Procedures for
the Utah General Educational Development (GED®)
Testing July 1, 2009
Based on
Utah State Board of Education Rule R277-702,
Effective July 1, 2009 The procedures had a few additions in August 2009 and do periodically, so please check back for the most current version.
A. Title of State Credential:
Utah High School Completion Diploma
B. Value of the Utah High School Completion Diploma:
As of July 1, 2009, a Utah GED examinee passing the GED Tests at
Utah standards receives a “Utah High School Completion Diploma.” Prior
to July 1, 2009, a person passing Utah GED Tests received a “General
Educational Development Certificate.” The “market value” remains
the same. The GED credential is widely accepted by post-secondary institutions
and employers.
Prior to July 1, 2009, persons passing the GED Tests could receive
a maximum of five (5) units of credit toward an Adult Education Secondary
Diploma. This practice ceased as of July 1, 2009.
Persons who passed the GED Tests in Utah between January 1, 2002
and June 30, 2009, may exchange their GED Certificate for a Utah High
School Completion Diploma by completing and following the instructions
on the exchange form.
C. Eligibility for GED Testing (in Accordance with
R277-702-4):
If the applicant’s high school graduating class
HAS graduated,
the applicant must be at least 17 years of age.
If the applicant’s graduating class has NOT graduated:
The applicant must be out of school and be at least 16 years
of age to be eligible to take the GED Tests.
Special conditions involving high school principals, counselors
and local adult education programs exist to assure that potential
applicants and parents/guardians are aware of the consequences of
dropping-out of school and pursuing GED testing. The GED Testing
Centers require the applicant to submit a completed “Adult
Education Program and/or GED® Testing Application for 16-18 Year-Old
Non-Graduates” obtained from counselors in public high schools,
charter schools or special purpose residential schools.
By signing the form the GED testing applicant and parent/guardian
acknowledge:
That counseling has been provided with the applicant
explaining the major consequences of the applicant’s
education choices (“GED passing caveat”);
That the applicant is formally withdrawn from a program
of K-12 instruction; and
Permission from parents/guardians has
been given for the applicant to take the tests (or the applicant
presents his/her
marriage certificate in lieu of parental/guardian permission.)
16-year-old persons seeking admission to a GED Testing
Center must first access a Utah state-sponsored adult education program
for
verification that they have the academic readiness necessary to take
the GED Tests. Verification by an adult education program is not a
guarantee that the youth will pass the tests.
Beginning July 1, 2009 SSIDs (the applicant’s student number),
available from high schools or school districts, is needed for applicants
who are ages 16 through 19 who were enrolled in a Utah public education
program any time since July 2005.
Out-of-state GED testing applicants may use the application listed
in C2 or bring two letters to the testing center, one stating the GED
testing applicant is formally withdrawn from public education and the
second granting permission from a parent /guardian authorizing GED
testing. A marriage certificate can replace the second letter.
Out-of-state 16 to 18 year-old GED applicants who pass the GED Tests in other states may enroll in a Utah public school if the out-of-state GED credential is not recognized by the issuing state as a high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma.
Home-schooled GED testing applicants are to complete the application
listed in C2 unless they meet the criteria found in C1. For all 16-18 year olds who need the application form, the district or school can verify and sign that the home schooled student is formally withdrawn from all K-12 programs and services of the district and has been given the “GED passing caveat.”
D. Unusual Testing Situations
Persons who have lost proof of high school completion may take the
GED Tests by obtaining permission from the GED Testing State Administrator
(Murray Meszaros) murray.meszaros@schools.utah.gov or
at 801-538-7870.
Persons requiring higher GED Test scores for a specific post-secondary
institution admission may seek permission to retake GED Tests from
the GED Testing State Administrator by phone or E-mail.
Persons from foreign countries requiring proof of academic skills
or competency for employment, post-secondary or military entrance purposes,
etc., but have insufficient or unaccepted proof of such from the country
of origin, may take the GED Tests by contacting the GED Testing State
Administrator by phone or E-mail.
E. Proper ID Required – Includes Any of the
Following:
A government-issued photo ID is required for admission to a GED Testing
Center. Acceptable IDs include: a current driver’s license, temporary
driver’s license (are valid for only 6 months from date of issue
and only if they are legible), military ID, state ID card, or passport.
Library cards, high school and university ID cards are NOT accepted;
All other forms of ID must be cleared by the GED Testing State Administrator
by phone.
F. Application for Testing:
GED testing applicants must pre-register (a) prior to the day of
testing at www.GED123.org or (b) on the day of tests at any official
Utah GED Testing Center; and
Applicants must pay the required testing fees at one of the Utah
GED Testing Centers.
