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Health & Fitness

Rush to Take GED Exam Ahead of Changes

By Kim Pohl
Harper News

Montserrat Duarte considered getting her GED for quite some time but found the process daunting.

It wasn’t until the Palatine mother heard a more rigorous and costly version of the high school equivalency exam would roll out in January that she knew waiting was no longer an option. Duarte signed up for one of Harper College’s prep courses and passed the exam in October.

“I did it because I want a better life for my family and education is the key to that,” said Duarte, who plans to pursue an associate degree in business administration. “I hope the changes won’t be barriers for others.”

The rush is on to take the GED before changes go into effect such as the cost of the exam, which will jump from $50 to $120 in Illinois. The current pencil and paper format will be replaced by a computer and content made the test will be more rigorous to align with the new common core standards.

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“There will be less recall and more analysis, interpretation and writing,” Matt McLaughlin, Admissions and Testing Manager, said.

In addition, if test takers don’t pass every section of the GED test by the end of the year, their previous scores will be wiped out.

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“I couldn’t imagine having to start all over again,” Duarte said. “The $50 was already difficult enough, and I know a lot of my classmates had no computer knowledge.”

Harper College has spent months preparing for the new version by revamping curriculum, training instructors and piloting a program allowing the option for a computerized exam.

The College is moving testing from a lecture hall on its main campus in Palatine to the Harper Professional Center in Schaumburg, which is now a certified testing center.

The Harper College Educational Foundation also provided the College’s Adult Education Department with a grant to buy vouchers for test takers unable to afford the exam. And to accommodate the influx, the number of testing dates and openings was increased.

“It’s been so busy that we don’t have any more openings for people who want to take the test,” Associate Professor Maria Knuth said. “We’re doing everything we can so that the transition goes as smoothly as possible.”


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