Available Testing

GED® Testing

More than 19 million Americans have earned a high school equivalency credential through the GED® Testing Service (GEDTS). The GEDTS is now a joint venture between Pearson-VUE and the American Council on Education to advance and deliver the GED® Test. The GED® Test is the most widely accepted measure of high school equivalency. The GED® Test is a high school equivalency test battery that measures skills in four subject areas: Reasoning through Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. All tests must be taken and passed to earn your high school equivalency diploma.

In order to take the GED tests, you must:

• Have a valid government-issued photo ID (see below).
• Be a Texas resident 18 or older with a Texas address
• Be a 17 year old with parental permission
• If ID presented does not show Texas address you must have proof of residency (utility bill, bank statement or lease agreement)
• Not be enrolled in high school (provide School Withdrawal form)
• Not be a high school graduate

A valid government-issued ID:

• ID must be current (not expired)
• All ID's must show a Texas address or have proof of Texas residency
• Must include a date of birth, photograph and signature
• May include the following:
  • State Driver’s License
  • Department of Public Safety ID Card
  • Military ID
  • Passport
  • U.S. Passport Card
  • Matricula Consular Card
• Does not include:
  • Credit or Debit Cards
  • School ID Cards

Fees for the GED Test:

In the state of Texas, there is a $36.25 fee attached to each of the four GED subject areas, for a total of $145. Please note that this must be paid with a credit card at the time you register for the test.

What are the Testing Hours?

• GED tests are offered on Thursdays and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Registering for your GED tests:

GED has made registering for your exams quite simple and straightforward. All you have to do is sign up for a MyGED account here.

Within your MyGED, you will to access information on testing rules and regulations, request accommodations, and schedule your exams.

With MyGED, you can schedule your exams 24-7. When you log in, you will click on the Schedule Test link at the top of the page. You will then have the opportunity to choose the subject, day, time and location that works best for you.

Some 16 and 17-year-olds may qualify for an exception to take the high school equivalency exams before the age of 18. For additional information, please visit Eligibility Requirements.

PLEASE NOTE:  The process for submitting requests for 16 and 17-year-olds has changed and submitting forms through Accellion is no longer used. All requests will now be submitted through the Help Desk. This ticketing system will facilitate processing your requests.

17-Year-Old Test-Takers

1. The test taker must choose a test and initiate the registration process at www.ged.com. A candidate ID will be issued by the registration system.
2. An alert message from the test vendor will provide a link to the TEA Help Desk.
3. The Parent or Guardian is responsible for submitting the help desk ticket. A third party may submit the ticket by attaching a signed Parent/Guardian Consent Form to the ticket (see form below).
4. Upon receipt, TEA staff will verify that the test taker is not currently enrolled in an accredited high school. You will be notified if additional action or documentation is required. Please allow 2 - 3 business days for processing.
5. The test taker will receive an email notification from the test vendor to complete the registration process and schedule the exams.

*If you are married, entered into military service, declared an adult by the court, or have otherwise legally severed the child-parent relationship, you may submit supporting documentation confirming your status as married, a soldier, legal adult, etc. when you submit a Help Desk ticket.

Court-Ordered 16 and 17-Year-Old Test-Takers

1. The test taker must choose a test and initiate the registration process at www.ged.com.
2.  A court-ordered 16 or 17-year-old test-taker can use one of the following methods:
   • A representative of the court or agency can create a ticket on the TEA Help Desk, or
   • Scan the court order requiring you to test and upload by creating a ticket: TEA Help Desk

Forms

The following forms are no longer required in most cases, but are provided to facilitate third party submissions.

Parent or Guardian Consent of 17-Year-Old Test-Taker (PDF)  

High School Non-Enrollment Form  (PDF). This form verifies that the student has withdrawn from the school. Signed withdrawal documentation can be submitted in place of the non-enrollment form. Scan and attach to a new Help Desk ticket.

17-Year-Old Test-Taker Eligibility based on the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (PDF) For eligible homeless 17-year-olds.

Instructions for Submitting Documents to TEA

Please create a Help Desk ticket to submit documentation. If you have already created a ticket, you will need to create a new ticket to submit additional documents

GED Sections and Time Limits:

The GED is offered on the computer and includes the following four parts:

• Reasoning through Language Arts (150 minutes, 10 minute break between parts 2 & 3, and 45 minutes for the written essay) 
• Social Studies (70 minutes with no break) 
• Science (90 minutes with no break) 
• Mathematical Reasoning (115 minutes with short breaks between parts) 

The Social Studies, Science, and Mathematics modules include an embedded calculator, and an example can be found here. 

You can bring your own calculator to the GED test and use it during the Social Studies test, the Science test, and Section 2 of the Mathematical Reasoning test. You can use your own calculator provided the following: It is a TI-30XS on-screen calculator. Any calculator you bring that does not match the accepted models cannot be brought into the testing room and used on the exam. We can provide a calculator if needed.

GED Scoring:

GED Scoring Requirements: 

You can find the scoring requirements here.

You will be able to view your scores at the end of the day you tested. All you have to do is log back into MyGED and click on the ‘My Scores’ link. 

TJC does not supply GED Scores.

Retake Policy:

If you did not pass one of your GED test subjects, you are given two subsequent retests, with no restrictions between retakes. If you fail the third or any subsequent retest, you must wait 60 days for your next attempt.

GED Study Classes at TJC:

Call the Literacy Council at 903-533-0330 for class information. It is not necessary to take classes but classes would help you better prepare for the GED test.

GED Dates and Location

GED test dates and times are Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

We are located at:

TJC West
Regional Training and Development Complex Room 155
1530 SSW Loop 323
Tyler, TX 75701
Phone: 903-510-2993 (Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)