Thousands of Kentuckians have until the end of 2013 to complete their GEDs before the cost increases and the test is updated.
It’s been a decade since the GED Testing Service has changed the exam, which is equivalent to earning a high school diploma. In that time, nearly 16,000 Kentuckians have taken but not completed all five parts the test requires.In Jefferson County, an estimated 2,000 residents have not completed the GED test, according to the Council on Post Secondary Education.“We are asking our local programs to contact those students who we know have started taking the test but haven’t finished all parts of it," said Janet Hoover who works with the council's Adult Education Services. Each state currently sets its own costs, she said, but beginning Jan. 2, 2014 the exam will become computer-based, include more college and career standards to align itself in the direction the U.S. education system is heading, and the cost will double to $120.“Cost can be a factor for people, we do hear that from instructors," said Hoover.Both the state and local markets often offer free or discounted options to complete the test.Further, Hoover said Kentucky’s GED test passage rate of 80 percent is pretty high when compared to the nation average of 72 percent.This is partly because the state requires all test-takers complete a practice exam first, said Hoover.Last fiscal year over 9,000 Kentuckians past the GED test. The last day to take the GED test in its current form will be Dec. 18, 2013.
