I hope you all remain healthy and safe and had a chance to connect with family and friends this summer.

As we enter the back-to-school season, we are looking forward to a great year of learning and another opportunity to have a positive impact on the lives of our learners. We recognize that “back to school” and the way we approach supporting and preparing students for the GED credential will look different. Whether hybrid, in-person or completely virtual, we’re entering this school year better prepared to meet our learners, however needed to help them succeed.

GED Testing Service is evolving to become a learner-centric organization focusing on meeting our learners where they are and getting them what they need to earn their GED credential and pursue their life goals. This evolution is through direct feedback from our students, educators, and partners. We are taking this information and putting it into action in many ways including improving our resource options. New offerings like GED+ helps learners create a flexible personal study plan while receiving guidance and support from an advisor.

The GED test program was created not only to help students earn a credential, but also obtain the skills they need to enter the workforce. Our move to the Workforce Skills Division within Pearson will allow us to create even greater connections to job training and employment opportunities. The GEDWorks program is expanding to include more employers, non-profit organizations, and healthcare providers. Many of these new partners are creating a pathway to employment for individuals that would have previously been ineligible for open positions due to not having a high school diploma or GED credential. Our goal is to prepare our learners for the current job market that needs qualified candidates for a growing number of positions.

Being learner-centric is at the center of our continued commitment to providing equitable opportunities for all learners. Our work is rooted in recognizing the steps we have taken to be more inclusive, while acknowledging what we still need to do to be an anti-racist organization that is a strong advocate for marginalized groups including our Black, Latinx/Hispanic, and Indigenous learners. We will continue to listen, learn, and offer a platform to elevate their stories and experiences.

Collectively, we have experienced another year of uncertainty with the state of the pandemic changing daily. The safety and well-being of our employees, educators, learners, and communities is at the top of our minds as many states continue to be heavily impacted by COVID-19. We understand the need for learners to safely earn their credential and recently announced that the Online Proctored GED test option would remain available in participating states.

We know that this school year will bring continued challenges, but our learners will stay at the heart of all we do. We want to ensure that the GED learner has a better path to reach their goals and dreams. I want to thank all of you for your willingness to engage with GED Testing Service, our learners, and our employer partners. Together we will continue to change the lives of millions and give each of our students an equal opportunity.

–Vicki Greene, President of GED Testing Service

On September 1, the price of the Online Proctored (OP) GED test subjects will increase by $6 in most states.

You can check here to see the current price. The price for in-person testing, which 75% of students continue to choose, will not change.

Based on data, testing patterns, testing performance, and feedback from students, we have recommended that states move from offering OP as a pilot to a long-term testing option for learners. This transition has been approved in most states with a few states still in the final stages of the approval process. The OP test will remain only available through participating U.S. jurisdictions and U.S. territories.

In a recent national survey with previous OP test takers, almost 3 in 4 students would choose OP vs. in-person testing in the future if given the option. Additionally, 84% said that they would recommend the OP test to a friend. Students have found many benefits to taking an OP test such as the availability of test appointment days and times, the convenience of testing from home, and reduced anxiety and stress in testing from home.

However, we understand that the OP testing option isn’t right for every student. While the OP test option is convenient for students, it required the use of advanced technology and processes that are new, different and complex compared to in-person testing. These advances (e.g. artificial intelligence, test security, etc.) have also resulted in additional work and costs. To date, we have kept the OP test price the same as in-person testing to make communications simpler, to allow us time to determine the cost of the OP delivery option and ascertain the future of this new testing delivery mode.

Students who are scheduled to take an OP test before September 1 will pay the current OP price. For example, if on August 30 a student schedules to take their test on October 1, they will pay the current OP price. If they schedule a test on September 1, they will pay the new OP test price.

Vouchers

Vouchers you have already purchased will also continue to be valid for use with OP test through December 1, 2021. These vouchers will cover 100% of the cost for OP or in-person testing if used before December 1. OP test takers will still be required to earn a “Green” GED Ready score before they are allowed to schedule an OP exam.

Accommodations

We’ve also added an OP testing accommodation for eligible students. The reader/recorder will be available as an OP testing option in September for approved students. More information about accommodations is available here.

To learn more about the Online Proctored GED test or schedule a test, visit our site: ged.com/take-the-ged-test-online/

We are making updates to simplify the GED.com account sign-up process for students.

Beginning this month, students will notice changes when they set up a GED.com account. Our goal is to make it easier for students to create their GED account, especially since we’ve heard feedback from both students and educators that it’s currently a lengthy process. During account creation, we will ask for the most relevant information that we need from the student. Students can answer additional questions once they are further along in their GED journey. These questions help us learn more about the students and how we can help them earn their credential.

The Accommodations question will be moving out of account set-up this month. Instead, students will see a notification after creating their account that asks if they need a testing accommodation.

Since the launch of the GEDWorks program in 2015, over 4,400 graduates have earned their credentials at no cost with the support of their employers.

The program has grown to reflect a wide range of employers and health plan providers spanning the U.S., including one of our latest partners, Charter Manufacturing. Charter Manufacturing, a family-owned metals manufacturing and metals-based engineered solutions business, will offer the program to newly-hired employees across its four businesses including Charter Automotive, LLC, Charter Dura-Bar Inc, Charter Steel, and Chart Wire LLC.

Additional companies that currently offer the GEDWorks program to their employees or members include KFC, Sheetz, Total Wine, and UCare. Learners can find if their current or desired employer offers the GEDWorks program through their GED.com accounts.

An overwhelming majority, 71% of GEDWorks participants, are more loyal to their employer because the GEDWorks program is offered. GEDWorks students are also 39% more likely to earn their diplomas than students who are pursuing a GED credential on their own. Throughout the program, students receive online GED study materials in English and Spanish, practice tests, access to a personal advisor, connections to local adult education programs and free GED tests.

We expect additional health plan providers, non-profit organizations, and companies to join the ranks and offer the GEDWorks program as more employers commit to helping their workers pursue their professional, academic, and personal goals.

Additional information about the GEDWorks program and GEDWorks success stories are available here.

–Nadia Gonzales, GEDTS Communications