2014 GED Test 101

January 2013
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

Todays hosts
Martin Kehe, Vice President of Products,
host
Bonnie Goonen, presenter

Susan Pittman, presenter

2
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

Before we get started

This webinar is being specially recorded for ondemand viewing from our website.
As such, you wont be able ask questions in real
time during the session.

Email questions to us at
GED2014@GEDTestingService.com

3
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

Goals for todays session

Discuss the rationale underlying the new GED
assessment
Explore major similarities and differences
between the current 2002 Series and 2014 GED
test
Review item types, process for setting the
Passing Standard, and general information about
the new test
Explain how you can access updates and
resources for the 2014 GED test
4
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

A new GED test in 2014: Why?

Changes occurring in the
landscape of education and the
workforce require a new kind of
GED test
All to ensure that the GED test
credential remains meaningful for
adult learners, employers, and
institutions

5
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

A little history . . .
Events that led the American Council on Education to
rethink the GED test . . .
2008: President Molly Broad believed that the test
could be a measure of adults preparedness for career
and college in addition to HS equivalency
2009: CCSSI begins to gain momentum; ACE decides
to table 2012 test in favor of a next-generation test
2010: GED Testing Service begins to explore CBT in
preparation for the new test
2011: ACE creates strategic alliance with Pearson
VUE, creating GED Testing Service, LLC

6
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

Expert advice has guided the development of

the new GED assessment

7
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

The 2014 GED test is more than just a

test its a system for success
1. GED test content standards clearly specify
expectations for career and college readiness
2. Educators have access to materials and
supporting resources aligned with those
expectations
3. Increased access and opportunities are
provided through use of technology

8
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

Purposes of the new GED test

1. To provide results leading to the award of a
high school equivalency credential

Improved

2. To provide evidence of readiness to enter

workforce training programs or
postsecondary education
3. To provide actionable information about a
candidates academic strengths and
weaknesses

9
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

Key GED testing deliverables

2012

2013

2014 and beyond

Transition to CBT (ongoing,

through 2013)
Release of assessment info
(February-March)
Item development and
reviews (ongoing)
Item sampler (July)
Field-testing (July through
October)
Development of score
reporting
Updates to Samplers/AGE
Staff Dev. Modules

Spanish Item Samplers

(spring)
Transition to CBT (ongoing,
through 2013)
Staff development modules
(ongoing)
Item development and
reviews (ongoing)
Tutorial launch (July)
Standardization & Norming
(summer)
New practice test in English
and Spanish (fall)

New GED assessment

launch (January 2, 2014) in
English and Spanish
Item development, reviews,
and embedded field testing
Staff development modules
(ongoing)

10
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

NEW REALITY #1
TECHNOLOGY IS ESSENTIAL

11
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

Todays realities
Technology is EVERYWHERE!
Today
Most job postings are exclusively online
Most job applications are completed online
Most job responsibilities have a technology
component built in
In the next decade
Career opportunities will be created by
technological advances

12
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

Computer-based assessment . . .
Enables measurement of concepts and/or skills
that cannot be fully or appropriately captured by
paper based tests (Bennett 2002; Parshall,
Harmes, Davey, & Pashley, 2010)
Improves measurement by increasing the
precision or efficiency of the measurement
process (Parshall, Spray, Kalohn, & Davey, 2001;
van der Linden & Glas, 2000; Wainer, 1990)

13
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

AK

GED testing on computer is

now operational in 37 jurisdictions

HI

WA
ND

MT
OR

MN

ID
WY
NV

CA

SD

WI
IA

NE
UT

AZ

CO
NM

ME
NH
MA
NY
RI
MI
CT
PA
NJ
DE
IN OH
MD
WV VA
DC
KY
NC
TN
VT

KS
OK
TX

IL
MO
AR
LA

SC

MS AL GA
FL

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Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

New Realities: Question Types

2002 Series GED test
Multiple choice
Gridded Response
(Mathematics)
Essay (Language Arts,
Writing)

2014 GED test

Multiple choice
Technology-Enhanced Items
Fill-in-the-blank items
Hot-spot items
Drag-and-drop items
Drop-down selection items
Extended Response
(Reasoning through
Language Arts and Social
Studies)
Short Answer (Science)

15
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

What computer skills are necessary?

Mouse skills
Basic keyboarding skills
Use of tools embedded in
testing software

16
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

NEW REALITY #2
STUDENTS MUST HAVE HIGHERORDER THINKING SKILLS

17
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

Webbs Depth of Knowledge model

Level 1: Recall
Level 2: Skills and Concepts
Level 3: Strategic Thinking
Level 4: Extended Thinking

18
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

DOK is about complexity

The intended learning outcome
determines the DOK level.
Instruction and classroom assessments
must reflect the DOK level of the
intended learning outcome.

