GED In Pennsylvania

Last Updated on April 10, 2024.

Pennsylvania uses two options for high school equivalency testing: the GED and the HiSET exams. Both tests offer adults who never completed high school the chance to earn an equivalent degree.

To take the exams, candidates need to set up their accounts on the websites GED.com or hiset.org.

Our free GED classes online for the GED test help you determine if online studying is fine with you. If that’s so, we suggest you sign up for Onsego GED Prep to get all geared up for the GED and HiSET exam effectively.

In Pennsylvania, test-takers can take the GED exam online or at one of Pennsylvania’s official test centers. The HiSET exam is also available in an online format.

The GED® is completely computer-based, while the HiSET® is available on a computer and on paper.

The GED has four independent subtests that cover the academic subject areas of

• English Language Arts (reading and writing combined)
• Mathematics
• Science
• Social Studies

The HiSET exam includes five tests (Language Arts Reading, Language Arts Writing, Social Studies, Science, and Mathematics).

For both the GED and the HiSET counts that the subtests may be taken separately if wished and in any order.

GED Requirements in Pennsylvania

• In Pennsylvania, the minimum age to qualify for GED or HiSET testing is 16.
• For applicants 16 and 17 years old, additional restrictions and requirements apply.
• They must, for example, submit an official age waiver issued by Pennsylvania’s Department of Education and have parental consent.
• They can also provide a written request from a college admissions office, employer, military recruiting office, or the director of an official state institution that indicates obtaining a GED is required for the applicant. Contact your nearest GED testing site for further details.
• Pennsylvania requires GED and HiSET test-takers to be state residents.
• Test-takers cannot have a high school or equivalent diploma.
• They can also not be signed up for another school program.
• Pennsylvania does not require test-takers to first attend a prep course or pass the GED Ready practice test, but that doesn’t count when the GED exam is taken online.

Completing the GED or HiSET successfully will give you better professional options and unlock the doors of colleges and universities. Each year, more than half a million people finish the GED or HiSET exam successfully, and you may very well be one of them.

GED Prep Classes in Pennsylvania

You can prepare for the GED test by studying online. You can also choose to follow a traditional GED prep class. Click on your city or a city near you to discover all the prep sites in your area.

• Allentown
• Altoona
• Bethlehem
• Erie
• Harrisburg
• Johnstown
• Lancaster
• Philadelphia
• Pittsburgh
• Reading
• Scranton
• State College
• York

Pennsylvania awards the CSSD (Commonwealth Secondary School Diploma). This is the state’s high school equivalency credential that Pennsylvania residents who didn’t graduate high school can earn if they meet the state’s qualification requirements.

The CSSD is achieved if they pass the HiSET or the GED exam or if they complete the state’s thirty College Credits option. The Pennsylvania CSSD is the equivalency of a regular HS diploma.

Pennsylvania GED Cost

The Pennsylvania GED exam costs $144 for the full exam (or $36 per subject test) if you sit for the exam at an official Pennsylvania test center. If you take the GED online PA test, you need to pay $36 per subtest as well ($144 for the entire GED battery), but you should additionally count the cost of four GED Ready tests.

To qualify for the GED online PA exam, you must first attain “green zone” scores (likely to pass) on the GED Ready test, available at the official GED website GED.com at $6.99. Since you have to buy four GED Ready tests (one for each GED subtest), you’ll have to pay an additional $28, totaling your cost of online GED testing to $172.

Our free online GED practice tests and online video lessons are a great help. However, the GED Ready test is the single practice test that predicts whether you are likely to pass the real GED test.

Pennsylvania HiSET Cost

The full Pennsylvania HiSET exam costs $93.75 when taken on a computer or $115 when taken in a paper-and-pencil format. Like with the GED, you can take the five HiSET sub-exams one or more at a time and in any order. Online HiSET testing is, and that goes without saying, not available in a paper-based format.

