GED Certificate
Application Requirement
Brief Description of GED Tests

GED Certificate
Moraine Valley Community College is a designated testing center for the General Educational Development (GED) test. A person who has not graduated from high school but who successfully passes the GED test earns a certificate issued by the Illinois State Board of Education as being equivalent to a high school diploma.

Application Requirement
Applicants must register by mail. To receive an application, call the Cook County GED Testing Program at
(847) 328-9795 or download an application from the Cook County GED website: www.ccookcountyged.org

1. Applicants must be 17 years of age or older.

2. Applicants must presently reside in Cook County.

Evidence of age and residency (i.e., driver's license) should be presented at the time of the test.

UNDERAGE REQUIREMENTS (For those applicants who are 17 or 18 years of age). The following applicants may apply provided they meet one of the following criteria:

1. Applicants who are 18 years of age and whose original high school class has graduated.  Simply mark the box on the application indicating high school class has graduated.

2. Applicants who are 17 or 18 years old and who have been out of school for at least one year need a letter from the last school attended typed on school stationery, signed by the principal or registrar giving the exact date of withdrawal.

3. Applicants who have been home schooled or attended high school in another country. Call the Cook County GED Testing Program for further information regarding when the applicant is eligible to take the test.

(The letters or transcripts must be sent with the application and fees.)

A $35 application fee must be paid and returned with the application to the Cook County GED Testing Program. Money orders only (no personal checks).

Registration
To receive registration materials, call (847) 328-9795 or download a registration application from the Cook County GED program Web site at www.cookcountyged.org

Results are mailed from the Cook County GED Testing Program to each applicant approximately three to four weeks following the last test date. Moraine Valley Community College never receives test results.

Brief Description of GED Tests
TEST 1--Writing Skills
(Approximately two hours)

TEST 2—Social Studies
(Approximately 85 minutes)
This test consists of a selection of passages from the fields of economics, political science, history, sociology, and anthropology. Where appropriate, a chart, graph, or map supplements the passage. On the whole, questions test the analysis and application of information and ideas in the passage.

TEST 3—Science
(Approximately 95 minutes)
This test consists of a selection of passages on a number of subjects in both the biological and physical sciences. Questions test the examinee's ability to comprehend and analyze the content of each passage.

TEST 4—Interpreting Literature and the Arts
(Approximately 65 minutes)
This test consists of passages of popular literature, classical literature, and commentary on literature and the arts. Questions test the examinee's ability to comprehend and analyze the content of each passage.

TEST 5—Mathematics
(Approximately 90 minutes)
Test 5 consists of mathematical problems in the areas of arithmetic, data interpretation, mensurational geometry, elementary algebra and coordinate geometry.

Illinois Requirement: Public Law 195
This is a test covering the Constitution of the United States, the Illinois Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the proper display and use of the United States flag.

The GED tests in Cook County are given under the authority of the Illinois State Board of Education through the Cook County GED Testing Program. Call (847) 328-9795 for test information, test dates, test scores, and transcripts. Testing sites do not have test scores or transcripts. If you live outside of Cook County, you must take the GED Tests in the county in which you are a resident.

Examination Question Totals:

1. Writing Skills—50

2. Social Studies—50

3. Science—50

4. Reading Skills—40

5. Mathematics—50

• Test 1—Language Arts-Writing (Approximately 2 hours)
  Part 1-(75 minutes) is a measure of a candidate's ability to recognize correct and effective English. It contains questions on sentence structure, capitalization, punctuation, usage, mechanics, and organization.
  

  Organization	15%	7
  Sentence Structure	30%	15
  Usage	30%	15
  Mechanics (homonyms, punctuation, capitalization)	25%	13

  Part II-Essay (45 minutes) demonstrates writing ability with a 250-300 word developed and focused essay.

• Test 2—Social Studies (Approximately 80 minutes)
  This test consists of a selection of passages from the fields of economics, political science, history, and geography. Where appropriate, a chart, graph or map supplements the passage. On the whole, questions require examinees to show their knowledge and understanding of primary social studies concepts and principles, and apply or use, analyze, and evaluate that knowledge and information.
  

  American History	25%	13
  World History	15%	7
  Political Science (Government)	25%	13
  Economics	20%	10
  Geography	15%	7

 

• Test 3—Science (Approximately 80 minutes)
  This test consists of a selection of passages on a number of subjects in life (biology), earth and space, and physical sciences (chemistry and physics). Questions test the examinee's ability to comprehend the content of a passage, analyze relationships between ideas and concepts, apply information to a new situation, and synthesize information from two or more sources.
  

  Life Science (Biology)	45%	23
  Earth and Space Sciences	20%	10
  Physical Science (Chemistry/Physics)	35%	15

• Test 4—Language Arts-Reading (Approximately 65 minutes)
  This test consists of passages of popular literature, classical literature and commentary on literature and the arts. Questions test the examinee's ability to comprehend and analyze the content of each passage.
  

  Literary Texts (poetry, drama, prose fiction)	75%	30
  Nonfiction Texts (non-fiction prose, critical reviews of perfuming arts, business documents)	25%	10

• Test 5—Mathematics (Approximately 90 minutes)
  Test 5 consists of mathematical problems in areas of  number sense and operations; measurement and geometry, data, statistics and probability; and algebra, functions, and patterns. Booklet one (25 questions-45 minutes) allows use of the calculator; booklet two (25 items-45 minutes) does not allow calculator use. Students must pass both sections to pass the Math test, which will be equally weighted.
   

  Arithmetic (operations, data, statistics, probability)	50%	25
  Algebra, Functions, and Patterns	25%	12
  Geometry and Measurement	25%	13

• Illinois Requirement:  Public Law 195
  This test covers the Constitution of the United States, the Illinois Constitution, and Declaration of Independence, and the proper display and use of the United States flag.