SANFORD - GED Testing Service has announced revisions to the "cut" or passing scores, as well as performance levels for its high school equivalency test, and is making those revisions retroactive to Jan. 1, 2014, when the 2014 GED Test series was first released. North Carolina will join 32 states in recognizing these changes immediately, possibly resulting in as many as 700 new high school equivalency diploma holders in the state. Other states may require additional approval or rule changes to implement the new recommended revisions.

GED Testing Service is contacting those affected by the changes via email; however, test takers with questions can log into their MyGED.com account or go to http://www.gedtestingservice.com/
testers/tester-score-change-faqs for information, according to Dawn Tucker, CCCC Dean of College and Career Readiness.

The "cut" or passing score is being revised from 150 per test module to 145. Additionally, GED is recalibrating its performance levels to the following scale:

Performance Level 1: Below Passing (100-144)

Performance Level 2: Pass/High School Equivalency (145-164)

Performance Level 3: GED College Ready (165-174)

Performance Level 4: GED College Ready + Credit (175-200)

Those who test at Performance Level 4 may be eligible for up to 10 semester hours of college credit as recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE(R)) College Credit Recommendation Service. The eligibility of the college credit is at the discretion of the local institution. For more information on ACE(R), please visit http://www.acenet.edu/Pages/default.aspx.

"We are working with our GED state representative to ensure students and programs get the necessary information to implement this new change," said Dr. Lisa Chapman, Senior Vice President for Programs in the N.C. Community College System.

North Carolina's 58 community colleges have the option of offering three high school equivalency tests: GED(R), HiSET(R), and TASC.

For more information on high school equivalency testing opportunities, please visit http://www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/college-and-career-readiness/high-school-equivalency or contact, at CCCC: in Chatham County - Anita Green, Success Coach, at 919-545-8681 or by email at agreen@cccc.edu; in Harnett County - Natasha Patterson, Success Coach, at 910-814-8974 or by email at npatterson@cccc.edu; in Lee County - Malissia McConnell, Success Coach, at 919-777-7721 or by email at mmcconnell@cccc.edu.

Additional information on the GED Testing Service changes is available at www.GEDtestingservice.com/score-changes.

For more information on Central Carolina Community College, visit the website www.cccc.edu.