G. Fees for GED Testing:
The cost to take the entire battery of GED Tests is $70.00, which entitles the examinee to an official GED Score Report. A Utah High School Completion Diploma will also be awarded providing the examinee passes all five of the GED Tests at the minimum required scores for Utah.
Retesting: Examinees are charged $15.00 to retake any subtest with the exception of the Language Arts/Writing subtest which costs $20.00.
There is no charge for re-issuance of a Utah High School Completion Diploma and/or an official GED Score Report from the Utah State Office of Education. GED Testing Centers may charge for this service.
H. Requirements for Retesting:
Pay retesting fees.
An examinee is permitted to take and retake (twice) a single subject of the five GED subtests before starting the next subject. First, the examinee will pay for all GED Tests upfront ($70) and then pay for retesting fees for each subtest that is repeated.
An examinee may retake any or all of the GED Tests up to three
(3) times in a calendar year. A period of three (3) weeks normally
should elapse before an examinee retakes any GED Test where GED scores
are less than 380. It is highly advised that additional GED preparation
is undertaken in those three (3) weeks since there is no “easy
version” of the GED Tests.
Identical forms of the English GED Tests cannot be taken twice.
Only two versions of the Spanish GED Tests are available annually.
A three-month wait period is required before the same battery of Spanish
GED Tests may be retaken, and only with permission from the GED Testing
State Administrator.
Passing scores may be upgraded by retesting based on evidence of
need. Please see D2.
I. Requirements for Issuing Diplomas:
A GED examinee must obtain scores of at least 410 on each of the 5
tests with an average standard score of 450.
J. Official Transcripts:
An official GED Score Report is issued at the time any of the five
(5) GED Tests are scored. A Utah High School Completion Diploma is
issued when the examinee passes all five (5) GED Tests meeting Utah
testing standards. Test scores are accepted when original scores are
reported by: (1) Official GED Testing Centers or state offices; (2)
Transcript Service of the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education
Support (DANTES); (3) Veterans Administration hospitals and centers,
and; (4) the GED Testing Service (GEDTS).
K. Adult High School Credit:
No Carnegie units (credit) will be awarded for passing any portion
or all of the GED Tests after June 30, 2009. For all other situations
prior to that date, please consult with your local adult education
program and/or refer to Utah State Board of Education Rule 277-702-7
or Rule 277-733-8-H-e.
L. School District Responsibility:
School Districts do not have authority to delay or
deny access to the GED Tests if the person is qualified under section “C” even
though the student’s class has not graduated. NOTE: This
is inclusive of correctional facilities, detention centers and
jails
providing education
services are under the direction of a local school district board
of education.
M. Residency:
No limitations
N. Accommodations:
GED Testing applicants are encouraged to seek appropriate accommodations for GED Testing if they qualify based on diagnoses of learning, physical,
emotional or other disabilities and if proper documentation from a licensed
diagnostician is presented to the GED Testing State Administrator.
O. Utah State Board Policy Governing Access
to GED Tests
Access to GED Tests is limited to the GED Testing State Administrator,
state authorized GED examiners, and during actual testing, those examinees
without high school diplomas or a GED credential. Any other access
to GED Tests must be cleared in writing through the State Administrator
of GED Testing.
All test administrators shall conduct administration of the GED
Tests in strict accordance with Board rules, GEDTS procedures and guidelines
specified in the GEDTS test administration manual, Utah State Office
of Education policies, and school district or institutional rules and
policies.
Teachers, administrators, and school/institutional personnel:
Shall not provide students directly or indirectly with specific questions,
answers, or the subject matter of any specific item from official GED
Tests..
Shall not allow student access to any official testing material,
in any form, prior to test administration with the exception of GED
Tests demographic sheets.
Shall not knowingly and intentionally do anything that would inappropriately
affect the security, validity, or reliability of GED Test scores of
any individual student or group taking the GED Tests.
Violation of any of these rules may subject licensed educators
to possible disciplinary action under Rules of Professional Practices
and Conduct for Utah Educators, R686-103-6(I).
P. GED Testing State Administrator:
Murray
Meszaros
State GED Testing Administrator
Utah State Office of Education
250 East 500 South
P.O. Box 144200
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4200
Telephone: (801) 538-7870
Fax: (801) 538-7868 murray.meszaros@schools.utah.gov
Q. GED Testing Information and GED
Records:
Brenda Jacobsen
GED Testing Assistant
Phone: (801) 538-7921 (Press 1 to Bypass Message.)
Fax: (801) 538-7868 brenda.jacobsen@schools.utah.gov
This
site brought to you through the partnership of Utah State Office of
Education
(USOE), Utah Education Network
(UEN) and Utah System of Higher Education
(USHE). Send questions or comments
regarding this site to murray [dot] meszaros
[at]
schools [dot] utah [dot] gov
(Murray Meszaros)
.
This page last updated
September 14, 2009
.
