Did you know people with computer skills get paid, on average, 18% more? Computer Essentials contains over 110 lessons on computer basics, digital communication, word processing systems, finding information online, privacy and security, social media and even mobile devices!

These key skills are what employers are looking for and being able to demonstrate them to your employer is crucial. As you go through your Computer Essentials course, you’ll receive digital badges and printable certificates showing your employer the exact skills you have mastered, proving that you have trained and learned the skills needed to perform the job.

Do you want a new job but don't know where to start? Are you having trouble landing the job? Our Work Essentials course will teach you the skills necessary to find, apply, and land a job! In less than 6 weeks, you'll gain in-depth knowledge on finding a good job for your skillset, learn how to craft a resume, ace an interview, and build the skills essential to keeping the job and getting promoted. This course is divided into three main categories: Job Seeking, Job Ready, and Job Keeping. Earn badges and certificates as you make your way through the course.

First, focus on your goal. What is it that’s driving you to get your high school equivalency certificate? Is it to find a job or to enter into a career program? When you focus on why you need the certificate, it’s easier to overcome the obstacles that stand in your way.

Second, create a supportive environment. It’s tough to stay motivated when you feel alone in your struggles. Tell your family or a few trusted friends who can help to keep you track and hold you accountable in making progress. 

Third, celebrate your victories no matter how small. One of the most powerful features of Essential Education’s online educational programs is the immediate feedback you get on your progress. Knowing at the end of the day what you accomplished is a powerful motivator and worthy of celebration.  

A learning disability is a classification that includes several areas of functioning in which a person has difficulty learning in a typical manner, usually caused by an unknown factor or factors. Given the "difficulty learning in a typical manner", this does not exclude the ability to learn in a different manner. Therefore, some people can be more accurately described as having a "Learning Difference", thus avoiding any misconception of being disabled with a lack of ability to learn and possible negative stereotyping.

Essential Education’s learning content is designed to accommodate most learning differences. Lessons are taught with strong audio visual elements as well as in the context of real life situations. Students have the ability to learn at their own pace and style. Built-in assessments identify the specific foundational skills students need to start with so that more difficult materials make sense and are easy to learn. 

Three Reasons to Study Online

Flexibility: You can login anywhere, anytime. Online studying can fit into your schedule and lifestyle. Studying at a local adult education school can be challenging because classes are offered on specific days during specific times. Getting to class can be also problematic without reliable transportation or needing to arrange childcare. 

Control: You can learn at your own pace. Online learning can happen at your speed not the speed of the classroom. Most classrooms have a set curriculum and are taught in a limited amount of time. What this means is that you will likely feel bored when a teacher is going over materials you already know and frustrated when you need extra time learning something that is difficult for you. Your classroom is not going to slow down or speed up for you. Many students find success when they are given the appropriate amount of time to understand what they are learning.

Success: A good online learning program will personalize the learning based on your performance on built-in assessments. Essential Education's online educational programs create a customized learning plan that accelerates your learning. Learning is faster and more engaging than YouTube lecture videos or books.  

A high school equivalency (HSE) certificate is the equivalent of a high school diploma and is obtained by passing a high school equivalency exam. The exam certifies that you have achieved the academic skills of a high school graduate. 

There are two HSE tests available: the GED Test and the HiSET Exam.

A legitimate online high school offering a high school diploma will be accredited by a nationally recognized agency, as found in the U.S. Department of Education’s List of Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies. 

A reputable test preparation program will provide you with their licensing information, their Better Business Bureau and/or DUNS profiles. Look for student reviews and for the organization’s profile on the Better Business Bureau site.

There are three steps to preparing for the GED Test: plan, practice and pass.

Make sure you are prepared by learning what your strengths and weaknesses are and following a study plan that will work best for you.

There is no time limit on the GED practice test. Take as long as you need!

How much time you study really depends on your schedule. If you are willing to study at least an hour a day, you could be ready to pass the test in 4-6 weeks, depending on your academic background and how long it has been since you were in school.

There are three nationally recognized high school equivalency exams: the GED Test and HiSET Exam. Every state offers at least one of these exams; some states offer two or all three of them. If your state offers more than one exam, you may be able to choose which one to take.

You can check with your local testing center to see which exams they offer., or learn more about the differences between the exams and which test you should take in your state.

It is always better to graduate from high school and obtain your high school diploma. There are certain advantages of being able to show that you have completed the coursework that a traditional high school requires in terms of employment, education and military service entry level.   

