Ready, Set, Test – Taking the GED® Test to Obtain a High School Equivalency (HSE) Diploma
New York State HSE test centers administer the General Educational Development Test (GED® Test) as the state’s high school equivalency (HSE) exam. The GED Test is produced by GED Testing Service (GEDTS) for national use. New York State pays the cost of testing for New York State residents who are age eligible. Please see: NYS Policies for GED Testing. Register online for a GED account and schedule a computer-based subject test at the: GED homepage
The Exam
The GED Test includes four sections:
- Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA*)
- Mathematical Reasoning
- Science
- Social Studies
*The RLA includes reading and writing subject tests. If only the reading or the writing was previously passed, by taking the GED (2002-2013) or the TASC Test (2014-2021), the RLA must be taken in full. For additional information regarding the format of the GED, please see GED homepage
Preparing for the GED® Test
The GED® Test takes approximately 7.5 hours to complete, inclusive of all four subject tests. If a subject test is failed, a test taker may retake that subject test after 60 days. If a test taker does not cancel a scheduled test in their online account at least 24 hours before test delivery the missed test will be considered a No Show and the test taker must wait 60 days to reschedule.
Subject tests cannot be taken more than three times in a calendar year. Passing subject tests may not be retaken for a higher score.
Statistics indicate that individuals who have participated in test preparation programs are more likely to pass an HSE exam. Adult education preparation programs are listed within the GED Registration and Scheduling system, and can be found at: GED homepage
Grandfathering Prior Passing TASC or GED Scores
NYS test takers who previously took TASC subtests (2014-2021) in NYS and/or GED subtests in NYS (2002-2013) and (2022-present) may use prior passing scores toward meeting the subtest requirements for the HSE diploma.