GED® Exams
The Assessment Center at the LC Ft. McIntosh campus is one of two authorized test sites in Laredo for GED® exams. Exams are administered by appointment only and are taken on computer.
Description of Exam
The GED® test gives you the opportunity to earn a certificate of high school equivalency. The GED® test consists of four content areas:
- Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) [150 minutes]
- Mathematical Reasoning [120 minutes]
- Social Studies [75 minutes]
- Science [95 minutes]
The tests are administered in English and Spanish. You must pass all four (4) exams in order to receive your GED® certificate. For more detailed information on the different test subjects click here.
Registration Procedure
In order to register for the GED® tests, you must:
- Log on to www.ged.com
- Create an account with GED® Testing Service (GEDTS). Please use an email you check often since you will receive your GED® certificate via email.
- Click on "Schedule Test". Available dates and times will show. Note: in order to maximize dates and times shown, select only one or two subjects at a time. If you select all four subjects, no available dates will come out. All 4 subjects cannot be taken in one day at Laredo College.
- Process payment of test fees online.
- Refer to the email that GEDTS will send you for any additional information you need to know before the test.
*Special accommodations are available for candidates with certain conditions/impairments. Candidates must request accommodations at the time of registration via www.ged.com. Most accommodation requests are processed within 30 days. For FAQs on GED® accommodations, click here. For additional information on accommodations click here or send an email to: accommodations@GED.com.
If you have any questions during registration, you may contact GEDTS at 1-877-392-6433.
Testing Fees
Fees must be paid online at www.ged.com at the time of registration.
Testing fees must be paid every time you take an exam, including every re-testing attempt.
$36.25 per subject
$145.00 full battery of 4 exams
Study Materials
You may purchase official GED READY® practice exams at www.ged.com
- Select the "Study" tab
- Practice tests are $6.99 each and are taken from home or wherever you have access to the Internet
- You may take practice exams more than once; fees must be paid every time you wish to take a practice test
For more information on the GED READY® practice test, click here.
For a tutorial, click here.
To view a calculator tutorial, click here.
ID Policy for GED® Exams
Per GEDTS/Pearson VUE™ policy, Texas jurisdiction requires all testers to provide proof of Texas residency. This means that in order to take a GED® exam, you will be required to show a Texas ID or Texas Driver License (NOT EXPIRED) the day of your GED® appointment(s).
If you do not have a Texas ID/DL, the government-issued ID you present must include: your recent photo, your name (exactly as it appears on test registration), your signature, your date of birth, expiration date (cannot be an expiration date that has already passed), AND a Texas address.
You may also establish proof of Texas residency by providing a valid (NOT EXPIRED) government-issued ID and additoinal documentation (to be determined by GEDTS) which may include a utility bill under the test taker's name with a Texas address.
To verify if your ID/documents are valid for testing in Texas, you must contact GEDTS at 1-877-392-6433.
Failure to provide valid ID/documentation may result in forfeiting of exam fees and inability to test.
GED® FAQs
What are the requirements to take the GED® exam?
In order to take the GED® exams in Texas you must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- You cannot be currently enrolled in an accredited high school
- You cannot be a high school graduate
- You must be a resident of Texas
If I'm underage, can I take the GED® test?
In Texas, you can take the GED® test if you are 16 and the following conditions are met:
- You have a government-issued photo ID
- You are a Texas resident
- You are in the care of a state agency or under a court order or if you are in a Job Corps training program
- You are not enrolled in an accredited high school
- You are not a high school graduate
If you are 17 the follwoing conditions must be met:
- You have a government-issued photo ID
- You are a Texas resident
- You are not enrolled in an accredited high school
- You are not a high school graduate
- You must have parental/guardian permission
For any questions, you may contact GEDTS at 1-877-392-6433.
Do I have to take GED® classes in order to take the exams?
No. GED® preparation courses are
optional. If you feel you are ready to take the GED® tests, you can register for the exams any time at
www.ged.com. If you would like information on the preparation courses offered at Laredo College, you must contact the LC Adult Education Department at 956-721-5436.
How can I practice for the exam?
You can purchase the official GED READY® exams online at www.ged.com. Practice exams are taken from home and can be taken mulitiple times. The cost for each practice exam is $6.99. Practice exam fees must be paid every time you wish to take a practice test.
Can I bring my own calculator to the exam?
Yes, but the only model allowed for exam use per GEDTS policy is the TI-30XS Multiview Scientific Calculator. The Math exam has a built-in calculator, so you don't necessarily need to bring your own.
Can I take the exam at home?
Yes. You may take the GED® exams online from home.
The price for each online exam is $42.25 per subject. You will be required to take the GED READY® tests if you wish to test online from home. You can contact GEDTS to learn more about online exams at 1-877-392-6433 or click
here. .
Can I retake an exam if I don't pass it?
Yes. You can retake an exam as soon as there are testing dates available. There is no waiting period for your first two retakes. After taking the same subject 3 times, there is a 60 day waiting period before taking that subject again.
How will I receive my GED® certificate?
Once you take and pass all 4 subjects of the GED®, you will receive an e-diploma at the email address you provided when you created your GED® account. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) no longer mails out paper copies of certificates via U.S. Postal Service.
I took GED® exams years ago. Are those scores still valid?
It depends. If you took the exams before 2014, those scores are no longer valid. If you did not earn your GED® certificate by December 31, 2013, you must take and pass all subjects in the current GED® series in order to earn your certificate.
I lost my copy of my GED® certificate. Where can I get another one?
You can obtain duplicate copies of your GED® certificate online
here. Click on the
Certificate Search button and fill out your personal information. If your GED® certificate is on file at the Texas Education Agency (TEA), you will get a message that says, "
Certificate Found". You can then print out your certificate for a cost of $5.00 for each copy. You must have printer/ink/paper at the time you process your payment; there is no option to pay now and print later.
What if I get the Certificate Not Found message?
If you are not able to find your GED® certificate through the Texas Certificate/Transcript Search feature online, you must send a
Help Desk ticket to request a search of your certificate. You can fill out a Help Desk ticket
here. A TEA representative will respond to your search request. Please note, testing centers no longer have any documentation pertaining to candidate records/certificates. Any certificate searches must be completed online.