In 2014 GED Testing Service is implementing a new version of the test. As WBEZ’s Front and Center the new test will be given on a computer, give more detailed scoring, and focus on skills needed for the new economy. But one of the issues adult educators are most worried about is the rising cost.
In Illinois, the testing fee will more than double, rising from $50 to $120. Michael Lindsay teaches GED math at Howard Area Community Center on Chicago’s far North Side. “I think it would drastically change the number of people who take the test.” said Lindsay, “Because $50 is a fortune [for our students.] So $120, I can’t even really imagine.” The new cost is leading states, local testing centers, and adult educators to look for a solution, including alternatives to the GED. Why is the cost rising? Some adult educators are suspicious that GED Testing Service’s partnership with the for-profit company Pearson Learning Solutions is to blame for the higher price tag. But CT Turner, the Director of Public Affairs & Government Relations for GED Testing Service, says the decision was not motivated by profit. He says the new test may actually save money overall.
Turner breaks it down this way: In the past, local testing centers were responsible for scheduling, proctoring and scoring the tests. Since testing centers were usually located at public institutions like community colleges, that means municipal budgets are covering the expenses. Starting in 2014 GED Testing Service, will pay for all of that work. States will still set their own prices, either subsidizing the $120 charged by GED Testing Service to lower how much students pay, or adding fees to cover additional operating cost.
Analysis done by GED Testing Service concluded that the new test will cost the same, if not less, to administer in most locations. However more of the services are wrapped into the flat testing fee, rather than covered by individual centers.