Earn your

GED® High School Diploma!

#1 most recognized higher secondary certificate worldwide

Internationally recognized

The GED® program is the only higher secondary certificate available in over 85 countries and accepted by nearly all universities in the U.S. and many across the world.

Alternative higher secondary certificate

The GED® is the American alternative to the A-level test, HSC, New Zealand’s NCEA, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and other higher secondary credentials.

United States & Canada

97% of universities and colleges in the United States and Canada accept the GED®.

Australia & New Zealand

South Africa

The GED® is recognized as a school leaver certificate. On completion of the GED®, students have the option to apply to the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) for a Certificate of Evaluation. SAQA has evaluated the GED® and found the National Senior Certificate as its closest comparable qualification.

75 years of trust and recognition

The GED® Testing Service is a joint venture between the American Council on Education and Pearson, a leading global education company. Over 20 million GED® graduates around the world have gone on to attend university in the U.S. and other countries.

OUR OFFERING

Instead of grade 10, 11 or 12, students will prepare to write their final GED® exams. These total approx. 7 hours and can be done over a few days. The GED® replaces grades 10-12 and we have condensed those grades into 2 years of study. We offer GED® Year 1 (a grade 10 and half of grade 11 replacement) and GED® Year 2 (a half of grade 11 and 12 replacement). This makes a total of 11 years studying, instead of 12 years. At the end of successfully completing GED® Year 2 with us, students will be sufficiently prepared to write their GED® final exams. The exams are taken at one of the many centres located countrywide.

The GED® curriculum is not officially offered or divided up into 2 levels, but we have labelled them Year 1 and Year 2 simply for practical reasons as we offer teaching support spread over 2 years. Since March 2019 the age for ANY South-African student to write the GED is 17 years.

Once successful, you will receive your GED® transcript from GED® Testing Service and a GED® credential from the Office of State Superintendent of Education in Washington, DC. The GED® credential signifies that the student has met the prevailing standards of high school in the United States. In addition, colleges and employers in many countries accept the GED® credential as equal to their country’s high school diploma.

Here is a copy of the GED® certificate as earned by a past student

Download certificate

Here is a copy of his GED® transcript

Download transcript

If a student does wish to proceed onto tertiary studies, see the relevant tertiary studies page by clicking here.

The GED® Test (2016 series) consists of four different test areas, with the fourth test subject area (Social Studies) consisting of 4 parts being History, Geography, Economics and Civics & Government

There are 4 final exams that are taken and each one is scored out of 200 points. Students must attain an overall average of 580 (145 points per exam) out of the combined 800 points (200 per exam) plus attain a minimum of 145 points out of 200 for each exam. This is not traditionally stated as a percentage, but it can be calculated to the equivalent of 72.5%.

Reasoning through Language Arts

Mathematical Reasoning

Science

Social Studies (History, Geography, Economics, Civics & Government)

The four tests are designed to measure the knowledge and skills that a student should have acquired after four years in high school. One important thing about the tests is that even though the questions may involve a specific area of study such as science, you don’t have to memorize specific facts, details, dates, or even exact definitions. Much of this information is given to you in the test itself. You will have to be able to read and understand the material that is presented and then to answer questions about it.

The GED® exams are made up of the following types of questions

Multiple choice

Drag and drop

Hot spot (select an area)

Fill in the blank

Short answer

Extended response

Access after final GED2 year

TIMETABLE OF HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY EXAMINATIONS

TOTAL: 7 HOURS, 42 MINUTES

Each subject is designed to test your skills and knowledge on different topics

SUBJECTTIME ALLOWEDDESCRIPTION
MATHS120 MINUTESQuatitative & Algebraic Problem Solving
SCIENCE95 MINUTESLife science, Physical Science, Earth and Space Science
SOCIAL STUDIES75 MINUTESCivics and Government, U.S. History, Economics,
Geography and the world
REASONING THROUGH LANGUAGE ARTS155 MINUTESAbility to read closely, Write clearly, and Edit and
Understand written text

INFORMATION

GED Final Exams

  • How do I schedule a test?
Log into your GED® profile and click on the “Schedule” tab at the top of the page. Alternatively, you can contact your nearest Boston VUE Testing centre to schedule your test.
  • Can I bring a calculator into the test?

