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GENERAL EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT

(GED) PREPARATION

The General Education Development (GED) Test measures your knowledge and academic skills against those of today's traditional high school graduates. Students who pass the GED Test will be granted a California High School Equivalency Certificate.

Adult Basic Education offers two ways to prepare for the GED: on-campus preparation in the Adult Basic Education Lab and the Distance Learning GED Program.  Both programs have similar instruction, but the Distance Education program offers a flexible at home study format.

General Education Development (GED) Preparation is offered in each of the five subject areas of the GED test. These areas are:

• Language Arts, Reading
• Language Arts, Writing
• Social Studies
• Science
• Mathematics

GED Test Information

The GED Test takes more than seven hours to complete, although all test sections do not need to be completed on the same day. Most of the test sections are multiple-choice; however, students are required to write an essay. Test results are expressed as standard test scores ranging from 200 to 800.

Two requirements must be met for a student to pass the five content tests and obtain a GED certificate. The first requirement is to receive an average standard score at least 450 on each of the five content tests (for a total of at least 2250 for the five tests). The second requirement is to receive a standard score of at least 410 on each of the five content tests.

This means that if a student gets a 410 on one or more tests, the student can still earn a GED certificate as long as that he or she receives at least a total of 2250 points for all five contents tests. On the other hand, if a student gets a 410 on each of the five subject tests, he or she will pass those individual tests, but will not fulfill the average requirement (average of 450 per content test and 2250 total) needed to obtain a GED certificate. In this situation, the student would have to retake one or more tests to bring up his/her average.

Passing the GED

1. Attend a GED Orientation: Call (909) 274-4937.
2. Take the GED Pre-test Assessment for all five subject areas of the GED. Pre-and Post testing are emphasized to focus on the necessary areas of study
3. Choose to do your test preparation in the lab or through GED Distance Learning.
4. Complete an Individual Education Plan (IEP) to assist each student in passing the Official GED Exam. Students will be assigned one subject area at a time. Coursework is offered through direct instruction, and individual study. Students may set their own hours of study. Instructors monitor student progress to ensure that each person is ready to take the Official GED Exam.
5. Take the Official Exam: Once the objectives of the IEP have been completed, an instructor will refer the student for the Official GED Exam at the Adult Basic Education.
6. Earn the GED and Graduate! A cap and gown graduation is held in June of each year on the Mt. San Antonio College campus to celebrate those who pass the Official GED Exam. Upon graduation, a referral is made to the educational advisor so that all students continue on their educational path.

For information on the GED Preparation Program or the GED Distance Learning, please call (909) 274-4845 or email  abeinfo@mtsac.edu.

GED Frequently Asked Questions

GED Preparation Student Guide