How to Become a GED Test Center

Approval to become a new GED Centers is not a short process.

The American Council on Education or ACE's GED Testing Service develops and establishes minimum passing scores for the General Education Development test. ACE works in partnership with local governments to provide testing centers for taking the GED for interested individuals. According to ACE, as of December 2010, there are over 3,400 GED testing centers located in the United States and around the world. The application process to become a GED center varies by state or principality, but is generally based on ACE policies. All applications must be approved by ACE.

Instructions

1. Submit a statement of interest letter to your state or governmental GED Administrator for a new GED testing center. There are regulations governing who can open a new GED centers and where it can be placed. According to ACE, GED centers are restricted to public schools, higher education institutions, buildings operated by state or local departments of education, military or correctional installations, Veterans Administration hospitals or health facilities. The statement of interest letter will carry more weight with the GED Administrator if it is from one of these facilities.

2. Meet with the GED Administrator to discuss your plans for operating the new GED center, including staffing the center and how you plan to keep the tests secure. You need to include a statement about how this center differs from centers already open in the area and how the community will be served by opening a new center. The GED Administrator often conducts a site visit to see if the facilities are appropriate for a center. If the GED Administrator agrees a new center is needed, he will ask you to fill out a Request to Establish Official GED Testing Center or Form L-75.

3. Fill out and submit a staff appointment form (Form L-10) for each examiner you plan to have on the staff. Submit the completed forms to the GED Administrator. The GED Administrator submits the Form L-75 and Form L-10 to ACE.

4. Receive the annual contract, test order form, center security policies and the GED Testing Service's Policies and Procedures Manual from the GED Administrator once the center is approved.

5. Open the welcome letter from ACE and attend ACE training. This training is for the GED chief examiner and any other examiners hired.

6. Pay any fees for materials and the GED annual contract, and then receive testing materials for the GED test.

Tips & Warnings

• GED Centers are usually not opened by individuals, but by institutions seeking to address a need they see in the community. Some states require the "L-75-2 Official GED Testing Center Compliance Checklist" to be filled out before you contact the state's GED Administrator since the requirements for where a GED center can be placed are fairly limited. GED Centers typically cannot be established in for-profit institutions of higher education or other for-profit organizations.

References

• GED Testing Service: Policies and Procedures Manual
• GED Testing Service: GED Testing Service Fact Sheet
• State of Michigan: Establishing a GED Testing Center
• New York State Education Department: Form L-75 Request to Establish Official GED Testing Center
• New York State Education Department: L-75-2 Official GED Testing Center Compliance Checklist

Resources

• ACE: About ACE
• ACE: GED Preparation Contacts by State
• ACE: Find a GED Testing Center