Adult High School Diploma Program

General Information

• About the Program
• Course Delivery
• Competency Requirements
• Current Calendar
• Diploma Requirements
• Entrance
• FAQs
• Forms
• GED Information
• Online Advising
• Online Orientation
• Registration
• Scholarship
• Sources of Credit

Adult High School

Diploma Program
Fall 2009 Class Schedule

GED Information - Development Tests

The GED Tests are five tests in the areas of Language Arts Writing (the second part of this test includes writing essay), Language Arts Reading, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. The questions in each of these tests require you to use general knowledge, thinking skills and life skills.

Even though you have not finished high school, you have probably gained knowledge and skills through experience, reading, and informal training. The GED Tests are designed to measure the important knowledge and skills, usually learned during four years of high school, that you may have obtained in a different manner.

The test is multiple choice with the exception of Part II of the Language Arts Writing test in which you will write an essay, and Part I of the math test. The questions range in difficulty from easy to hard.

NOTE: Early registration is recommended as sessions close when the maximum number of examinees is reached, which may occur before the "register by" date above. Please allow one hour to complete the application process.

Who is eligible to take the GED?

If you are 18 or older (or you will be eighteen within 60 days of taking the test) you may take the GED provided that you do not have a high school diploma.

If you are 17 (but not yet within 60 days of your eighteenth birthday), you may take the GED if they meet one of the following sets of conditions:

Your age and high school enrollment status are subject to verification. Sixteen-year-olds are not eligible to take the GED. If you are not yet 18, and do not meet the eligibility criteria listed above, you may be interested in the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE). Information is available on the CHSPE website at www.chspe.net.

Special accommodations for examinees may be requested through the MiraCosta Testing Office. Appropriate documentation must be submitted to the state GED office for approval.

How do I sign up to take the test?

You may register for the GED at one of the following locations:

MiraCosta College
Oceanside Campus Testing Office
Building 3000
One Barnard Drive
Oceanside, CA 92056
(760)757-2121 x6685
Test Time: 7:45 a.m. (test begins promptly)
Room#: 3102

MiraCosta College
Community Learning Center
1831 Mission Avenue
Oceanside, CA 92058
(760) 795-8710

San Elijo Campus
Admissions and Records Office
3333 Manchester Ave.
Cardiff, CA 92007
(760) 944-4449

No sign ups after 3:00pm

A completed application and payment of all fees is required at the time of registration. You must be a California resident, and provide one of the following forms of photo identification: driver's license or identification card issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles; identification card issued by the military, or by U.S. or foreign governments; passport issued by the U.S. or foreign governments; identification card issued by a post-secondary school; or a tribal identification card. Identification must be current, and must include your full name, birth date, signature, photograph, and address.

If you have taken any part of the GED after January 1,2002, you will need to submit a copy of your test results before you may be retested. If any test was taken outside California, we must receive an official report of your scores from the test center.

Test fees are not refundable. Fees are $100.00 for the entire battery ($8.50 federal fee, $20 state fee. We do not provide fee waivers. The Language Arts: Writing Test is $15.50 all other tests are $14 each. If an examinee paid fees prior to January 2002 and did not pass the exams, they must pay the state and federal fees again, in addition to the fees for the tests.

MiraCosta College offers only the English version of the GED, a large print form is available. Special accommodations for examinees may be requested through the MiraCosta Testing Office. Appropriate documentation must be submitted to the state GED office for approval.

Contents of the GED Tests

Test Results

Within one month of the test, an Official Report of Test Results will be mailed to you at the address you give on the application for testing. Your test report will show a standard score and a percentile score for each test you take. If you take all five tests, you will also see your overall average scores.

The standard score is not the same as the number of correct answers. Instead, it compares your test to that of high school seniors who were also tested. An average score of 450 on the entire battery is required and the total standard score must be no less than 2250.

The percentile score is also a comparison score. It tells what percent of the high school seniors tested earned a score equal to or lower than yours. A percentile score does not tell the percent of questions answered correctly.

GED Test Preparation

GED test preparation classes are available at our Community Learning Center, 1831 Mission Avenue in downtown Oceanside, Phone: (760) 795-8710.

GED test preparation books are available at your local bookstore or at any public library. There are several different ones available. We do not recommend one over the other.

MiraCosta College is committed to providing equal education and employment opportunities to all persons regardless of, but not limited to, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital or parental status, disability, age, sexual orientation or status as a Vietnam-era veteran.

Individuals with verifiable disabilities can be accommodated with advance notice.