What are GED Requirements

Three requirements must be met for you to take the GED tests.

1. You do not currently attend high school.

You cannot be a high school student and take the GED tests. ​You must pursue one or the other, either a diploma or ​equivalency, not both. GED testing takes place at the high ​school senior level, so test-takers should thoroughly ​prepare. Some states even require that you take ​preparatory classes before the exam.

2. You never graduated from high school.

You do not need your equivalency diploma if you have a high ​school diploma.

3. You are at least 18 years old.

Some states allow testing at younger ages, but typically you ​cannot be younger than 16 years of age. Those between 16-​18 must usually meet additional requirements. This can ​include official withdrawal from school, permission from the ​former school district, and parental consent.

Test Subjects

The GED test is made up of 4 ​subjects, broken into separate ​exams. You do not have to take all 4 ​tests at once. You can space them ​out and go at your own pace. If you ​decide to take all 4 tests at once, it ​could take approximately 7 hours.

Test Scores

While you will need to ​score at least 145 on ​each subject to pass the ​GED® test, scoring ​higher can have ​additional benefits.