to the home page
APPLY NOW | REGISTRATION | ACADEMICS | STUDENT SERVICES | ABOUT SFCC | COMMUNITY | A-Z INDEX JACKJACK Login

The Testing Center - GED Testing Information and Schedule

Prospective examinees should review the "Frequently Asked Questions" before taking the GED®.

Click here for our Spring 2012 GED® Testing Schedule in English.
Click here for our Spring 2012 GED® Testing Schedule in Spanish.

Eligibility Requirements for GED®Testing

You must be at least 16 years old to take the GED® exam. International students must be at least 17 years old. Individuals under the age of 18 are required to submit a completed Underage Permission Form (available at the Testing Center) signed by a parent or guardian and by the Superintendent of the examinee's local school district. This form must be submitted at the time of registration.

Registering to Take the GED® at SFCC

WEDNESDAY test dates: Registration is on a first-come, first-served same-day basis, and seating is limited. To register, come to the Testing Center on the day of the test between 8:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

*NEW* MONDAY test dates: Registration is on a pre-registration basis, and seating is limited. To register, come to the Testing Center anytime before the day of the test during regular center hours (8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. on Monday-Thursday; 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. on Friday) or on the day of the test between 8:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Candidates who pre-register then fail to show for a scheduled exam will be subject to a $20 rescheduling fee. Cancellations must be at least 24 hours in advance by calling 505.428.1625.

Registration must be completed IN PERSON at the testing center BY THE EXAMINEE ONLY. All GED® candidates must present appropriate identification at the time of registration AND at the time of testing. The identification must be a current (i.e., not expired) government-issued photo ID that indicates name, date of birth, address and signature (e.g., driver's license, state-issued ID card, U.S. passport). The temporary driver's license issued by the state of New Mexico is NOT acceptable as identification without producing the expired license as well.

At the time of registration, examinees must submit a payment receipt from the SFCC Cashier's Office for each of the GED® tests they intend to take ($20 per test). Payment may be made by cash, check or cedit card. Examinees under the age of 18 must also submit a completed Underage Verification Form (see Eligibility Requirements above).

First-Time Registered Examinees who have never taken the GED tests or who have not tested since 2001 must complete intake paperwork. Examinees must complete this paperwork at the time of registration, which can take from 15 to 30 minutes. The examinee will not be able to test until this paperwork is returned to the GED examiner prior to testing time.

Registered Examinees must arrive at the center ½ hour prior to their first scheduled test.

*Candidates who fail to arrive on time will lose their seats.*

DOORS CLOSE 20 MINUTES BEFORE THE TEST SESSION BEGINS. NO ONE WILL BE ADMITTED AFTER THAT TIME—THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS.

 

NO electronic devices of any kind are permitted in the testing room. Examinees are encouraged to make other arrangements for the storage of these devices. If such a device (cell phone, page, etc) is found at the seat or on the person, the test will be invalidated, the student will be asked to leave, and the electronic device will be confiscated indefinitely until such time as we can determine that the device was not used to transmit information about the test. This policy is in compliance with national GED® testing requirements and cannot be waived.

Retesting policy: You may retake a test on the 31st day following the date you originally took that particular test IF you have completed the entire GED® battery and four of your five tests have the required minimum passing score. Otherwise, you will have to wait 61 days for retesting. This is a state-wide rule; if a student fails to observe this rule (or fails to inform that testing center that she/he is retesting), the resulting test scores are invalid and count as one of the three allowed tests per subject area per year.

Required scores: Each of the five tests requires a minimum passing score of 410. The total average of all tests scores must be at least 450. Tests scoring below the minimum will not count for the overall score, even if your other test scores are very high.

Transcripts: All students needing transcripts for years prior to 2007 must contact the NM GED® Office at 827-6702. Students needing transcripts from 2007 or later can print, fill out, and fax the SFCC Transcript Request Form. Transcripts will be released only to those designated on the request form. The Testing Center will provide 2 GED®   transcripts free of charge. Additional transcripts are provided for a fee.

3-year Rule: "Test scores expire three (3) years from the date of initial testing" (taken from state GED® website). This means a student has three years from the date he/she first takes a test to complete all five (or six, if testing in Spanish) tests. For example, if a student took four of five GED® tests anytime during 2002, those tests will expire after the date of the first test in 2002 and the student will have to retake ALL expired tests. Please be aware of this rule and monitor your testing dates. If you need additional information, please call 428-1532.

Accommodations for Documented Disabilities: The GED® does allow special testing accommodations for those examinees who qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Permission for accommodations must be given from the New Mexico State GED® Administrator, but the process for receiving accommodations begins with the local Testing Center. Accommodations requests can take considerable time to process, so students should begin the request process at least two months before they intend to test. Please speak with one of the GED® examiners in the SFCC Testing Center for more information.

For more information, please contact Rowena Sherman or Ellen Roth, (505) 428-1532 / (505) 428-1910 , rowena.sherman@sfcc.edu; ellen.roth@sfcc.edu.

UPDATE AS OF
OCTOBER 7, 2009
GED Testing Service has announced that it will NOT introduce a new edition of the GED exam on January 1, 2012 as previously planned. Given the movement toward more rigorous national standards for high school education, GEDTS has decided to transition directly from the current 2002 Test Series to a “new, more comprehensive assessment program.” This new program, GED 20/20, is intended to increase the number of GED recipients who are prepared to pursue postsecondary education. For more detailed information, please visit the following website: www.gedtest.org/2012.
Santa Fe Community College | 6401 Richards Ave. | Santa Fe, New Mexico 87508 | (505) 428-1000