Preparing for the New GED® Test: What to Consider Before 2014

In January 2014, significant changes are scheduled to go into effect for the General Education Development—GED®—test. While there is agreement that the GED test needs to be updated in order to better recognize the skills required in today’s economy, there are concerns that the pending changes could create obstacles for students, especially low-income adults.

This new brief by the Working Poor Families Project provides an overview of the GED, a primer on the 2014 changes, and explores alternatives to attaining a high school equivalency diploma. The brief includes actions states can take to prepare for the changes to the GED and ensure that low-income adults have viable options to attain the basic skills and credentials needed to connect to higher levels of education and better employment.