By Michelle Sartor Lang
Senior Multimedia Web Producer

Beginning in January, adults without a high school diploma will have a new method of obtaining one. The GED test is changing and the current version will become obsolete. In addition, the New Jersey State Board of Education has approved new adult education assessment providers, giving residents more options.

The New Jersey State Board of Eduction met Wednesday and approved three vendors to administer adult education assessments — Pearson VUE, Education Testing Service (ETS) and McGraw Hill. Those who pass the tests from those vendors will be issued a high school diploma from the state. That means the current GED (General Educational Development) test from Pearson VUE will be joined by two new assessment tests — ETS’s HiSet (High School Equivalency Test) and McGraw Hill’s TASC (Testing Assessing Secondary Completion).

All three versions of the assessment test will continue testing students in the five major content areas — writing, reading, math, science and social studies — and have been approved by the state Department of Education. “The different companies will make different tests, but the key is we approve them so we want to make sure they’re all aligned to the new state standards,” said New Jersey DOE Director of Public Information Michael Yaple.

The recent state Board of Education decision marks a major change. The GED has been the only test for an adult to receive a state-issued diploma since 1959. Yaple explained the GED had been a non-profit venture, but since having to align with the Common Core Standards, it partnered with a for-profit company.

“Understandably it will increase the price. If the state Department of Education remained with one provider, the price would’ve increased from about $65 per test to $195,” Yaple said. “By having greater competition, we expect we’ll be able to provide more options and at a lower cost.”

The DOE expects competition to drive down the average costs per test-taker to $112 and keep paper-based exams through 2016.

Changes to the GED have been made to ensure test-takers are ready for the working world. “The 2014 GED program will help test-takers prepare, perform and progress after the GED test. The new start-to-finish program will provide adult learners with the tools and resources needed to succeed in today’s workforce, career training programs and post-secondary education courses,” explained GED Testing Service Executive Vice President Nicole Chestang.

The new version of the GED will be aligned with the Common Core Standards and will be taken on a computer only. Chestang said testing on a computer allows test-takers to demonstrate their skills to potential employers and offers greater scheduling flexibility.

“GED Testing Service has been offering the current GED test on computer across the U.S. for nearly two years and the results have been overwhelmingly positive,” Chestang explained. “More than 300,000 computerized GED tests have been delivered and test-takers are passing at a rate nearly 15 percentage points higher than those who take paper-based tests and test-takers who fail a GED test on computer are nearly 60 percent more likely to retake the test than those who take the test on paper.”

Using the current version of the GED, candidates must complete and pass all subjects with a score of 410 or higher and a minimum total score of 2,250, explained Ocean County College Chief Examiner Carol Cappetta.

In order to determine the passing score for the GED, Chestang said GED Testing Service administers the exam to high school graduates. That process hasn’t changed. “This past summer a random sample of high school graduating seniors took the 2014 GED test and based on their performance, we’ll set the passing score for the new test. This is the same method we have always used to measure high school equivalency,” she said.

Cappetta sees the changes to the GED as positive. “The current 2002 version of the GED needed to be revised and updated. Testing on the computer is another change that will allow students to move along at their own individual pace. Students completing a subject in less time than allowed can finish and move on to the next subject,” she said.

While there will be three tests available for adults to get high school diplomas starting in January, Yaple said there could be more in the future. “If they meet the state standards, you could see a number of tests from which to choose,” he said.

Those who have taken certain portions of the GED and need to finish the current exam can visit finishtheGED.com to locate a testing center.