The General Educational Development test is designed to assess whether the test-taker has achieved the equivalent of a high school education. It can help you in attempts to get into college or to land a job. The GED consists of five portions, each of which counts for a maximum of 800 points. Your scores on the GED are not the same as the equivalent grade point average, which is generally no higher than 4. You can, however, convert your GED score to an approximate GPA. This calculation is not official and should serve only to give you an idea of what your likely GPA would have been. If you are applying for college admissions, college scholarships or for employment, converting your GED score to a GPA can strengthen your application and help you better compete against others who earned a traditional diploma.
Identify Your Score in Each GED Section
List your score in each of the five sections of the GED test. This score should be between 200 and 800; your percentile score, which is under 100, indicates how well you did compared to other test-takers but does not directly correspond to a GPA. The score for each of the sections can be used to determine your average GED score, which is the first step in converting it to a GPA.
Divide the Sum of Your Scores by the Number of Sections
Add together the scores from each section of the GED, then divide this number by 5 to find your average GED score. If, for example, you got 500 points in the mathematics section, 600 each in the social studies and science section and 650 each in the reading and writing sections, you would add all of these scores together for a total of 3,000. Dividing this number by 5 would leave you with an average score of 600.
Use Your GED Average to Determine Its GPA Equivalent
Convert your GED score into an approximate GPA using the following information. A GED score of below 300 is the approximate equivalent of a GPA of 1 or below. A GED score of 300 to 400 is the approximate equivalent of a GPA of 1.5 to 2.0. A GED score of 401 to 500 is the approximate equivalent of a GPA of 2.0 to 2.9. A GED score of 501 to 600 is the approximate equivalent of a GPA of 3.0 to 3.4. A GED score of 601 to 700 is the approximate equivalent of a GPA of 3.5 to 3.7 while a GED score of 701 to 800 is the approximate equivalent of a GPA of 3.8 to 4.0.
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Morgan O'Connor has been writing professionally since 2005. Her experience includes articles on various aspects of the health-insurance industry for health-care newsletters distributed to hospitals as well as articles on both international and domestic travel.