State Board Of Education Approves New 2014 GED Program

TRENTON, N.J., Dec. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The New Jersey State Board of Education approved the new 2014 GED program, which will be available to adult learners in New Jersey beginning Jan. 2. The 2014 GED program provides the only high school equivalency credential that is recognized nationwide, is fully aligned to national and state college and career readiness standards, and offers cutting-edge technology to help test-takers prepare, pass, and progress beyond the GED test. Additionally, adult learners in New Jersey can now register for the 2014 GED test at www.GED.com.

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"GED Testing Service has built the only high school equivalency program focused on preparing adults without a diploma for today's competitive job market," said Randy Trask, president of GED Testing Service. "The reality is that high school equivalency credential isn't enough for most adults in New Jersey. Our new start-to-finish program was built to give adults the tools they need to have a fighting chance at better jobs with better wages to help support themselves and their families."

Tens of thousands of jobs remain chronically vacant in New Jersey because there aren't enough qualified candidates to fill them. Currently 80 percent of all jobs in the state require education certificates beyond high school or a GED credential. Additionally, by 2018, 45 percent of jobs in New Jersey will be middle-skill, which are jobs that require more than a high school diploma, but less than a four-year degree. GED Testing Service worked with employers, leading educators, colleges and universities, state and national education officials, and GED graduates to rebuild the program to keep up with the demands of the changing workforce and help adults move more successfully from being a dropout to having a job that pays a living wage.

New features of the 2014 GED program include:

• A personalized online system that students can access 24/7 to prepare, register, schedule, check their scores, access study tools, and learn about college and job opportunities—no matter where they are. The website, called MyGED, is also accessible on smartphones and tablets.
• An official practice test that shows students areas where they did well and where they need to improve, including specific pages to study in their training materials and study books at home.
• A same-day score report that provides students and educators with personalized guidance about strengths, weaknesses, and information to guide them on any necessary remediation before they move on to college education and training programs.
• A cutting-edge analytics system for local test administrators to track performance, create reports, and manage a successful program tailored to the specific needs of students in their community.
• The only high school equivalency test fully aligned from day one to both state and federal college and career readiness standards.
• Computer-based testing to ensure that test-takers have the basic digital literacy skills needed to apply for jobs and to succeed in today's world. The current GED test has already been delivered by computer more than 350,000 times across the country since 2012, and students of all ages are scoring higher and finishing the exam faster than those who take the exam on paper.

"Students enjoy taking the computer-based GED test," said Nancy O'Shea, director of testing at Brookdale Community College. "They enjoy the flexibility of using the computer-based system and they receive their scores immediately."

The 2014 GED program's benefits and features will help more adult learners in New Jersey prepare, perform, and progress after the GED test. The price of the 2014 GED program includes two free retakes, access to preparation materials, free college and career training resources and assessments, same-day scores, information about high school equivalency and readiness for college and career training programs. Additionally, the new computer-based system allows test-takers to pay-as-they-go and take each subject test at a time that works with their schedules and when they are ready to test.

To learn more about the benefits of new 2014 GED program, please visit www.GEDtestingservice.com/2014program.

To take advantage of the new MyGED website, or to register for the 2014 GED test, students should visit www.GED.com.

About GED Testing Service
The GED test has opened doors to better jobs and college programs for more than 18 million graduates since 1942. Last year nearly 800,000 adults sat for the GED test, which is accepted by virtually all U.S. colleges and employers. As the creator of the one official GED test, GED Testing Service has a responsibility to ensure that the program continues to be a reliable and valuable pathway to a better life for the millions of adults without a high school diploma. GED Testing Service is a joint venture between the American Council on Education and Pearson.

SOURCE GED Testing Service