GED Support

The General Education Diploma, or GED, is received after passing a series of five tests. It is designed to measure the same skill set expected of a recent high school graduate. GED testing covers reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, and science. The GED focuses primarily on the ability to think critically and apply practical skills, not memorizing specific facts, so you can be successful on the GED test so matter how long you have been out of school. Obtaining the GED certificate signifies that you have demonstrated the equivalent of at least a 12th grade-level ability in these five areas. The GED allows adults who, for whatever reason, did not obtain a high school diploma to showcase their academic abilities. It is a very helpful stepping stone in the pursuit of higher education and building your career. For example:

  • 98% of colleges and universities that require a high school diploma accept the GED credential
  • 96% of companies accept applicants with a GED credential for jobs requiring a high school degree

Famous people to have earned the GED include:

Bill Cosby, comedian and T.V. personality

Michael J. Fox, actor

Mary Lou Retton, Olympic gymnast                              

F. Story Musgrave, NASA astronaut

Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's

How to Start

To begin the process, it is recommended that you take a practice GED test to determine how ready you are, and what you might need to work on. You can take classes that will help you prepare for the test at a local adult learning center, often for little or no charge. If your schedule does not permit you to physically attend classes, there are other resources available to help you prepare, including online classes and even television programs.

Virginia has a specific program called "Race to GED," which is designed to give practical support and encouragement to people who want to earn their GED. 

Writing and the GED

Good writing skills are very important to success on the GED. Writing requires analytical, expressive, and interpretive skills that are important on all parts of the test. In addition, there are two sections of the GED that center on writing.

The first writing-specific section is composed of 50 multiple choice questions that ask you to edit workplace, how-to, and informational documents. They ask you to correct errors, revise for clarity, and make structural improvements to the provided sample documents.

The second writing section gives you 45 minutes to write an essay about a general topic. Graders score the essay on the following criteria:

  • How well-focused the main points are
  • Organization
  • How well developed the ideas in the essay are
  • Sentence-level basics, such as structure, grammar, and spelling

Even in this short essay, it is important to remember the fundamentals of good writing, and take the time both to brainstorm before starting, and to revise and reread at the end.