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Policies And Guidelines For
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Valerie Fischer |
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Division of Adult
Education and Literacy |
Phone: (701) 328-2393 |
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Section I |
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Section II |
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Section III |
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North Dakota State GED Office Personnel |
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Division
of Adult Education and Literacy |
Valerie Fischer, State G.E.D Administrator Jolli Marcellais, Administrative
Assistant |
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A high school diploma is a minimum qualification for almost all types of employment and for admission to most post-secondary, educational, and vocational programs. Without it, advancement in many fields is almost impossible. Because of the importance of a high school diploma, the North Dakota General Educational Development program was established by the Department of Public Instruction more than 55 years ago. This program was established to assist people who have not completed a formal high school program leading to graduation from a high school. The North Dakota G.E.D. High School Diploma is based upon the successful completion of the General Educational Development (G.E.D.) tests. In recent years, over 1,200 individuals per year have obtained their G.E.D. The program has given many people an opportunity to demonstrate their educational growth since withdrawing from school, and to benefit accordingly. Persons who demonstrate appropriate educational development, and pass the G.E.D. test, receive the North Dakota G.E.D. High School Diploma from the Department of Public Instruction. The completion of the G.E.D. program does not replace the regular established procedures for completing a high school program. The North Dakota G.E.D. High School Diploma is intended only for those persons who withdrew from their regular high school program. |
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In order to earn a North Dakota G.E.D. High School Diploma, a person must meet each of the requirements described below: Non-Graduation Requirement:
Applications will be reviewed and returned to the applicant. Please allow 2 to 3 weeks for processing. Applicants make arrangements for testing directly with an approved North Dakota G.E.D. Testing Center. |
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All candidates who wish to earn a North Dakota G.E.D. High School Diploma must take the tests of General Educational Development (G.E.D. tests) of the American Council on Education. The required G.E.D. tests are:
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The G.E.D. Writing Skills Test consists of two sections. Part I is a multiple-choice section that measures the examinee's ability to edit sentences within the context of one or more paragraphs of extended discourse. Part II is an essay section that measures the examinee's ability to compose a well-written response to a question about a subject or an issue. The Writing Skills Test score combines the scores of the two parts. Scores for Part I and Part II are never reported separately. The Language Arts, Writing Test is in two parts. Part One has 50 questions, and Part Two requires that you write an essay. The time allowed for the Language Arts, Writing Test is two hours. 75 minutes should be used to answer the 50 multiple-choice questions and the remaining 45 minutes to write an essay. The questions in Part One of the Language Arts, Writing Test are drawn from the following content areas: organization 15%, sentence structure 30%, usage 30%, and mechanics 25%. Part One contains three types of documents: informational documents, instructional or how-to documents, and workplace documents. In Part Two of the Language Arts, Writing Test examinees write an expository essay on a topic of general interest. The essay test provides information on the examinees ability to generate a clear, well-organized piece of writing. Examinees are asked to explain their ideas and support them with details and examples. GED essay topics are carefully chosen with several criteria in mind. First of all, topics are expository rather than persuasive. The examinees objective is to present a point of view or give an explanation, not to convince others of the virtues of his or her beliefs. Secondary, none of the topics are controversial or deeply emotional. Since an overly emotional response may result in a less effective and controlled essay. Finally, topics may be answered on the basis of general knowledge, life experience, and personal observations. Students should be able to answer the questions without any specialized background. The Social Studies Test is 70 minutes in length. It is administered in a multiple-choice format and measures the critical thinking skills of comprehension, application, analysis, and evaluation. The test measures concepts and skills from the following content areas: United States and world history 40%, civics and government 25%, economics 20%, geography 15%. The test context is of a national as well as global nature. The Science Test is 80 minutes in length. The GED Science tests includes the following content area: life science 45%, earth and space science 20%, and physical science 35%. The GED test is administered in a multiple-choice format while assessing the higher order thinking skills of application, analysis, and evaluation. The Language Arts, Reading Test is 65 minutes in length. The Language Arts, Reading test is 40 items in length and is divided into the following content area: literary context 75%, and nonfiction text 25%. The literary and non-fiction selections in the Reading tests depict a range of ethnic backgrounds, ages, gender, and regional backgrounds. This diversity is intentionally maintained within each test period. The Mathematics Test is 90 minutes in length and is administered
in two parts. The examinee may use a calculator (provided by the test
center) for Part One. Part Two should be completed without the calculator.
Part One is a multiple-choice test with six alternate formats and one
coordinate plane grid. An examinee is allowed 45 minutes to complete the
25 questions in Part One. The GED mathematics test measures analytical
and reasoning skills as well as the application of mathematical theory. |
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Candidates are not required to take any courses or to prepare in any way for the test. However, candidates may wish to improve their skills by attending one of the North Dakota Adult Learning Centers or by studying at home. |
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The applications for modifications must originate with the chief examiner. If a candidate has a disability and wishes to apply for test modifications, the request must accompany the candidate's application to the G.E.D. test center. The request should be made on the G.E.D.T.S. Forms for accommodations are available from the GED Testing Center. The request should also include, in writing, documentation (from an appropriate professional person) of the candidate's handicapping condition and should recommend appropriate test administration modification to meet the candidate's handicapping condition. The Chief Examiner at the local test center will review requests for Test Administration Modification for a candidate with a physical handicap. The chief examiner will determine modifications based upon the testing manual and policies described by the GED Testing Service. For a candidate whose handicapping condition is other than physical, the application and appropriate materials will be sent to the office of the State G.E.D. Administrator located at the Department of Public Instruction. If the request is approved, the chief examiner at the test center will be notified and advised to make arrangements for appropriate modification within the guidelines prescribed by the GED Testing Service. Allow at least 2-4 weeks for completion of this process. |
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The candidate who has met all the requirements for receiving a North Dakota G.E.D. High School Diploma may be awarded a diploma from the Department of Public Instruction if he/she meets the following criteria:
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Each candidate will be notified of his/her test results as soon as possible after testing. A candidate who meets all the requirements will receive an original diploma and transcript. A candidate who wishes to obtain a duplicate transcript must request release of his/her scores in writing from the Department of Public Instruction. There is a *$2.00 processing fee for each transcript and a *$10.00 processing fee for each duplicate diploma. * Subject to change without notice. |
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Most individuals earn their North Dakota G.E.D. High School Diploma by taking the required tests at a North Dakota test center. However, there are some people who test outside the state, but prefer a diploma from the State of North Dakota.
*Fees subject to change without prior notice. |
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