Before attending on-campus classes, it is essential students participate in orientation, registration, and placement testing. The GED orientation includes:

• information about the GED program and preparation for the current test.
• an opportunity to ask questions
• registration for classes

Following the orientation, you must take a placement test in reading. The results help us place you according to your ability level.

Please bring:

• If under the age of 19, a copy of the original withdrawal letter from your high school stating your withdrawal date. You must bring a copy of the verification of withdrawal to registration or you will not be registered for class unless you have a letter stating that you are no longer attending high school.

• A #2 pencil with eraser, a pen, and know your Social Security number.

PLEASE DO NOT BRING CHILDREN TO THE REGISTRATION SESSION.

Call (708) 974-5340 for more information.

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.

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 or state ID) must 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 17 or 18 years old need a letter from the last school attended, typed on school stationery, and signed by the principal or registrar giving the exact date of withdrawal, or they may submit an official school transcript.

2. Applicants who have been home schooled or attended high school in another country, should 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 $50 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 does not receive test results.

GED Tests
The GED tests in Cook County are given under the authority of the Illinois Community College Board 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.