What Are the GED Tests?

The General Educational Development (GED) Tests are five multiple-choice tests in the areas of language arts writing, language arts reading, social studies, science, and mathematics. The language arts writing test also requires the writing of an essay.

The GED is primarily a reading test that is designed to measure the skills that you would have normally gained through twelve years of formal education: the ability to understand and apply information; to evaluate, analyze, and draw conclusions; and to express ideas and opinions in writing. When you have passed the five tests, you will receive a British Columbia Secondary School Equivalency Certificate.

By passing the tests, GED certificate holders demonstrate they possess academic abilities that are equivalent to those of secondary school graduates. It will show that you have the potential of a secondary school graduate to succeed in further study or job situations; however, specific knowledge (mathematical and scientific formulas, specific literary works, etc.) is not tested. Your results on the GED tests will demonstrate how well you have done compared to the performance of recent secondary school graduates. The British Columbia Secondary School Equivalency Certificate is not the same as secondary school graduation and cannot be considered as a substitute for it.

The GED Testing Service in Washington, D.C., originally developed the tests but the Canadian version has been adapted to Canadian standards.

Table of Contents