Pennsylvania GED Testing Centers

Allentown
Lehigh Carbon Comm. Coll. (HiSET) – 718 Hamilton St – Allentown – PA 18101 – Ph: (610) 799.1772
Altoona
Altoona SD (Altoona Jr. High, GED) – 1400 7th Ave – Altoona – PA 16602 – Ph: (814) 946.8332
Arts Altoona Center (HiSET) – 2212 6th Ave – Altoona – PA 16602 – Ph: (814) 329.0253
Ambler
Temple University (GED) – 580 Meetinghouse Rd – Ambler – PA 19002 – Ph: (215) 204.8611
Bartonsville
Monroe Career & Technical Inst. (GED) – 194 Laurel Lake Rd – Bartonsville – PA 18321, Ph: (570) 629.2001
Bethlehem
Northampton Comm. Coll. (GED) – 3835 Green Pond Rd – Bethlehem – PA 18020 – Ph: (610) 861.5360
Bloomsburg
CSIU- Adult Learning Ctr (HiSET) – 1000 Market St (Ste 37) – Bloomsburg – PA 17815 – Ph: (570) 523.1155
Bloomsburg University of PA (GED, HiSET) – 411 Lightstreet Rd – Bloomsburg – PA 17815 – Ph: (570) 389.5294
Bristol
Bucks Co. Comm. Coll. (GED, Room 214) – 1304 Veterans Hwy – Bristol – PA 19007 – Ph: (267) 685.4811
Chambersburg
Franklin Co. Career & Techn. Ctr (GED) – 2463 Loop Rd – Chambersburg – PA 17202 – Ph: (717) 263.9033
Franklin Co. Literacy Council (HiSET) – 101 E King St – Chambersburg – PA 17201 – Ph: (717) 624.6411
Clarion
Clarion University (Stevens Hall, GED) – 840 Wood St – Clarion – PA 16214 – Ph: (814) 393.2404
Clifton Heights
Amudipes Test Ctr (HiSET) – 59 E Baltimore Ave – Clifton Heights – PA 19018 – Ph: (610) 284.3601
Collingdale
Community Solutions (HiSET) – 217 Clifton Ave (Ste 5) – Collingdale – PA 19023 – Ph: (610) 522.8000
Coudersport
Potter County Ed. Council (GED) – 5 Water St – Coudersport – PA 16915 – Ph: (814) 274.4877
Donora
PA Careerlink Mon Valley (HiSET) – 570 Galiffa Dr – Donora – PA 15033 – Ph: (724) 852.2900
Easton
ProJect of Easton (GED) – 200 Ferry St – Easton – PA 18042 – Ph: (610) 258.1100
Erie
Greater Erie Comm. Action Committee (GED) – 809 Peach St – Erie – PA 16501 – Ph: (814) 459.4581
Blasco Memorial Library (IU5, HiSET) – 160 E Front St – Erie – PA 16507 – Ph: (814) 734.8426
Warren Forest Higher Ed. Council (HiSET) – 2951 W 38th St – Erie – PA 16506 – Ph: (814) 723.3222
Exton
Chester Co. OIC (HiSET) – 479 Thomas Jones Way (Ste 500) – Exton – PA 19341 – Ph: (610) 235.4594
Ford City
Armstrong Ctr for Comm. Learning (GED, HiSET) – 104 Armstrong St (Ste A) – Ford City – PA 16226 – Ph: (724) 543.2599
Greensburg
Private Industry Council (GED, HiSET) – 219 Donohoe Rd – Greensburg – PA 15601 – Ph: (724) 836.2600
Harrisburg
Tri-County OIC (GED, HiSET) – 500 Maclay St – Harrisburg – PA 17110 – Ph: (717) 238.7318
AVNA Ed. Center (GED) – 4309 Linglestown Rd (Door 4, Ste 114) – Harrisburg – PA 17112 – Ph: (717) 775.5029
Hawley
Wayne Pike Workforce Alliance (HiSET) – 92 Main Ave – Hawley – PA 18428 – Ph: (570) 390.3613
Hermitage
Laurel Technical Institute (GED) – 2370 Broadway Ave – Hermitage – PA 16148 – Ph: (724) 983.0700
Homestead
Allegheny Intermediate Unit (GED, HiSET) – 475 E Waterfront Dr – Homestead – PA 15120 – Ph: (412) 394.5700
Honesdale
Wayne Pike Workforce Alliance (GED) – 107 8th St – Honesdale – PA 18431 – Ph: (570) 390.7613
Indiana
ARIN IU 28 Ctr for Ed. (HiSET) –  300 Indian Springs Rd – Indiana – PA 15701 – Ph: (724) 463.5300
Jim Thorpe
Carbon Career & Techn. Inst. (GED) – 150 W 13th St – Jim Thorpe – PA 18229 – Ph: (570) 325.3682
Johnstown
Pennsylvania Highlands Comm. Coll. (GED) – 101 College Way – Johnstown – PA 15904 – Ph: (814) 262.3815
King of Prussia
AVNA Learning Ctr (GED) – 601 S Henderson Rd – Ste 205 – King of Prussia – PA 19406 – Ph: (610) 624.5242
Lancaster
Lancaster Lebanon IU 13-PA CareerLink (HiSET) – 609 Chestnut St – Lebanon – PA 17042 – Ph: (717) 606.1708
