Adult Literacy - General Educational Development (GED)

Welcome. We want adults who are seeking a high school education to realize that graduation is not an impossible dream, but a realistic goal. This can be achieved by attending classes at your local GED site or taking GED classes on-line through i-Pathways. A GED certificate of completion is the first step to a better paying job, higher education, and more opportunities!

Persons seeking to meet the Iowa High School Equivalency Diploma requirements should be aware of companies that claim to offer the Test of General Educational development (GED) over the internet or through correspondence courses. The American Council of Education does not recognize these. The only way to receive an Iowa High School Equivalency Diploma is to successfully pass the Official GED Test Battery by Iowa state standards which are to achieve a minimum standard score of 410 on each of the five official GED test battery subtests and an overall standard score of 450. Please contact the Iowa department of education at 515.281.3640 for further information.

The GED test is changing. The current GED series expires on December 31, 2014. Students will need to finish their GED before the deadline or start all over. Let NIACC help you achieve your goal.

GED brochures, a GED Class Schedule listing locations, dates, times, and instructors and information about i-Pathways can be accessed by clicking on the links below.

GED Brochure [pdf]
GED Class Schedule
i-Pathways (GED On-line)

GED Testing Schedule [pdf]

GED Students

Work at their own pace
Must be motivated to succeed
Come from a variety of educational backgrounds
Are eligible for NIACC scholarships upon graduation
Are encouraged to attend NIACC GED graduation ceremony

GED Instructors

Work hard to assist students with their individual needs
Provide orientation which includes a syllabus and contact information
Provide opportunities for personal goal setting
Align classes and materials with GED testing

GED Classes

Tailor instruction to what students need to know to pass their tests
Are open to anyone 17 or over who is not enrolled in high school
Students 17 years old must bring written parental consent with them to class
Students 17 or 18 year old students must bring an official drop letter from their last high school attended
Require a reading and math assessment to help the instructor determine at which levels a student should begin studies

GED Curriculum

The GED contains a series of 5 subject area tests
Students are required to pass all five tests in order to receive their GED certificate
Before taking the GED tests students must first take and pass official practice tests in each subject area
Practice tests are given in the classroom and the GED tests are taken on the NIACC campus

The subject areas and tests times are:

Language Arts, Writing	65 minutes allowed on test
Language Arts, Reading	120 minutes allowed on test
Social Studies	70 minutes allowed on test
Science	80 minutes allowed on test
Mathematics	90 minutes allowed on test

GED Fees

There is a class preparation fee of $25.00 per student per year
This fee may be waived due to financial hardship
The GED testing fee is $15.00 per test or $75.00 for all five tests
Students may pay for each test as it is taken, or pay the entire $75.00 fee at one time

GED Testing

GED tests are administered on the NIACC campus in the Student Learning Center in Beem Center (Room 103)
GED tests can only be taken on dates listed on the Student Learning Center calendar. See GED Testing Schedule.
Testing hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday beginning at 9:30 a.m. No test may begin after 4:00 p.m.
An appointment and registration is required before you can take your first test.
To make an appointment call 641.422.4266 or 1.888.GO NIACC, ext. 4266
Students are eligible to test immediately after the registration process is complete. Appointments are NOT needed for subsequent testing.

GED Accommodations
Accommodations are provided for students with disabilities. For more information regarding accommodations call NIACC at 641.422.4103 or 1.888.GO NIACC ext. 4103

Mary R. Schultz
Adult Literacy Coordinator
North Iowa Area Community College
www.niacc.edu/learningsupport/adult_literacy.html
641.422.4176 Office
641.422.4131 Fax

Adult Literacy Logo

Return to Adult Literacy
Return to Learning Support

North Iowa Area Community College, 500 College Drive, Mason City, IA 50401
641-423-1264 or 1-888-GO NIACC
www.niacc.edu