SUMMIT —
Adults who are studying to earn their GED have good reason to step up the pace: a new, tougher and more expensive version of the test is slated for rollout in January, 2014.
Those who have started, but not completed, taking the test will have to finish the process by then or face starting over. Any incomplete scores will expire at that time.
A year and three months may seem an eternity now, but past experience has shown that many tend to drag out the process or put off getting started, according to Joan Flanery, Ashland/Boyd County adult education program coordinator.
“There are people who have been thinking about doing it for years, and now the clock is ticking,” she said. “Those who haven’t started should start and those who have should complete the test because the new one is going to be significantly more challenging.”
The revised test will include short answer and fill in the blanks questions rather than the current all multiple choice format. The math section particularly is likely to be harder, with some calculus and trigonometry.
It will offer dual performance levels, high-school equivalency or an additional endorsement indicating college and career readiness.
It also will cost more: $120 rather than the current $60.
The new test will be administered by computer at official testing centers across the state. The test it is replacing is on paper and only offered via computer at three centers.
Computerizing the test means it can be offered at more times each week, which is an advantage to working students or those with families.
The increased difficulty reflects the push to adhere to new common core educational standards, part of a national initiative to prepare students for jobs that demand more skills.
The test typically is revised every 10 years and a new version would have come out at the beginning of 2012, but aligning it with the standards took more time, Flanery said.
Local adult educators are weaving the new standards into the curriculum.
Students ultimately will benefit, either by being ready for college without having to take remedial courses that don’t count toward graduation or by having skills that will land them good jobs, she said.
The Ashland/Boyd County Adult Education Center is located at the Summit campus of Ashland Community and Technical College. It offers an array of courses at no charge to prepare students for the test. New students should call the center at 326-2457 to make an appointment for enrollment.
MIKE JAMES can be reached at mjames@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2652.
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