I-LEAD (@TecCentro West, HiSET) – 57 Laurel St – Lancaster – PA 17603 – Ph: (877) 428.8092
Leola
Fed Testing Ctr (GED, HiSET) – 12 Keystone Crt (Ste 12) – Leola – PA 17540 – Ph: (717) 661.3217
Lewistown
PA CareerLink-Mifflin Co. (GED) – MCIDC Pl (Bldg 58) – 6395 PA 103 N – Lewistown – PA 17044 – Ph: (717) 248.4942
Lock Haven
Lock Haven University of PA (GED) – 301 W Church St – Lock Haven – PA 17745 – Ph: (570) 484.3977
Loretto
St Francis University (GED) – 110 Franciscan Way – Loretto – PA 15940 – Ph: (814) 472.3287
McConnellsburg
HCCTC-Fulton Co. (HiSET) – 122 W Market St – McConnellsburg – PA 17233 – Ph: (717) 485.5131 or (717) 643-0951
Media
Delaware Co. Comm. Coll. (GED) – 910 S Media Line Rd – Media – PA 19063 – Ph: (610) 325.2776
Mill Creek
Huntingdon Career & Techn. Ctr (HiSET) – 11893 Technology Dr – Mill Creek – PA 17060 – Ph: (814) 643.0951
Milton
CSIU-LPN (HiSET) – 15 Lawton Ln – Milton – PA 17847 – Ph: (570) 523.1155
Monaca
Community Coll. of Beaver Co. (GED) – 1 Campus Dr – Monaca – PA 15061 – Ph: (724) 480.3434
Montrose
Trehab-Montrose (HiSET) – 14 Public Ave – Montrose – PA 18801 – Ph: (570) 257.4158
New Castle
Lawrence Co. Comm. Action Partnership (LCCAP, GED) – 241 W Grant St – New Castle – PA 16101 – Ph: (724) 658.7258
Newport
Perry Co. Literacy Council (GED, HiSET) – 133 S 5th St – Newport – PA 17074 – Ph: (717) 567.7323
Newtown
Bucks County Comm. Coll. (GED) – 275 Swamp Road – Newtown – PA 18940 – Ph: (215) 968-8068
Norristown
Montgomery Co. OIC (GED, HiSET) – 1101 Arch St – Norristown – PA 19401 – Ph: (610) 279.9700
North East
Warren Forest Higher Ed. Council (HiSET) – 49 Smedley St – North East – PA 16428 – Ph: (814) 723.3222
Oil City
Keystone Comm. Ed. Council (GED) – 206 Seneca St (Ste 35) – Oil City – PA 16301 – Ph: (814) 677.7707
Oil City Public Library (HiSET) – 2 Central Ave – Oil City – PA 16301 – Ph: (814) 734.8426
Pennsburg
The Open Link (HiSET) – 452 Penn St – Pennsburg – PA 18073 – Ph: (215) 679.4112
Perkasie
Bucks Co. Comm. Coll. (GED) – 1 Hillendale Rd – Perkasie – PA 18944 – Ph: (215) 968.8132
Philadelphia (By ZIP)
Training & Upgrading Fund (HiSET, GED) – 100 S Broad St (10th Fl) – Philadelphia – PA 19110 – Ph: (215) 568.2220
New World Association (GED) – 9857 Bustleton Ave – Philadelphia – PA 19115 – Ph: (215) 856.7316
Temple University (GED, HiSET) – 1803 N Broad St – Philadelphia – PA 19122 – Ph: (215) 204.8611
Comm. Coll. of Philadelphia (HiSET) – 18th & Callowhill St – Philadelphia – PA 19130 – Ph: (215) 496.6159
Connection Training Services (GED) – 2243 W Allegheny Ave (3rd Fl) – Philadelphia – PA 19132 – Ph: (215) 320.5521
Peasant Kings Mentoring (HiSET) – 2233 W Allegheny Ave (1st Fl) – Philadelphia – PA 19132 – Ph: (610) 764.9262
Deliverance Evangelic Church (I-LEAD, HiSET) – 2001 W Lehigh Ave – Philadelphia – PA 19132 – Ph: (484) 709.3331
Community Learning Ctr (HiSET) – 2701 Broad St – Philadelphia – PA 19132 – Ph: (215) 426.7940
Congreso de Latinos Unidos (GED, HiSET) – 2800 N American St – Philadelphia – PA 19133 – Ph: (215) 763.8870 or (215) 219.0412
Rock Ministries of Philadelphia (HiSET) – 2755 Kensington Ave – Philadelphia – PA 19134 – Ph: (215) 913.9035 or (215) 739.3427
Comm. Learning Ctr (GED, HiSET) – 229 N 63rd St – Philadelphia – PA 19139 – Ph: (215) 474.1235 or (215) 426.7940
Tioga Family Center (HiSET) – Tioga St – 1822-26 – Philadelphia – PA 19140 – Ph: (215) 634.9600
Victoria’s Tutoring Service (HiSET) – 6353 Germantown Ave (3rd Fl) – Philadelphia – PA 19144 – Ph: (267) 331.8735
Citizen Bank Park (HiSET) – Citizen Bank Way – Philadelphia – PA 19148 – Ph: (609) 534.2486
Northeast Learning Ctr (HiSET) – 7222 Castor Ave – Philadelphia – PA 19149 – Ph: (215) 745-0141 or (267) 235.3261
