To qualify for GED testing, you must be an Alabama resident or enrolled in an adult education program. You must be 18 years of age, or 16 or 17 with a notarized parental permission slip and documentation stating that you are withdrawn from school. Documentation may be obtained from the county school board, a school principal or superintendent. Candidates are ineligible for GED testing if they are currently enrolled in a K-12 school or previously earned a diploma. Individuals enrolled in adult education classes or the Alternative High School Diploma Program are eligible for testing.
The Alabama GED test can only be taken at official testing centers approved by the Department of Post Secondary Education. When you register for GED testing, you will be given an academic assessment test to determine if you are ready for the GED, or need further instruction on one or all subjects. Qualifying for GED testing varies for each person and you may be required to take adult education classes before taking the test.
Government issued identification and a Social Security Card or tax ID number must be presented prior to testing. The Alabama GED test consists of five multiple-choice subjects, Social Studies, Science, Language Arts (Reading), Math, and Language Arts (Writing). A Language Arts Essay test is also required. The test is timed and you have 45 to 90 minutes to complete a section, depending on the subject. Depending on the testing center, the full GED test may be taken in one day, or split into separate dates for different subjects.
To pass the Alabama GED, you must meet or surpass the performance level of the top 60-percent of graduating high school seniors. You need to score 410 or more on individual tests and have an average score of 450, for a total score of 2250 or better to pass the test.
If you fail a section of the test, you must wait six weeks to retest. You are only allowed to test three times in a calendar year. If you get a passing score on any section of the GED, you do not have to retake that part of the test.