The General Educational Development (GED) Exams are a collection of exams designed to determine whether or not a student has the educational skills of a average high school graduate. The GED Examinations are always delivered in person at one of the testing locations in Illinois (see list of IL GED testing centers at bottom of page). GED preparation programs in Illinois are available on campus and online. Read on for information about GED preparation programs and testing policies in Illinois. GED Transcripts and Certificates. To request your Illinois High School Equivalency Certificate and/or Official GED Transcript, you must contact the Regional Office of Education (ROE)* for the county that you lived in when you completed GED testing.
The specific purpose of the GED Test is the measurement of the educational development of adults who have not completed their formal high school education. Adults may earn a High School Equivalency Certificate and thus qualify for admission to colleges or other educational institutions, meet educational requirements for employment or promotion, satisfy educational qualifications for induction into the armed services, fulfill requirements of local or state licensing boards, or gain personal satisfaction. ELIGIBILITY An individual is eligible to take the GED® Test given they meet all of the following conditions: • 18 years of age or older* • does not have a high school diploma or high school equivalency credential and is not currently enrolled in a secondary school • is a resident of the State of Illinois Note: *If an individual is 17 years old and has been enrolled in a public, private, or a home school setting in the last 12 months, they must present a withdrawal letter from the last school enrolled in before taking the GED® tests.
Withdrawal letters must be on school letterhead and signed by a school official, must include the candidate’s full name and date of birth, and must include the formal withdrawal date/last date of attendance. Transcripts are not acceptable as proof of withdrawal unless they include a formal withdrawal date and the signature of a school official. If home schooled, the candidate must provide a letter from the person responsible for the home schooling [e.g., instructor, tutor, parent, guardian, etc.] stating the program has been completed, the individual is no longer required to be home schooled, and the individual has been cleared to take the GED® exam. The letter should include the candidate’s full name and date of birth. Letters from home schooled students must include a physical signature from the individual responsible for the home schooling.