Young GED Examinees and Their Performance on the GED Tests. GED Testing Service Research Studies, 2009-1

GED [General Educational Development] Tests offer many young adults who have left school a second chance to gain a credential, yet many educators have concerns about policies for very young test-takers and how they perform on the GED Tests. The GED Testing Service sets the absolute minimum age for taking the GED Tests at 16 years of age. However, an individual jurisdiction may establish its own minimum age requirement for testing as long as it is not lower than 16 years. In the United States, 43 states and the District of Columbia require candidates to be 18 years old to receive a GED credential. Most states, however, allow individuals younger than their required minimum age to take the tests with additional documentation. This study provides a comprehensive picture of young adults between 16 and 19 years old taking the GED Tests. What are their academic and demographic characteristics? And how do state policies on minimum age and use of the Official GED Practice Tests (OPT) influence their performance on the GED Tests? Study results show that younger GED examinees who needed additional documentation and approval before testing performed comparably on the tests to teenagers who met the states' standard minimum age requirements. The study also shows that states with stricter state age requirements may possibly encourage early test-takers to thoroughly prepare for the tests. In addition, the study suggests that taking and passing the OPT has a positive association with obtaining a GED credential. (Contains 12 tables.)