Phoenixville
Phoenixville Area SD (GED) – 386 City Line Ave – Phoenixville – PA 19460 – Ph: (484) 927.5071
Pittsburgh
Goodwill of SW Pennsylvania (GED, HiSET) – 118 52nd St – Pittsburgh – PA 15201 – Ph: (412) 632.1847
Allegheny Intermediate Unit (HiSET) – 950 2nd Ave – Pittsburgh – PA 15219 – Ph: (412) 350.2249
Port Allegany
Potter County Ed. Council (GED) – 219 Edison Bates Dr – Port Allegany – PA 16743 – Ph: (814) 545.1333
Pottstown
YWCA-Pottstown (HiSET) – 724 Adams St (2nd Fl) – Pottstown – PA 19464 – Ph: (610) 326.7323
Pottsville
Lifelong Learning Ctr (GED, HiSET) – 2221 W Market St – Pottsville – PA 17901 – Ph: (570) 628.5761
Prospect Park
I-LEAD at PUMC (HiSET) – 800 Lincoln Ave –  Prospect Park – PA 19076 – Ph: (610) 461.5859
Reading
Reading Area Comm. Coll. (GED) – 10 S 2nd St – Reading – PA 19603 – Ph: (610) 372.4721
I-LEAD (HiSET) – 540 Upland Ave – Reading – PA 19611 – Ph: (484) 529.3293
Schnecksville
Lehigh Carbon Comm. Coll. (GED) – 4525 Education Park Dr – Schnecksville – PA 18078 – Ph: (610) 799.1124
Scranton
Lackawanna College (GED) – 501 Vine St (2nd Fl) – Scranton – PA 18509 – Ph: (570) 961.7883
Selinsgrove
Educators, Inc (HiSET) – 12 Commerce Ave – Selinsgrove – PA 17870 – Ph: (570) 884.3743
Sharon Hill
Neighbor to Neighbor (GED, HiSET) – 814 Clifton Ave – Sharon Hill – PA 19079 – Ph: (610) 461.8140
Slippery Rock
Slippery Rock University (GED) – 105 Maltby Ave – Slippery Rock – PA 16057 – Ph: (724) 738.2124
Somerset
Somerset Co. Technology Ctr (GED) – 281 Technology Dr – Somerset – PA 15501 – Ph: (814) 443.3651
Steelton
Tri-County OIC (HiSET) – 919 Gibson Blvd – Steelton – PA 17113 – Ph: (717) 238.7318
St. Marys
Community Ed. Council (GED) – 4 Erie Ave (Ste 100) – St. Marys – PA 15857 – Ph: (814) 781.3437
Sunbury
CSIU-PA CareerLink (HiSET) – 225 Market St – Room 201 – Sunbury – PA 17801 – Ph: (570) 523.1155
Tannersville
Northampton Comm. Coll. (GED) – 2411 Rte 715 – Tannersville – PA 18372 – Ph: (570) 369.1810
Towanda
Bradford Co. Action (GED) – 500 Wiliam St – Towanda – PA 18848 – Ph: (570) 265.4434
Trehab-Towanda (HiSET) – 428 Main St – Towanda – PA 18848 – Ph: (570) 257.4158
Tunkhannock
Trehab Tunkhannock (HiSET) – 106 Warren St – Tunkhannock – PA 18657 – Ph: (570) 257.4158
Uniontown
Laurel Business Inst. (GED) – 18 N Beeson Blvd – Uniontown – PA 15401 – Ph: (724) 439.4900
Intermediate Unit 1 (HiSET) – 11 E Penn St – Uniontown – PA 15401 – Ph: (724) 852.2900 or (724) 550.4555
Upper Darby
Upper Darby Comm. Outreach Corp (HiSET) – 248 Long Ln – Upper Darby – PA 19082 – Ph: (610) 352.7008 or (610) 331.3426
Warren
Warren Forest Higher Ed. Council (GED, HiSET) – 589 Hospital Dr (Ste F) – Warren – PA 16365 – Ph: (814) 723.3222
Washington
Penn Business/Technical School (GED) – 242 Oak Spring Rd – Washington – PA 15301 – Ph: (724) 222.5330
Waynesboro
Waynesboro School District (HiSET) – 702 E 2nd St – Waynesboro – PA 17268 – Ph: (717) 762.1191
Waynesboro Area Sr. High (GED) – 550 E 2nd St – Waynesboro – PA 17268 – Ph: (717) 762.1191
Waynesburg
PA Careerlink Green Co. (HiSET) – 200 Greene Pl – Waynesburg – PA 15370 – Ph: (724) 852.2900
West Chester
West Chester University (GED) – Ste 129 – 25 W Rosedale Ave – West Chester – PA 19383 – Ph: (610) 436.2413
West Lawn
Literacy Council Reading-Berks (GED) – 35 S Dwight St – West Lawn – PA 19609 – Ph: (610) 670.9960
Williamsport
Centr Susquehanna Opportunities (HiSET) – 329 Pine St -Williamsport – PA 17701 – Ph: (570) 601.5730 or (570) 274.2440
York
York Co. Literacy Council (HiSET) – 1416 6th Ave – York – PA 17403 – Ph: (717) 845.8719
York Co. School of Technology (GED) – 2179 S Queen St – York – PA 17402 – Ph: (717) 741.0820

