General Education Development (GED)

You must be 18 or older to enroll in the GED program in the state of Maryland. If you are 18, you must obtain a waiver from your school district prior to registering.

F1 or J1 visa holders are not eligible to participate in this program.

1. Schedule an appointment to take the assessment tests.
2. Meet with an advisor to discuss your test results and determine the best placement for class level.
3. Select and register for classes that fit with your schedule.
4. Attend and complete classes.
5. Take the GED Ready® Practice Test which is designed to predict how well you will do on the actual GED subject tests.
6. Take the actual GED test.
7. Once you have passed the GED test in all four subjects, you will receive a Maryland high school diploma and have the option to walk in HCC's commencement ceremony.

There is a materials fee of $60 per class per semester for textbooks, workbooks, or a calculator — all of which the student can keep.  Students will incur additional fees to take the GED practice test and the actual GED test.

There is limited financial aid available for students who meet income requirements. For more information on financial aid, email ABE@HowardCC.edu.

The GED Ready is the practice test that predicts whether the student is likely to pass the actual GED test.

HCC offers vouchers (upon request) to take the GED Ready test when you select Howard Community College as your test center on GED.com. To request a voucher, email ABE@HowardCC.edu.

If the student does not pass the GED Ready test, we would recommend that students take our reading and/or math prep classes. Click here to learn more about those classes.

GED Test is a high school equivalent exam that consists of four subject areas:

Language Arts – 150 minutes, 10-minute break, 45 minutes for essay/extended response.
Social Studies – 70 minutes, TI 30XS, 50% Civics and Government, 20% US History, 15% Economics, 15% Geography.
Science – 90 minutes, no break, TI 30XS, 40% Life Science, 40% Physical, 20% Earth and Space.
Mathematics – 115 minutes, short break, two parts, no calculator for part one, TI 30XS for part two, 55% Algebraic, 45% Quantitative.

General Test Information

• Students cannot take all four tests in one sitting.
• Students are discouraged from taking multiple tests in one day, as the time slots often overlap.
• Each test can cost up to $50, but Maryland issues a discount code (MDGED2175) that reduces the test cost to $14.25 each. This discount applies only to a student’s FIRST attempt at the test. The discount is not available for students who sign up to take the test again due to failure to pass or being a no-show.

Language Requirements

• Reasoning Through Language Arts – must be taken in English.
• Science – may be taken in Spanish.
• Social Studies – may be taken in Spanish.
• Mathematical Reasoning – may be taken in Spanish.

Accommodations

• Students who require an accommodation, such as extra time, screen readers, separate rooms, etc., must request them in advance at GED.com.
• An accommodation can take up to 30 business days or longer to be approved, so requests should be made at least two months in advance. Accommodations can be assigned for:
  • Learning & Other Cognitive Disabilities
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Psychological & Psychiatric Disorders
  • Physical Disabilities & Other Chronic Health Conditions
• Click “yes” for accommodations when setting up a GED.com account. You will create an account in the GED Accommodations Request System.
• Contact Accommodations@GED.com with questions or concerns.