No. There are no outside electronic devices allowed in the testing room. However, for the portions of the exam where a calculator is allowed, it is available on-screen, within the test. We recommend this tutorial to familiarize yourself with the online calculator https://ged.com/practice-test/en/calculator/

  • Can I bring pen and paper into the testing venue to work out calculations?
No, you may not take anything into the testing venue. You are provided with an on-screen calculator for any calculations required.
  • Can I wear jewelry to the testing venue?
Jewelry that is wider than 1/4 inch is NOT PERMITTED, unless the candidate is wearing an item which they claim can not be physically removed. Small jewelry is permitted.
  • If I have a disability, can I apply for special accommodation?

Yes, you can click here to apply for an accommodation. You must have your accommodation application approved before booking your test for the accommodation to apply to that test.

  • What is the test format?
The test is completed on a computer.
  • Is keyboarding speed an issue? How does this influence test time?
The time given is adequate for students to construct their answer and key in their response. Field testing has demonstrated that even test-takers with minimal keyboarding skills have adequate time.
  • How hard is the test?
The test is aligned with today’s high school standards. The difficulty level needed to pass the GED® test is the same difficulty level as needed to pass high school today.
  • How many questions will be on each test?

The new test forms do not specify numbers of test questions—they are based on raw score points, since all items are no longer worth just one point each. The final raw score point totals are as follows:
· Reasoning Through Language Arts – 65 raw score points
· Mathematical Reasoning – 49 raw score points
· Science – 40 raw score points
· Social Studies – 30 raw score points
Remember that scores from the 2014 GED® test are transformed to a common scaled score metric, to make the scores easier to use and interpret across the content areas.

  • How is the 2014 GED® test scored and what score is passing?
The 2014 GED® test is scored by computer. The passing standard on each content area has been set at a score of 145 on a scale of 100 to 200 scaled score points for each of the four content areas.
  • Is the 145 an average score needed for total passing or a minimum score required for the passing of each test for the 2014 GED®?
There is no average score needed for total passing.
  • How long do you expect we will wait for scores?
Scores will be returned from the test within 24 hours of completion of each subject.
  • What happens if I fail a test?
The GED Testing Service permits you to re-test the same subject two additional times without a wait and then requires a 60-day wait period between additional attempts. There is no minimum grade criterion to qualify for such a rewrite opportunity but it will attract a test fee. The GED® test score report will provide you with detailed feedback to address the skills you need to work on.
  • Can I apply for a rescore?

You can only apply for a rescore on your RLA Writing test. To request a rescore of your written response phone 011 083 8844, or email below information to help@ged.com:
Name and surname
GED ID
Date and time of the exam for review.
There is a $50 charge to challenge your mark, but if your score changes, you will be refunded the full $50.

  • What happens if there is a power outage during my exam?

If there is a power outage during your test, the testing centre will log a case with Pearson VUE. Once they have reviewed your case they will email you their decision. Should a resit be approved, you will need to contact International Pearson VUE directly to rebook your test. The testing centre is not able to rebook test dates on your behalf. You can contact the International Pearson VUE Call Centre on the South African number +27 (0) 11 083 8844 or on the International number +44 (0) 161-855-7440.

  • What happens when I pass all 4 tests?
On successful completion of all tests you will be issued an electronic version of your GED® High School Equivalency Credential issued by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education in Washington, DC. You will receive two e-mails from “Parchment”, which will be sent to the email address registered in your profile. Each email will have a link to a copy of your diploma and transcript. It is important that you download these documents immediately and keep them in a safe place, as the links will expire.
  • Can I convert my GED® results to a percentage mark?

Your GED® scores are not able to be converted to an overall percentage. The Percentage rank column shows the percentage of graduating seniors who score at or below the test-taker’s score in that subject. For more information and a full explanation on this, please click HERE.

  • What is the Percentile Rank on my transcript?

The percentile rank ranges from 1 to 99. Percentile rank shows the percentage of graduating high school seniors who participated in the Standardization and Norming Study and earned this score or lower. For more information and a full explanation on this, please click HERE.

  • Can I calculate my GPA based on my GED®?

GED test scores cannot directly be translated into grade-point-average (GPA) equivalents, grade level equivalents, or reading level equivalents. One of the purposes of standardized testing programs such as the GED® test is to provide an objective measure of student academic achievement, since school letter grades or grade levels can be inconsistent and unreliable indicators of performance. However, the battery average scale score can be located on the GED test’s table of percentile ranks. The percentiles can provide an approximation of the student’s class rank. For the current 2014 test, the class rank is based on the high school graduating class of 2013, whose data provided the basis of the GED® test’s Standardization and Norming Study.

Access after final GED2 year

Final year GED2 students have access to their ebooks and the final simulated exams until the end of their last payment month.

If a GED2 student wishes to have continued access to their ebooks and the simulated exams, they will be charged an access fee of R500 (approx $35) per month.

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