• Language Arts: Writing
• Language Arts: Reading
• Mathematics: Part 1 (use of calculator)
                        Part 2 (no calculator)
• Social Studies
• Science

The tests measure important knowledge and skills (such as your ability to understand and apply information; to evaluate, analyse, and draw conclusions; and to express ideas and opinions in writing) that are usually acquired during a regular high school program of study.

The tests contain questions that require the use of important ideas and thinking skills; few of the questions ask for isolated details, definitions, or specific facts. Multiple-choice questions are used for each of the five tests; the Language Arts: Writing Test includes an essay component that a candidate must pass in order to receive a score for the test. The Mathematics Test includes the use of standard and coordinate plane grids and a calculator.

The tests are available in English and French. Special editions and testing accommodations are available to help people with special needs and physical and/or learning disabilities.

The tests used in Canada have been developed especially for Canadians.

1. be at least 18 years old*
2. have not graduated from high school
3. have been out of the school system for at least one full year
4. be a resident of Ontario

* Candidates who are 18 years old must provide documentation that they have not attended a regular high school for at least one year. Home-school candidates must provide a letter from their Board of Education indicating that they have been home-schooled.

• to receive a high school equivalency certificate
• to qualify for employment
• to gain promotion within their own organization
• to apply for admission to an educational or training institution
• to achieve personal satisfaction

Can I get special accommodation to write the GED Tests?
The GED Tests are available in large-print, audio-cassette, and Braille editions. As well, special testing arrangements can be made for candidates who, because of physical, psychological, or learning disabilities, may not have the ability or test-taking skills required under standard testing conditions.

If you have specific learning and/or physical disabilities, you may be granted special accommodation to write the GED tests. These may include: extra time to write the tests, frequent breaks during testing, a separate testing area, a scribe, a special GED edition, etc.

To request special accommodation, you must submit a completed copy of the L-15 FORM: Accommodation Request for Learning Disabilities and/or Attention Deficit with/or without Hyperactivity Disorder (PDF, 68 KB)* to the Independent Learning Centre, along with your application form and fee. The L-15 form is not required when requesting the large-print edition of the tests.

Any request submitted without the appropriate completed application form and fees will be returned.

Due to the time required to review these cases, you must submit your application form, GED fee, L-15 form, and medical documentation at least TWO MONTHS prior to the preferred writing date.

You may be contacted for further information and clarification.

Is a GED certificate equivalent to high school graduation?
The GED Testing Program compares your performance on the tests to the results of Grade 12 students on the same tests. The tests take into consideration the skills and knowledge people are expected to retain from high school, especially the ability to reason, put together information, and draw conclusions.

If you obtain a standard score of at least 450 on each of the five GED Tests, you will receive an Ontario High School Equivalency Certificate. Individual test results are expressed as standard scores ranging from 200 to 800 on each of the five tests. The GED certificate will show others that you have the potential of a high school graduate and the maturity to succeed in areas of further training and/or study. However, specific knowledge that a recent high school graduate might have acquired (such as mathematical and chemical formulas, or the work of specific authors) is not tested. As well, there is no credit value associated with the GED Tests.

Who recognizes the GED certificate?
The GED certificate is widely accepted as meeting secondary school graduation requirements for purposes of employment, promotion, licensing, and further education. However, the Ministry of Education cannot guarantee that the certificate will be accepted by employers or post-secondary institutions or trainers in every instance.

Many colleges of applied arts and technology and universities accept satisfactory GED scores as one factor in their assessment for admission as a mature student.

How much does it cost to write the GED Tests?
The cost of writing or rewriting the GED Tests is $80.00. This non-refundable fee must accompany your GED application.

Payments may be made by money order, certified cheque, Visa or MasterCard. Make your certified cheque or money order payable to TVOntario. Please do not send cash. Personal cheques will not be accepted.

How do I apply to write the GED Tests?
Print out and complete the GED application form (PDF, 49 KB)*. Forms are also available from the GED Coordinator.

You must send proof of age, such as a copy of your birth certificate, driver's licence, or passport. Do not send original documents.

