All those looking to take the General Educational Development (GED) test in Missouri will have to wait until after the first of the year due to a change in Missouri's current test series, known as the 2002 Series GED Test. A new test will start being administered on Jan. 2, 2014.
The final deadline to take the current GED test was Sept. 6, and the deadline to register to retake any portion of the test was Nov. 4.
The new test will continue determining high school equivalency, but will also measure the knowledge and skills necessary for college and career-readiness.
In 2011, 61.8 percent of Missouri test-takers indicated post-secondary education as a reason for taking the GED test, according to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
"The GED test opens doors to college, better jobs, the respect adults deserve and the satisfaction of earning a high school credential," said Tom Robbins, director of adult education and high school equivalency testing at DESE.
"With the new assessment, there are still five components to the test: Language Arts-reading; Language Arts-writing; math; science; and social studies," said Chandra Manuel, director of the Sikeston R-6 Adult Education and Literacy Program. "The writing portion will still be an essay."
"For 2014, the high school equivalency is pretty much very similar to GED," Manuel said. "The biggest change now is it's a computer-based test."
The new high school equivalency test will gradually start to align more and more with College and Career Readiness Standards, according to DESE.
GED classes are offered in Dexter at the Dexter Housing Authority through the Poplar Bluff Schools and at Cox Corner through the Regional Healthcare Foundation.
Margaret Massey, GED class instructor in Dexter for the Poplar Buff Schools, said she recently attended a workshop about preparing for the new GED test. One of the biggest changes is that the test will be offered only on computer. She said there are some changes in the sections, including the written essay part. In the past the student was asked to write an opinion essay, while the new test will feature changes in the essay requirements, said Massey. She did add that the materials will remain the same.
The GED classes at the Housing Authority are offered each month with the option of attending four mornings per week or two nights a week, Massey said.
Anyone wanting to enroll in the GED classes at the Dexter Housing Authority must sign up on the second Monday of the month. The sign-up starts on Monday and is finished on Tuesday. Massey said those wanting to take the GED classes are given assessment tests during those two days.
There was a larger number of students signing up for GED classes in February, probably because they knew that changes were coming in the equivalency test, she said. The classes, offered for a number of years by the Poplar Bluff Schools, usually averaged 12 to 14 students. In the last year, the average has been more like five to six students. Attendance to the classes is required, which may have reduced the numbers somewhat.
There are no charges for the classes at the Housing Authority, but the student will have to take the test at an approved site and pay the test expenses.
Pam Lewis, GED coordinator for the Regional Healthcare Foundation, teaches GED classes at Cox Corner. Those classes are offered on Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays. She said students who have a job are required to attend three hours per week, while those that do not work are required to attend six hours per week.
Lewis said the Foundation is looking into purchasing computers for the classes. She said the classes were formerly taught using paper and pencils.
"We want them to work on the computers to get used to them," said Lewis. "They can even take some practice tests on them if they are not comfortable using a computer."
Lewis said there are currently five students taking the classes, but 12 have taken the test in the past few months. She said she worked with them on making sure they were registered in time to take the old GED test.
There are no charges for the classes at Cox Corner and the Regional Healthcare Foundation picks up the costs of taking the test. Transportation to the test is also available at no cost to the student.
The entire cost of the new assessment is $95, which includes a $60 registration fee. The cost is $7 for each section. Because examinees do not have to complete the entire test at one time, they can take the test in sections.
The cost of the current GED test is $40, and regardless of which sections they needed to retake, test takers had to pay $40 each time they took the test, Manuel said.
However, test takers of the new assessment will be allowed to test three times during a 12-month period. Examinees who do not pass the test the first time may retake the entire test or any of the test sections two more times within the 12-month period by paying an additional $7-per-section fee.
Anyone in need of more information regarding GED classes in Dexter may call the Housing Authority at 624-2540 or the Regional Heathcare Foundation at 624-1607.
(The Sikeston Standard Democrat contributed to this story.)