Southern Union is designated by the Alabama State Department of Education as a test center for the General Educational Development Test (GED). The GED test is used as the basis for granting the State certificate of high school equivalency certificate issued by the State Department of Education. GED tests are administered monthly on the Opelika Campus and alternating months on the Wadley and Valley Campus
The Assessment Center at Southern Union is a certified Pearson Vue testing site and we are pleased to offer the 2014 GED® Test—the new computer-based GED® test which replaced paper-based 2002 version. The new test measures the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills that colleges and employers are looking for. The test is comprised of four content areas:
- Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) (150 minutes)
- Mathematical Reasoning (115 minutes)
- Science (90 minutes)
- Social Studies (90 minutes)
Benefits of the New Testing Format:
- Alignment from day one to national and state college- and career-readiness standards
- Same day test scoring available (except the writing portion)
- Detailed score report including college- and career-readiness information
- Flexible testing and pay as you go options
Cost and Registration
The cost of the test is $30.00 per content area and testers must register online at : Visit www.ged.com or call 1-877 EXAM GED (392-6433) to register, schedule and pay for the GED® test on computer. Credit and debit cards are acceptable forms of payment. Once a tester has registered and received email confirmation from GED® Testing Services that they are properly registered for the test, the tester would then only need to report to the testing site with proper identification (driver’s license, state identification card, military ID or Passport) at their designated testing appointment.
Test Locations
GED testing on the Opelika Campus is administered in the Assessment Center located on the first floor of the newly built Business Technology Center (BTC). This building is easily accessible from West Point Parkway. Test-takers can park in the large student parking lot located in the front of the building.
Wadley Campus: Science and Technology Building, Room 109
Valley Campus: Computer Lab
16 or 17 Year-Old Testers
In order to complete online registration, testers in this age group will need to provide additional documentation:
- A notarized “Exit Interview Form” from the last Alabama public school they attended. This can be obtained from the school where the student has withdrawn. If the student was home schooled, they would need a letter (on the school letterhead) from the home school program the student attended stating they are no longer enrolled in the program and also verifying the dates of enrollment in that program.
- A notarized letter from the parent or guardian granting the student permission to take the test.
This documentation would need to be submitted to the staff in the Assessment Center once the student has begun the online registration process and reached the point where they needed authorization to continue registering for their exam. Once approved, the student would receive an email confirmation from the Department of Post-Secondary Education notifying them that they are either cleared to continue registration or their documentation was not approved.
For more information on test registration, required documentation for registration, documentation needed for minor test-takers, special accommodations, available testing times and testing sites, and study material, please visit: www.ged.com or call 1-877 EXAM GED (392-6433).
Lost GED Replacement or Duplicated GET Transcripts
The Assessment Center is no longer able to print copies of GED transcripts. All requests for copies of GED transcripts or certificates are now handled via the GED.com website through a new GED Credentialing service. GED Credentialing is a full-service program which fulfills requests for GED transcripts and diplomas for new graduates and those who received their credential prior to 2016.
To print a copy of a certificate or transcript, the test-taker will need to:
1. Go to: www.ged.com (this is the same website where students register to take the GED test).
2. On the menu bar top, select "Request Transcript."
3. Select the appropriate response according to when their test was taken:
**Completed GED test on paper Or before 2014?
OR
**Tested on Computer after Jan 1st, 2014?
TEST-TAKERS WILL RECEIVE A FREE INITIAL DIPLOMA AND TRANSCRIPT AFTER PASSING THE 2014 GED TEST.
There is a $15 charge for those that took the test prior to 2014 and for those that are ordering replacement GED certificates or transcripts.