Introduction. The Chancellor, Department of Postsecondary Education may award a State of Alabama High School Equivalency Diploma to you if you meet the eligibility requirements and attain a standard score of not less than four hundred ten (410) on each of the five (5) tests comprising the GED Test battery AND an average standard score of not less than four hundred fifty (450) on the test battery (2250 total points). Policies and score requirements may change without prior notice and may be supplemented by other policies of the GED Testing Service.

What are the GED Tests? The first GED Tests were developed in 1942 to help returning World War II veterans finish their studies and re-enter civilian life. Recognized throughout North America, the GED Testing Program has served as a bridge to education and employment for an estimated 15.2 million people over its 60-year history. About one in seven high school diplomas issued in the United States each year is based on passing the GED Tests. Developed by the American Council on Education’s GED Testing Service, the Tests of General Educational Development (GED Tests) are designed to measure the major and lasting academic outcomes students normally acquired by completing a typical high school program of study. Each of the five tests uses a multiple-choice question format. In addition, every GED candidate must also satisfactorily complete a timed essay on an assigned topic in order to pass the GED Tests. Each of the five tests in the GED Tests battery is developed from specifications established by experienced secondary school and adult educators and is reviewed by subject-matter experts. Every test question undergoes multiple reviews by test specialists and external content specialists and is evaluated for fairness. Each question is also field-tested before becoming part of a final test form. The GED Tests are standardized on a regular basis using a national stratified random sample of graduating high school seniors, tested in the spring of their senior year. These seniors establish the performance standard required for candidates to earn a GED credential. Equating studies ensure comparability across different forms of the GED Tests. The standard score scale for the GED Tests is derived directly from the performance of graduating high school seniors. Standard scores, and the accompanying percentile ranks, provide the vehicle for comparing the performance of GED candidates to the performance of graduating high school seniors. In order to pass the GED Tests, the GED candidate must currently demonstrate a level of skill that meets or surpasses that of the top 60 percent of graduating high school seniors.