19
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

NEW REALITY #3
MORE RIGOROUS CONTENT
THAT MIRRORS THE REAL-WORLD
NEEDS OF STUDENTS

20
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

Test Timing
2002 Series GED test

2014 GED test

Language Arts, Writing

120 minutes
Language Arts, Reading
65 minutes
Social Studies 70 minutes
Science 80 minutes
Mathematics Pts. 1 & 2,
90 minutes

Reasoning through Language

Arts 165 minutes with 10
minute break
Social Studies 90 minutes
Science 75 minutes
Mathematical Reasoning 75
minutes
Field testing 15 minutes

Total Battery 7 hours, 5

minutes

Total Battery 7 hours

21
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

The four content areas of the new GED test

1. Reasoning through Language Arts (RLA)
Focus: integrated reading and writing tasks
that require test-takers to read complex texts,
analyze arguments and use text-based
evidence to support reasoning.

2. Mathematical Reasoning
Focus: deep mastery of a core set of quantitative
reasoning skills relevant to a wide range of career
and post-secondary pathways

22
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

The four content areas of the new GED test

3. Science

Science and social studies

practices: reasoning skills drawn from
both CCSS Mathematics and ELA as
well as nationally recognized science
and social studies curricular standards

4. Social Studies

Content Topics: essential science

and social studies content that is both
relevant to the lives of adult test-takers
and typical of what is taught in a high
school course of study

23
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

Reasoning Through Language Arts

A focus on:
75% informational texts, 25% literary texts
Academic, workforce, and literary contexts
A range of text complexity, including texts at the
college- and career-ready level
Text length of 450 to 900 words
Vocabulary, with emphasis on words that appear
frequently in a wide variety of disciplines
(e.g., relative, vary, formulate, specificity, accumulate,
calibrate, itemize, periphery, misfortune, dignified,
faltered, unabashedly)

24
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

Mathematical Reasoning
A focus on:
Quantitative problem solving (45%) and algebraic
problem solving (55%)
Some items test procedural skill and fluency as
well as problem solving
Both academic and workforce contexts
Statistics and data interpretation standards also on
GED Social Studies and GED Science
Use of an on-screen scientific calculator for most
items (TI-30XS)

25
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

New Tools - Formula Page

26
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

Science
A focus on:
Science practices: skills of reasoning and thinking
scientifically
Science content: Life science (40%), physical
science (40%), and Earth and space science (20%)
Items will test textual analysis and understanding,
data representation and inference skills, as well as
problem solving with science content, 50% in
scenarios
Each item aligned to both one Science Practice and
one Content Topic
Both academic and workforce contexts

27
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

Social Studies
A focus on:
Social Studies practices: skills of analysis, thinking, and
reasoning
Social Studies content: civics and government (50%),
US history (20%), economics (15%), and geography and
the world (15%)
Items will test textual analysis and understanding, data
representation and inference skills, as well as problem
solving with social studies content, 50% in scenarios
Each item aligned to both one Social Studies Practice
and one Content Topic
Both academic and workforce contexts

28
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

New Score Scale

Test scaled scores will range from approximately
100 to approximately 200 on each of the four
content modules
The Passing Standard for high school equivalency
will be set at a scaled score of 150 for each module
A minimum score of 600 (150 on each of the four
modules) will be required to meet the battery
Passing Standard
The test will be standardized and normed on a
nationally representative sample of graduating high
school seniors in summer 2013

29
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

NEW REALITY #4
MORE RESOURCES PROVIDE
SUPPORT FOR THE CLASSROOM

30
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

www.GEDtestingservice.com

31
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

Your guide to the 2014 GED test

Updated!

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/
educators/the-new-assessmentdownloads

32
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

Your guide to the content changes from

2002 to 2014
New!

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/
educators/the-new-assessmentdownloads

33
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

The 2014 GED Test Item Samplers

A Tool for Educators
Understand the item types used
in each test
View the content in context
Content
Functionality
Identify the assessment target for
each item
Understand the rationale for the
correct answer
Understand the rationale for the
incorrect answers

34
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

Resources, Resources, Resources

35
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

Additional Resources

Online tutorials
and training

Test-taker
resources

Video profiles of
success

One-stop shop for

practice materials

Brand resources
for local programs

Multimedia
outreach

Research on
adult learners

36
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

Questions, insights, suggestions

Email us at
GED2014@GEDTestingService.com

37
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

High achievement always

occurs in the framework of high
expectation.
Charles F. Kettering (1876-1958)

38
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.

We appreciate your participation!

39
Copyright 2013 GED Testing Service LLC. All rights reserved. GED and GED Testing Service
are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be
used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service.
The GED and GED Testing Service brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC
under license from the American Council on Education.