I am proud of the work we have done as a collective community amid the ongoing pandemic.

My main concern has always been the health and safety of our employees, learners, educators and partners. I hope this fall season has brought renewed feelings of promise as GED learners returned to in-person and virtual classrooms to start or complete their credentials.

We continue to work at GED Testing Service to process and create more solutions for learners that need flexible pathways to credentialing. The world of education and work is forever changed—the demand for remote options and the call for a focus on mental and physical wellbeing are necessary and long overdue. We know that GED learners come to us from diverse backgrounds with a common goal, and it is our job to help them succeed with options. Our personal lives and families should be a priority, and we know that our learners have this and other priorities that may make structured learning paths challenging or unappealing.

Our GED+ product has received an overwhelmingly positive response from learners, and we credit that to its all-inclusive model that includes access to an advisor. The Online Proctored GED test entered the post-pilot phase as of September 1st, and we continue to see learners take advantage of this option. The convenience and flexibility with remote testing provide benefits that we know our learners appreciate and need now and in the foreseeable future.

We have also had a number of employers start offering the GEDWorks program to recruit and retain workers. Many of our latest employer partners use the GEDWorks program to extend hiring opportunities to individuals who did not previously qualify for employment due to not having a high school diploma or credential. This aligns with the work we will continue to do as part of the Workforce Skills division. We’ve shared that we have a more significant opportunity to connect learners to employers and career pathways. GED Testing Service is actively working with other business units and programs in our new division to develop clear connections from credential to career and on-going up skilling/re-skilling. We have access to businesses focused on helping individuals develop specific workforce skills through platforms driven by user experience and interest, data, and automation. We’re excited to share with you in the near future how we will be using this to help learners identify their talents and pursue related careers.

I look forward to enjoying the remaining few months of this year as they bring a time for reflection and gratitude. It’s also a wonderful time to benchmark and think of all the goals we set and the incredible work we’ve done together to get this far. It has taken teamwork, grace, and support to get where we are, and we will need this to finish the year strong. We are grateful for the work that each of you do each day to change the lives of many! May you, your family, friends and those you hold dear continue to stay safe. Thank you for your partnership.

All the best-

Vicki Greene, President of GED Testing Service

One of the best ways that learners can study and prepare to take their GED test is by utilizing the GED Ready Practice tests.

Since the questions on the practice tests are just like the real ones on the GED test, learners are highly likely to succeed on the official GED test subjects.

The GED Ready Practice tests are written and designed by the creators of the actual exam. Therefore, no other practice test will be as perfectly aligned as the GED Ready. Learners are able to see firsthand what to expect on their test day and what exactly they need to study to prepare.

Our practice test is also the only practice test that tells you how you will do on the actual test. Once learners finish taking the GED Ready practice test, learners will receive an indicator of how likely they are to pass the real thing.

If learners score in the Green Zone (145-200), it means that they are most likely to pass the official GED test. If they score in the Yellow Zone (134-144), it means that the student just needs a little more practice before attempting to take the actual test. If learners score in the Red Zone (100-133), it means the student is not likely to pass the GED test. You can learn more and view detailed descriptions about each GED Ready score by using the performance level descriptors.

With GED Ready, learners can save time on GED prep with the custom study plan with their preferred study tool to spend time specifically on areas that they need to improve on. GED Ready will even point out the exact chapter and pages that need to study with will save the student time.

Learners can purchase the GED Ready subject tests through their GED.com accounts. Educators can use GED Marketplace and GED Manager to purchase GED Ready for learners.

On September 14, Drew Barrymore announced on her show that she and three adult learners would begin their journey of earning their GED credentials with the help of RuPaul!

RuPaul left high school when he was in the 11th grade and then went on to earn his GED credential when he was 19 years old. Drew was emancipated when she was only 14 years old and didn’t earn her high school diploma. Drew invited three Drew Barrymore Show viewers to create “Drew & Ru’s Back-to-School Crew”.

The first adult learner earning her GED credential alongside Drew is Anissa a 50-year-old from Florida. After becoming pregnant at 17 years old, Anissa’s life got in the way of graduating with her high school diploma. However, she is looking forward to her GED journey and starting her second chapter in life.

The second adult learner is Justin, a 19-year-old from New York. After saving a family from a burning car, he was motivated to return to school and make his mom and little siblings proud.

The final adult learner on this journey is Linda from California. Growing up, Linda didn’t have a very big support system to encourage her to finish school. She then left school during her junior year of high school. Linda wants to set a good example for her children and hopes to open a business of her own one day!

To learn more about the start of Drew’s GED journey, you can watch the entire segment of her announcement here. You can also stay updated on Drew and the “Back-to-School Crew” by following the hashtags #DrewBack2School and #DrewBarrymoreShow Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

We wish Drew and the Back-to-School Crew the best of luck on their journey, and we look forward to seeing them become official GED graduates!

We have identified common behaviors, motivations, and attitudes through prior research with tens of thousands of adult learners and GED program users.

These student types, or personas, can be grouped into four categories.

Here at GED Testing Service, we have used this information to develop messaging that encourages students to pursue or continue testing. This is found in the GED.com experience for students and throughout the GED.com website. Our goal is 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 they are 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.