North Shore Community College Accepts GED College Ready Scores

Last Updated on April 10, 2024.

GED test-takers who score in the College-Ready and the College-Ready Plus College Credit range can now enroll in the courses offered by North Shore Community College (NSCC) without any further placement testing.

This is actually the first time that Massachusetts GED graduates can use their GED math and language arts test scores for enrolling in credit-bearing academic courses.

NSCC is the first Massachusetts school that accepts the College-ready score levels of the GED® high school equivalency exam.

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After the American Council on Education made recommendations to do so, NSCC began to accept GED graduates with College-ready scores this year.

The GED college-ready scores are now accepted at the school’s campuses in Middleton, Lynn, and Danvers.

The school has more than 8,000 students, and over the past half-century, some 250,000 residents of the North Shore area have benefited from academic courses provided by the school.

The GED exam has four separate subject tests that are scored on a 100-200 scale.

The passing score is 145, and the high school equivalency score is in the 145-164 range.

Students who score between 165 and 174 are in the College-Ready category, and from 175 to 200, they will additionally receive up to 10 college credits.

GED College-Ready Scores

The GED scores are a credible alternative method for schools to place students into credit-bearing college courses, and the school is very pleased to use them for placement testing.

Expectations are that more Massachusetts schools will follow NSCC’s example so GED graduates with appropriate scores will not have to go through any placement testing or sign up for any remedial courses to enroll in college.

Getting properly prepared for the computerized GED exam is key, and there are some amazing online GED prep courses, like Onsego Online GED Classes.

NSCC has now joined an increasing number of institutions of higher learning that accept GED College Ready scores.

The College-Ready and College-Ready Plus Credit GED scores (165 or higher) indicate that the students have demonstrated the skills and mentality to be successful in college-level courses.

This not only saves GED graduates a lot of money and time on their path toward earning postsecondary academic qualifications, but the schools benefit as well as less organizational work and placement testing are involved.

College Admissions

Several studies have shown that the GED exam prepares test takers pretty well for postsecondary academic education. Going to college without a GED is possible at some community colleges and trade schools, but holding a GED or HS diploma is usually required.

Since the fully computer-based GED program was launched, more GED graduates have signed up for college programs, and they appear to be more ready than ever before to be successful in college and their careers. Studies carried out by GED Testing Service have revealed that

• 45% of GED graduates signed up for a college degree or certificate course within 3 years
• 35% of them have done so within just 1 year after they earned their GED diploma
• 90% of GED grads that signed up persisted by re-enrolling for next semesters

These are exciting numbers, particularly when compared to the pre-persistence rate of only 29%. Keep also in mind that students scoring in the college-ready and college-ready + credit sectors of the GED exam have their SAT or ACT requirements waived at most colleges and universities, also at North Shore Community College.

Education beyond an HSE (high school equivalency) credential like the GED (General Education Development) diploma is a key element to unlock all sorts of opportunities for adult students.

This offers them the opportunity to get a better job, experience a new career pathway, go to college, qualify for higher salaries, and, in general, work towards a better quality of life.

In Massachusetts, GED diploma holders are in a great position to find a decently-paying job in the state’s workforce, especially when they’ve earned a certificate or degree after attaining their GED diploma.

A college certification or degree is crucial because expectations are that for most positions that will be available over the next years, more than just a high school or equivalent diploma will be required.

Over the next few decades, more than two million jobs will be added to the American workforce that require some sort of post-secondary education without the need of having a 4-year college degree necessarily.