Obtaining a General Educational Development (GED) certificate can be a crucial step toward advancing your education and career opportunities. In Minnesota, there are 247,610 adults without a high school degree.
Starting July 1, 2023, the GED charges $36 per subject for each GED® test which would be $144 for all four tests. However, for a limited time, Minnesota State will pay the total cost for your first test in each subject. Use the promo code MNHSEFREE at checkout to have your fee waived.
To qualify for the fee waiver program, you must meet specific criteria set by the Minnesota Department of Education. These criteria generally include:
a) Age requirement: You must be at least 19 years old or have reached the age of compulsory attendance. Anyone 19 or older may test in Minnesota with an appropriate ID.
b) Seventeen- and eighteen-year-olds may test after having first obtained an age waiver from the Minnesota Department of Education. View age waiver instructions and application form.
c)Test takers must not be enrolled in a K-12 program at the time of testing and may not already possess a high school diploma; there are some rare exceptions.
To receive their high school equivalency, students must complete all tests. There are four tests altogether: Reasoning through Language Arts; Mathematical Reasoning; Social Studies; and Science. The test can only be taken on computers in specialized testing centers or at your home with an appointment. To get started, you must open an account with the GED Testing Service®. A valid email address is required. There is no charge for creating an account. Once you have created an account, you will find many resources at https://ged.com/, including features for locating a testing center (under the “More” dropdown at the top of the page) and scheduling a test.
Each content area test can be taken up to three times before a waiting period is required. The waiting period allows time for further preparation before a fourth retake. The current waiting period is 60 days after the third try, then 60 days after the fourth try. Currently, the GED Testing Service pays for two-thirds of the first two retakes, so you will pay $10 for each test retaken.
If you get to this point, please look at Metro North ABE’s GED classes. We offer classes during the day, evening, and online to meet your schedule. To find out more about the GED test, or other high school equivalency options, see our website for more details.