After you have carefully filled out the application form, please mail it, along with your registration fee and required documentation, to the GED Coordinator at the Independent Learning Centre.

Note: If you are paying by credit card, you may fax your completed application to (416) 484-2750.

Your application must be received at least THREE WEEKS before the testing date you select.

Applications are kept on file for a period of one year. After that time you must reapply if you have not written the GED Tests or if you want to rewrite one or all of the tests.

When are the GED Tests held?
GED testing is divided into two days, usually held on a Friday evening and all day Saturday.

See the Test Schedule.

What do I bring to the testing session?
You must bring an original photo identification with your signature, for example, a driver's licence or passport, when you come to write your tests.

All supplies, such as paper, pencils, pens, and calculator (Casio fx-260) will be provided at the testing session. You will not be permitted to use any other materials, such as reference books, a slide rule, or your own personal calculator, when writing the tests.

What is the testing procedure?
You are expected to take all five tests the first time you write the GED Tests.

You will be asked to arrive half an hour before you write your first test in order to present your identification and to register.

A fifteen-minute break is scheduled between tests. You will also have a one-hour lunch break. Additional time is scheduled for giving instructions before each test begins.

Most questions on the GED Tests are multiple choice with five possible answers given. You are required to mark a space in pencil on an answer sheet to show which answer is best for each question. For the Language Arts: Writing Test you will be required to write an essay, and for the Mathematics Test you will be required to use grids.

What if I cancel my testing?
The GED fees are non-refundable.

If you register for a specific session, but decide to write at another session, you must contact the Independent Learning Centre at least ONE WEEK before the testing date to reschedule. Failure to do so will incur a $25.00 re-scheduling fee.

You must reschedule to write the tests within 12 months of the initial application date. After that, you will need to submit a new application form and pay the testing fee again.

If you fail to show up for the test without having properly notified the Independent Learning Centre, you must submit a new application form and pay the testing fee again.

When will I receive my test results?
Within four weeks after you take the tests, your results will be mailed to you. Since GED test results are confidential, they will not be given over the telephone to anyone.

If you obtain a standard score of at least 450 on each of the five tests, you will be issued an Ontario High School Equivalency Certificate.

Interpreting GED Test Results
Your performance on each of the five GED Tests is reported in two ways: as "standard scores," ranging from 200 to 800, and "percentile ranks," ranging from 1 to 99. Both scores compare your results to scores earned by a recent representative national sample of high school seniors. Approximately 68% of all graduating seniors score between 400 and 600 on the standard score scale. Only 2% of graduating seniors score lower than 300 or higher than 700.

View the interactive sample of a GED Test Result.

Can I get additional copies of my results?
To request additional copies of your transcript or certificate, you must make your request by mail, by fax, or in person. All requests must be signed by the applicant.

If you want the transcript to be sent directly to an educational institution or employer, your request must include

• your Social Insurance Number
• the name and address of the institution or company you want it mailed to
• the contact name at the institution or company
• (if applicable) the reference number for your file at the institution
• your daytime telephone number

Are rewrites possible?
Rewrites are possible in the following two cases:

• if your standard score on a test is less than 450
• if an employer or educational institution requires a higher score (A written request from the employer or educational institution is required.)

A first rewrite is allowed with no waiting period unless your score is less than 400; then, you must wait three months before rewriting. You are encouraged to do some form of preparation during that time.

A second rewrite is possible, but you must wait until the following calendar year. Tests may be written only twice in any calendar year (January 1 to December 31).

Who administers the GED program?
The GED Testing Program is administered by the Independent Learning Centre.

How do I contact the GED Coordinator?
To contact the GED Coordinator, write, phone, or fax:

Address: GED Coordinator
Independent Learning Centre
PO Box 200, Station Q
Toronto ON M4T 2T1
Telephone Number:(416) 484-2737 , 1-800-573-7022
Fax: (416) 484-2750
E-mail: ged@tvontario.org

Please notify the GED Coordinator of any change of name, address, or telephone number.