Get back on track with your ideal career or educational path with a GED credential. If you have yet to earn your high school diploma, a GED test can make you eligible for a certificate of equal merit. Here’s the skinny on the Washington DC GED.

The Washington DC GED test measures your aptitude in five key areas, subjects which are normal part of the high school curriculum: Language Arts in Writing, Science, and Social Studies. There are also two subjects which are both composed of two sections each. The second part of Mathematics prohibits the use of a calculator and requires you to show solutions, and part two of Language Arts in Writing is answerable only in essay form. The rest of the exam is given in multiple-choice format. All test takers are provided with a time limit of seven and a half hours to complete the test.

In order to get through successfully with the test, all applicants must meet a minimum score of 410 for each of the sections, or a total score of 2250 for the entire exam. An average score of 450 is also another requirement; these figures are based on a score scale of 200 to 800. In case you take the test and fail it the first time around, you can retake the sections in which you failed, or you can take it in its entirety until the required minimum average is met.

To qualify for the test you have to be at least 18 years old, with proof of residence in the District of Columbia. You also shouldn’t be enrolled in secondary school for at least six months, and have yet to finish your high school education. All applicants of the state are also required to take the official GED practice test. These basic requirements do accommodate exceptions; if you are at least 16 years old (below the minimum age of eligibility), visit the state’s Adult Literacy site at dcadultliteracy.org/services/ged.html for information on rule exemptions.

Registrations are held at the University of District Columbia’s GED Testing Center. Make a personal appearance and present a valid ID which details your name, social security code, and your Washington DC address. You also have to pay a fee of 40 dollars in cash or in money order if you wish to take the test in its entirety (for first-timers), or eight dollars for every section you intend to take (for repeat test takers).

Initial preparations for the GED exam are a must if you intend to go through it with flying colors. Fortunately, your opportunities for such come at minimal or no cost, since the state’s education agency sponsors prep classes. Visit the abovementioned link for a list of available prep class locations. If you want to go your own way with preparation, your community library can provide resources for you; you can also take practice tests online or purchase materials at a local library. For further information on the state’s GED offering, visit acenet.edu, dcadultliteracy.org/services/ged.html, or about.com.