If a regular high school diploma is not available to you then the best alternative is a state-approved high school equivalency diploma: GED or HiSET certificate. 98% of U.S. colleges and universities and 99% of employers accept the GED or HiSET  diploma without discrimination. Be wary of online high schools offering quick online diplomas. They are scams and will not be accepted by employers or colleges. 

There are millions of people who have taken an HSE exam and gone on to success including actors, athletes, judges, politicians, and business leaders . The high school equivalency certificate is awarded by your state department of education, making it the gold standard as an alternative to a traditional high school diploma. 

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Online testing may be available through the GED testing service directly. Check with your state's testing center to find out more. Be careful of third party testing sites offering you online testing. Remember, third party testing is not valid and is illegal in most states. Make sure you are registering through your state's official testing service to ensure your test scores will be valid and accredited.

We are recognized as an Adult Education Learning Institution in the State of Oregon and our programs meet all criteria for high school equivalency instruction as outlined by the GED^® Testing Service.

We are also the only certified study program for the HiSET^® Exam.

We are a registered corporation in the State of Oregon and have consistently earn an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

Over 20 states have laws against obtaining a job with a fake diploma. Don’t take the risk of being caught by an employer and losing your job.

Getting a real GED or HiSET certificate may take a little longer, but it is the safest and best path to take. Even better, you will learn skills that are critical to getting and keeping a job. 

Four Ways to Get Help 

Local libraries. Libraries are often overlooked in test preparation. A library card is free! With it you have access to books, references materials, computers with internet and much more. Some libraries may offer test prep classes, and you may even be able to find a local tutor. Ask a librarian at the circulation or reference desk.

Overdrive Media app. Do you have a library card and a computer or mobile device? You can use the Overdrive app to remotely check out free e-books and audiobooks through the library system, especially if your schedule makes it difficult to get to the library when it is open. You can have up to 6 items checked out at any given time and there are no hidden fees to use the app. 

Personal tutors.Tutors offer one-on-one, face-to-face instruction for high school equivalency test prep. There are multiple ways to find a tutor: at your local adult learning center, from a local library or college campus, and websites where tutors post about their services. Try Wyzant to find a tutor in your area.

Online resources.There are many free online resources to help you improve your reading, provide you with information about specific topics on the test and as well as printable practice worksheets or games. Free resources will need to be vetted to meet the needs of the high school equivalency tests.  

Without a high school equivalency certificate, getting a job or promotion can be very challenging. A high school equivalency certificate can open doors to jobs, promotions, and job training. Full time workers with a high school diploma earn $10,000 to $20,000 a year more that workers without a diploma. Adults without a high school diploma are twice as likely to be living in poverty as those with their high school diploma and three times as likely to be unemployed as those with college degrees.

A high school equivalency certificate opens the doors to trade schools, community colleges, and universities. The skills learned for the high school equivalency tests will prepare you for college level work. Your enrollment in our HSE Prep + Critical Employability Skills Program includes a course called, College Essentials to make sure you are ready for college level work.  

Most people start on the road to get a high school equivalency certificate so that they can get a better job or more education. But there's a benefit from passing a high school equivalency test that many people don't take into account: feeling good about yourself. Too many capable people feel like failures because they had problems in school. Too many adults feel left behind because those around them have high school and college diplomas. When adult learners work to get a high school equivalency certificate and succeed, they earn a sense of pride and accomplishment. They learn that they can aim higher than they thought possible. Dropping out of high school doesn't have to close doors permanently in your life. You can earn an high school equivalency certificate and show yourself how much you can achieve. 

Every student is different and it will depend on how much time you can dedicate to studying each day. With our GED Academy^™ online course, students who study for an hour or more each day can be ready to take the GED^® Test in about six weeks. When creating your study schedule, be sure to plan ahead. If you know when you want to take the GED^® Test, you can set up your schedule to aim for that date. 

1. Start with an authentic high school equivalency practice test to find out what you need to know. Our online GED Academy^™  and HiSET^® Academy practice tests are certified by the GED^® Testing Service and HiSET^® Exam. They will predict your actual score on the tests and tell you exactly what you need to brush up on. You won’t waste your time studying what you already know.
2. Second, enroll in one of our programs to get acces to our GED Academy^™ or HiSET^® Academy courses and learn what you need to know to pass the tests. Learning is fast and easy with our special accelerated learning system which builds a personal learning plan just for you. If you can commit to just an hour of study a day you pass the test in six weeks or less.  
3. Finally, pass your test! When you complete our study program, you’ll know for sure that you are ready to pass the GED^® Test or HiSET^® Exam  at a local testing center in your state.

Many students struggle with math; you're not alone!