Online GED and HiSET Testing

In the state of Pennsylvania, you will be awarded the Commonwealth Secondary School Diploma, and you can take the exam in English or Spanish.

As said earlier, the GED and HiSET exams are both available in an online format as well. In the past, you needed to take the tests in person at an official testing center, but that has changed. The HiSET exam is now available in a proctored online version, the HiSET-At-Home exam, and GED Testing Service has also introduced the GED Test Online.

GED and HiSET Cost and Retakes

The four GED modules (subject tests) may be taken and paid for separately and cost $36 each (so $144 for the complete exam) when taken at one of Pennsylvania’s test facilities or online. You get two retests per subject test at a discounted rate and these must be completed within a 12-month period. After that, regular fees count again.

The GED online exam will set you back $36 per sub-exam as well ($144 overall), but you should also take into account the four GED Ready practice tests that you’ll need to purchase on GED.com at $6.99 each. This brings your total cost to $172.

There is no wait time for retesting in Pennsylvania if you fail a subtest, but when you fail a subtest three times, there’ll be a 60-day waiting period before you can take that test again. The above applies only to on-site testing.

The HiSET exam includes five modules that cost, when taken on a computer, $18.75 each ($10.75 for the ETS fee, $8 for the test center), so $93.75 in total. When taken in a paper-based format, the HiSET subtests are $23 each ($15 for the ETS fee, $8 for the test center), so $115 in total.

