New York

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In New York, you must be at least 19 years of age to take a GED test.

If you are 16, 17, or 18 you must get approval to test. You will need to complete an Age Eligibility form which is located within the application when you create your online GED account. The Age Eligibility form must also be signed by the institutional official authorized to attest to the information required and the completed form mailed to the NYSED HSE Office. The chart below provides details on the requirements and which institutions are authorized to sign the form. The approval process may take up to one week, after the form is received. Please allow two full weeks for the mail to reach NYSED HSE Office. Once approved, you will be able to schedule your GED test.

NYS Age Eligibility for Testing
Yes, test takers must have been a resident of NYS for at least 30 days prior to testing; AND

Test takers cannot currently be enrolled in a high school program leading to a high school diploma; AND

Test takers cannot already have earned a high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma from an accredited high school in the United States or its territories.
Some states permit out of state residents to take the GED test in their state. You’ll need to check the residency requirements in other states. In New York State (NYS) you have to be a resident for at least 30 days to take the GED test and only test takers who successfully complete their GED testing in NYS will be awarded a NYS HSE diploma.

If all subjects/subtests were passed – and a diploma has been earned – test takers should expect to receive their diploma in the mail in 8 to 10 weeks. The diploma will be sent to the address in the GED account. If it has been longer than 10 weeks, please contact the NYS HSE Office at (518) 474-5906 or email [email protected] for a status update.
You do not need to request your transcript or diploma if you pass all GED subjects/subtests and have earned a diploma. They will automatically be mailed to the address in your GED account within 8 to 10 weeks after testing. Please check your GED account to be sure you have passing subject/subtest scores – a minimum of 145 – for each subject/subtest. If you have not passed all subtests you will not receive either a transcript or a diploma.

Transcripts and duplicate diplomas can be ordered through the NYSED High School Equivalency Office. Please visit http://www.acces.nysed.gov/hse/duplicate-diplomas-andor-transcripts.

Yes, in New York State you can test in English or Spanish. You can combine subject/subtests from different languages to earn your diploma. However, the diploma will be awarded in the language you test on for the Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) subject/subtest. The RLA includes both writing and reading in one subject/subtest.
It depends on the requirements in the other state. Check the residency requirements and contact the GED Administrator™ in that state with questions. A NYS HSE diploma cannot be issued to an out of state resident.

In New York State (NYS), you must be a resident of the state for at least 30 days prior to taking the GED test. However, if you had passing GED subject/subtest scores from other states prior to moving to NYS, you may be able to be use those passing subject/subtest scores in NYS.