In order to be eligible for GED testing, an applicant must be at least 18 and not a recipient of a high school diploma. People who are 17 may take the test if they are enrolled in an approved GED Option Program, have an age waiver signed by the superintendent of their school district and are not currently enrolled in high school. In order to test, an applicant will need to present a valid government-issued identification and pay a testing fee. Special testing needs can be accommodated.
The GED test is actually five tests covering reading, writing, social studies, mathematics and science, each with a minimum score of 200 and a maximum of 800. In order to receive a diploma, a student must receive a minimum score of 2250, an average of 450 on each test, with no score lower than 410.
An individual may retest three times during any one year after a 30-day waiting period between tests. This waiting period may be waived if the individual is enrolled in GED preparatory classes and the instructor requests a waiver or there are unusual circumstances which warrant dismissal of the waiting period.