State laws determine the minimum age for acquiring a GED. In most cases, school attendance is compulsory until the age of 16 or 17, after which time the student may leave school without obtaining permission. The minimum testing age usually coincides with the compulsory age, but students under 18 or 19 years old may have to submit documentation from their last high school and satisfy other training requirements.
Most states accept only individuals who are no longer enrolled in high school and who have been withdrawn for several months. However, students from high schools that are not accredited or who received diplomas in a country other than the United States or Canada are allowed to take the test.
States are permitted to enforce preparatory training requirements, such as adult education programs, but most states only impose these rules on underage testers. The option to study independently in preparation for the test makes a GED more obtainable for individuals who must work full-time or care for families. While formal training is not usually mandatory, enrollment in a GED prep or Job Corps course is recommended.
Individual states may have additional requirements that must be met. States including Rhode Island and Delaware have a mandatory practice test that must be passed before an individual qualifies to take the GED test. In other states, such as New Jersey, non-native English speakers who choose to take a foreign language version of the test must also pass an ESL (English as a Second Language) section to receive the GED. Re-testing for the GED is allowed, but there are typically mandatory waiting periods in between tests.
Every state determines its own fees for GED testing based on the testing center or the amount of funding provided by the government. As of 2010, only non-veterans over the age of 21 are required to pay the $13 test fee in Connecticut, while some Colorado testing centers charge as much as $90. Each state also establishes fees for re-taking the full test or individual sections.
The score range for each test is 200 to 800. For most states, the minimum score required to pass an individual section is 410, but a comprehensive score of 2250 is required to receive a GED. A person’s score may also determine how soon re-testing is allowed. With a score of 430, a section test may be allowed to be retaken immediately. Scores below 430 can result in a three- to six-month waiting period.