testing centers; and testing content and impact on current GED programs. While there is still controversy about the value of a GED versus a high school diploma, in high poverty communities, the GED may be the only viable option available for individuals like disconnected youth to access employment.