High school dropouts who reconsider will have a new test to take next year to get a high school equivalency certificate. But the situation could become complicated for those who have not completed all elements of the GED exams.
Education surveys show thousands of Missourians decide seven or eight or ten years after they’ve dropped out of high school that life isn’t as good without a diploma as they thought it might be. Until now they’ve gotten their General Education Development certificate. But the contract with that testing company is running out and now there is competition in the industry.
The state education department hopes to control costs by switching to a HISET–High School Equivalent Test. Adult Education Coordinator Tom Robbins says thousands of people have not finished the five elements of the current test, and they’ll have to start all over with the new one if they don’t finish the GED by the end of the year. So an application deadline has been set for those who have yet to start the GED–September 1. Robbins hopes that gives those people time to complete the exams.
People who have not completed the entire five subject tests have to register by November 1 to have a chance at a space to complete the subjects they haven’t passed yet.
The GED is done on paper. The new one will be computer-based. Robbins says the new test more closely matches what is expected from high school graduates than the old one does.
AUDIO: Robbins interview 21:00
