Online Testing

The Washington State GED® Certificate can be neither earned nor obtained via the Internet or through correspondence programs. The General Educational Development (GED) Tests, developed by the GED Testing Service of the American Council on Education, require extensive preparation and the demonstration of a high level of high school knowledge and academic skills. The GED Tests are administered in Washington State only at Official GED Testing Centers under the direction of the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) and Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). Any other high school equivalency certificate not issued by the SBCTC and OSPI or another jurisdictional GED testing authority may not be accepted by employers, colleges and universities, or the military.

The GED Tests cannot be taken online; it has to be administered at an official GED Testing Center.

The GED certificate must be issued jointly by the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Information You Need To Know

• There are thousands of diploma mills that operate without supervision of a state or an accredited agency and grant diplomas that are fraudulent. Find out more about diploma mills and accreditation agencies from the U.S. Department of Education.
• There are legitimate high school diploma programs online – but you will not just pay a fee and then get a diploma. You have to take some sort of distance learning classes.
• There are also legitimate GED preparation programs online – again, they are only preparation programs. You cannot take the official GED Tests online.
• If you are not certain about a program online, please contact the State GED Administrator’s office or contact your local test center.