That’s why we created a robust math curriculum, covering all you need to know to pass the math section of the GED^® Test. With our GED and HiSET Academies, we help you learn math by making it relevant and relatable to everyday life. Your lessons introduce key concepts by examining real world problems and relate it to things you may already know. By helping you to realize why it is important to learn math and showing you how easy it can be, we take the fear and confusion away. We also keep these lessons short, so you won’t feel overwhelmed.

Yes! Sign up for a free GED practice test today! 

Learning is a function of time and good teaching. Given enough time and a great teacher, everyone can learn. This has been proved in hundreds of studies over the last 30 years. The thing is, most classrooms are designed to move a block of students through a set curriculum no matter if the students are getting it or not. This is why people fall behind, and why they get further and further behind every year.  

One of the most amazing things about computer based instruction is that it can make learning truly personal. It can do this because it teaches one student at a time. As you study, Essential Education online educational programs get to know you what you know and what you need to know. And then it takes this personalized information and plots the perfect learning path just for you.

Each state has different guidelines and some even subsidize the cost. You check to see what your state requirements are, but below are the average costs for each test: 

• The GED^® Test is $120 with a maximum cost of $160.
• The HiSET^® Exam average cost is $65.

No, you do not need a SSN to take the HiSET^® Exam. You will need some form of government issued photo identification (driver’s license, passport, or state issued ID).

The easiest way to pass the GED test is to make sure you're fully prepared to take the test. Find an online preparation program like GED Academy that helps you learn what skills you need to study and then create a customized plan to make learning fast and easy.

The GED^® Test has four subject tests

1. Mathematical Reasoning
2. Reasoning through Language Arts
3. Social Studies
4. Science

You must pass all four sections to be awarded a GED certificate. 

The GED^® Test is about 7.5 hours long total, but it can be taken one subject at a time. 

• Reasoning through Language Arts: 150 minutes 
• Mathematical Reasoning: 115 minutes 
• Social Studies: 70 minutes 
• Science: 90 minutes

Simply request a copy of your transcripts for your HiSET^® Exam.

The GED^® Test must be taken at an official GED^® Testing Center. You can locate the testing center closest to you using our location system. Simply select your state, then click on the 'testing cneters" link on your state page. 

You can test in English or Spanish and you can combine tests from different languages to earn your credential. Be sure check if your state allows other languages. 

If you are 18 years or older, you don’t need to take the GED Ready® practice test before taking the GED® test.

No, you do not need a SSN. You will need some form of government issued photo identification (driver’s license, passport, or state issued ID).

If you are 18 years or older, you don’t need to take a GED® class before taking the GED® test.

Some states allow people who don’t live there to take the GED® test and others don’t. You’ll need to check the residency requirement for the state that you’re interested to test in.

If you are under the age of 18, you must have an Underage Waiver prior to scheduling your test. If you are 16 or 17 you are required to meet the conditions set by the school district in which you resides or attends school. You will have to meet the conditions as set forth by your school district before the Underage Waiver will be granted by the school district representative. You must contact a representative from the district in which you live or go to school for information on the specific requirements for testing. A list of district representatives is found here. Once this Underage Waiver has been submitted to the office by your local representative, it will be processed within 3-5 business days of receipt. If you have any questions about the underage testing process, please contact the Florida GED® testing office at 850-245-0449 or via email at GEDagewaiver@fldoe.org.

You can retake the GED^® Test, but each state has different retake rules, so be sure to check your state’s policies. 

Free online GED classes for adults are often minimal and might contain only practice questions. So, they can be difficult and provide poor preparation. Free local classes are a good alternative and the best way to find free local classes is to contact local adult education centers, high schools, and community colleges. However, free local classes have costs in terms of time, child care, and scheduling. For many learners—especially those who need extra help—cheap online classes can provide a better learning experience and help you get your GED faster. GED Academy provides a suite of classes for only $19.99 a month to provide the best possible GED preparation for the lowest possible cost. Why don't you try some free online practice questions?

Simply request a copy of your GED transcripts by following the GED Testing Service directions. 

The GED^® Testing Service issued a new form of the GED^® Test in January 2014. Anyone who has started GED testing, but failed to complete the testing successfully when the new form was released, must begin the entire GED^® Test again (including paying all fees). Some states require the test taker to pass all the tests in the year they are attempted.

The Spanish version of the GED^® Test changed on January 1, 2014 and the same rules apply; any testing done before January 1, 2014 will not be applied to the new form. As with the English version, the entire test must be taken again (including paying all fees).

GED^® Test scores are valid until the GED^® Testing Service updates the GED^® Test.  This usally happens every ten years.  The last update was in 2014.