About 1,900 Georgians who failed the GED exam could retroactively receive their diplomas in a couple of months because the score required to pass the test will soon be lowered.
The national company that administers the high school equivalency test says the change is needed because studies GED students in some states were performing better in college than high school graduates. In some cases, the GED earners needed less remedial classes in college than traditional high school grads.
“If high school performance starts to improve, we can adjust our cut scores as well, but we want to make sure we are holding adults to the same standards” as those required for traditional high school students, said Randy Trask, GED Testing Service’s president.
The company is not changing the material on the test, just the score it takes to pass from 150 to 145.
The change is scheduled for March. Once implemented, the company is recommending that states allow test takers who scored between 145 and 149 on the test since 2014 be eligible to receive their state’s GED credential.
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