CONTACT Tim Bullis
Director, Community Relations
748-1433
Sept. 23, 2009

For immediate release

GED tests are free in October

In October, GED® tests are free. The usual cost is $45, but first-time test takers who register in October will pay nothing to take the test.

In Chesterfield County, 14 teachers, day and night classes at nine sites and access to computer labs help adults achieve their GED. Last year, 602 adults earned a GED through the Adult Continuing Education Office of Chesterfield County Public Schools.

GED stands for General Educational Development, and a GED certificate is equivalent to a high school diploma. Why is earning a GED important? By 2012, according to the Virginia Department of Education, 70 percent of job opportunities will require a technical skills certificate. Those certificates require a high school diploma or a GED.

Registration for GED tests takes place at the Chesterfield Technical Center, 10101 Courthouse Road, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 6:30-8:30 p.m. every Wednesday. To register, applicants must bring a valid ID issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles; bringing a Social Security card is recommended. Preregistration is available online at www.ged123.org.

To pursue a GED, adults must be at least 18 and officially withdrawn from school. Offered weekly through December, the GED test covers reading, writing, social studies, science and mathematics. GED seekers may take the test right away or enroll in preparation classes. Registration for GED preparation classes costs $50, and adults who complete 60 hours of preparation will also receive a free test.

For more information, call 768-6140 or go online to chesterfield.k12.va.us.

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A photo showing some of Chesterfield’s GED earners at their graduation ceremony in June 2009 accompanies this news release.