Through ongoing research we have identified common behaviors, motivations, and attitudes among GED students. These student types, or personas, can be grouped into four categories.

Through research with tens of thousands of adult learners and GED program users over the past two years, we have found similarities among learners that we are using to shape our interactions with them. Here at GED Testing Service we have used this information to develop messaging that encourages students to pursue or continue testing.

This can be found in the new GED.com experience for students and the GED.com website updates. The new account experience has raised the likelihood of students persisting to take a GED test by roughly 4%. It is our goal to identify the challenges our test takers face and provide supportive ways to meet each student’s studying and testing needs.

Here are the four different “mindsets” alongside several identifying characteristics:

Determined— “I WILL The GED is my first step to success”

Even the most determined student can hit obstacles, so encouragement is still valuable. This persona also needs the benefit of well-target study aids: everything from how to study through what to study can be useful.

Family Go-To— “I CAN I need my GED, it’s so important!”

This persona has a strong desire to be a good person and to do good in the world — but has seen being available to her/his family as the only way to do that. Help this persona see a bigger vision of how they can do good in the world, and for their family, with the GED.

Disheartened—“I’LL TRY I want my GED, but can I do it?”

This persona needs hope, especially hope that she/he is able to change. That takes the growth mindset and self-efficacy. Help this persona see that every hero experiences failure and setbacks, and overcoming those ordeals is part of the victory.

Here and Now—“I WILL… later The GED will always be there.”

While everyone is affected by the context around them, this persona will especially benefit from a context that encourages consistent actions in the right direction. That context can come from a positive social group, a structured study tool, or automated messaging.

Identifying similarities between the personas and your students can help you develop and implement classroom instruction that motivates and accounts for the different ways students may approach the GED testing journey.

The full chart with detailed descriptions of each persona can be downloaded here.

Postsecondary credentials are helping GED graduates meet the growing demands of the job market, while helping stimulate the American economy.

According to research from The Brookings Institution the average bachelor’s degree holder contributes $278,000 more to local economies than the average high school graduate through direct spending over the course of his or her lifetime. An associate degree holder contributes $81,000 more than a high school graduate.

This data supports the growing number of GED graduates seeking and earning postsecondary credentials to enter the workforce. We have found that since the launch of the 2014 test, 2 out of 3 GED graduates express interest in attending college. These graduates aren’t just interested in college, they are acting on their aspirations. GED grads are entering college programs at a higher rate than in the past. With more than 35% enrolling in a college program within a year of earning their credential, and at least 41% enrolling in college within two years of earning their credential.

Higher education is directly linked to increased earnings and more economic activity, further stimulating the local, regional and national economy. GED graduates recognize the correlation and are increasingly pursuing opportunities to upskill and enroll in higher education institutions.

In a recent survey of over 4,000 GED graduates that earned the College Ready (CR) score levels, we found that 57% of CR GED grads plan to earn a four-year degree from a college or university and 29% plan to earn a certificate or associate degree from a two-year program.

We also found that 71% of CR GED grads are currently employed in a number of fields including positions with for-profit and non-profit companies and jobs in the healthcare industry, military and government.

High school graduates on average earn $9,000 more each year than their non-graduate counterparts and high school dropouts cost the economy $1.8 billion in lost tax revenue annually. Earning a GED and a postsecondary credential also equips graduates with the skills needed to meet the demands of the current workforce. Over 50% of U.S. jobs are middle skill jobs with only 44% of workers qualified to fill these positions. These middle skill jobs require at least some postsecondary education and training, but less than a 4-year degree.

According to the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce there are 30 million “good jobs” available in the U.S. with median salaries around $55,000 for people without Bachelor’s degrees. Many of these “good jobs” are middle skill jobs that can be found in the hospitality, healthcare and finance sectors.

The need for GED graduates with postsecondary credentials will only continue to grow as millions of middle skill jobs are created and others remain vacant.

More information about GED graduates and college readiness can be found here.

No tricks, just treats with this month’s GED Ready promotion for students!

Starting October 15, students can take advantage of this un “boo-lievable” deal and purchase GED Ready subjects for $2.99 each— $11.96 for all four subjects.

“Witch-ever” option they choose, students can purchase the GED Ready subjects through their GED.com accounts and the GED Marketplace using the code: TREATYOURSELF

While ghosts, ghouls and goblins may stir up a fright, please hurry this promo expires Halloween night!

During 2017, the number of testers in Corrections facilities grew nationally. Here’s a look at the numbers:

2017 Corrections test takers: 59,776, this is an increase from 48,164 in 2016 (an increase of 24% from the prior year)

2017 Corrections pass rate: 78%

Top ten jurisdictions meeting or exceeding the national pass rate of 78%:

Hawaii 95%

Illinois 93%

South Carolina 90%

South Dakota 90%

Minnesota 89%

Colorado 88%

Oregon 87%

Nebraska 87%

North Dakota 87%

Alaska 87%

Congratulations to the educators and staff who have worked so hard to help Corrections students achieve success, and congrats to the top 10 states with outstanding pass rates!

Through the end of the year we will be sharing more information and news about Corrections testing as part of a larger campaign to bring visibility to the great outcomes related to the GED credential–both inside and beyond Corrections.

We encourage you to continue to share your stories with us and explore the GED.com webpage dedicated to GED Corrections test preparation and administration.

*Article was updated on 10/17/18 to clarify that only the number of Corrections testers increased in 2017.

Are you or your students—for that matter—“spooked” by GED Ready score reports?

Are you thinking of score reports as “TMI” (too much information)? Not specific enough? Generic? If you are not mining score reports for insights to take your students to the next level, you are missing out on a strategy than can produce solid results.

In this webinar, we won’t focus on the “Likely to Pass” (Green Zone) students or those who are “Not Likely to Pass” (Red Zone). We’ll take a look at student score reports that are in the “Too Close to Call” category or the Yellow Zone. Students who score in the Yellow Zone are most likely to gamble and interpret “Too Close to Call” as an invitation to roll the dice. They will insist that they are ready and sometimes that may be true but more often than not, they will be just outside of the passing zone. Our mutual goal is to help as many students as possible be successful in their first attempt. Often that means digging into the score reports to uncover what they need to brush up on BEFORE they tackle operational testing. The GED Ready test is a strong predictor of performance and when combined with other tools like the High Impact Indicators (HIIs) and the Performance Level Descriptors (PLDs), you and your students have powerful tools to raise the probability of success.

Join us for the October installment of Tuesdays for Teachers, “Trick or Treat: Mining GED Ready Score Reports,” to experience score reports in a whole new light. Are you ready to meet the challenge of thinking of GED Ready score reports as a very detailed prescriptions for improving student skills? Like the haunted house on Halloween—we dare you!

–Daphne Atkinson, Senior Director of State Relationships for GED Testing Service