You will get two retests per subject test, but you need to pay the $10 test center fee each on all retesting occasions.

Prepare Well

In the U.S., there are approximately 40 million people who never completed high school, and the GED program is particularly designed for them. Good preparation is absolutely important. Check the listing above to find all locations where GED prep programs are offered (click on your nearest city above and register).

Online courses are often also a good way to get all set fast. This website uses practice tests and video lessons generously provided by Onsego GED Prep, a premium course that GED Testing Service recognizes as one of only twenty courses that are entirely in line with the current GED test. We do not cover everything on the GED test, but Onsego’s extensive course does.

GED Scoring

GED Scoring is done on a 100-200 scale. The passing score is 145 on each one of the four GED subtests. Scoring goes as follows: 100-144: Below Passing; 145-164: High School Equivalency Score; 164-174: College-Ready Score; 175-200: College-Ready Plus College Credit Score.

HiSET Scoring

The five HiSET subtests are scored on a scale up to 20, and the passing score is 8 on each sub-exam. Your essay result must be at least a 2 out of 6, and the overall score needs to be at least 45 points, not including your essay result.

Free GED Online Prep in Pennsylvania

• Practice Tests: Math, Social Studies, Language, and Science
• Online GED Classes
• Pre GED Tests

One Test at a Time

The GED exam includes four independent subtests in these academic segments: Literacy or Language Arts (reading and writing combined), Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies, and the total of four exams will take a little over 7 hours to complete.

The GED exam allows you to take one of the four tests at a time, so test only if you are well-prepared, and you only pay for that part. The HiSET subject tests can also be taken individually.

Nowadays, a high school diploma or equivalency is absolutely the lowest degree you’ll need for practically any sort of work and is a requirement for access to post-secondary education. In case you don’t possess a secondary degree, improvement in all employment fields will be virtually impossible.

It’s about YOUR Future

The General Education Development (GED) exam and the High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) are developed to support adults in improving their professional options.

The diploma will not only boost your job options, but it also qualifies you for continued education at college, university, or technical/vocational school. Please request all possible information regarding registration policies from the schools’ admissions staff so you can work towards better financial health and a better life in general!

In America, there are some four million available jobs that require a high school diploma or similar, and in case there are not sufficient workers who have a high school or equivalent education, we may encounter difficulties filling these jobs, and the overall economy cannot function as it should.

Obtaining your GED test or HiSET diploma will provide you with the opportunity to secure a better-paying position. This will result in better personal income for you and help boost the regional and national economy as well.

Even skilled labor apprenticeships nowadays require that you have a high school diploma or similar, and if you want to go to college or university, you cannot do without a high school diploma or equivalent. Securing your GED or HiSET diploma is your first step toward a brighter future for you and your family.

For more information:
Pennsylvania State Department of Education
Adult Basic & Family Literacy Education
Division of Adult Education
333 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17126
Phone: 717.783.6861
Email: mkpeters@pa.gov

FAQ about GED in Pennsylvania

How to get a GED in Pennsylvania?

To earn your HSE (High School Equivalency) credential in Pennsylvania, you must either pass the four tests included in the GED exam or the five tests that make up the HiSET exam. So Pennsylvania uses two alternative options for adults looking to acquire their HSE diplomas. The GED is administered exclusively on a computer, whereas the HiSET is offered both on paper and on a computer.

What are the Pennsylvania GED testing requirements?

GED and HiSET testing is only open to Pennsylvania residents who never completed their high school education. In Pennsylvania, there’s no requirement to first attend a preparatory course or take a qualification test (except when testing online). Test-takers must be at least 16 years old, though 16 and 17-year-old applicants only qualify if they meet additional strict criteria.

What is the GED cost in Pennsylvania?

The Pennsylvania GED test costs (for the entire GED battery) $144 ($36 per module) if you sit for the exam at an official Pennsylvania GED test center or online. When taken online, you should, however, also count the additional cost associated with four GED Ready tests, which totals your cost at $172.

The Pennsylvania HiSET exam costs $93.75 when taken on a computer or $115 if you take it on paper. Online testing can, of course, only be done on a computer. You can register for and take one of the subtests at a time, and this counts for both the HiSET and GED.

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