End of GED testing in Canada leaves people with fewer options

The current Canadian version of the General Educational Development (GED) test used in Ontario, will no longer be available starting spring 2024.

The clock is ticking on General Educational Development (GED) testing in Canada.

The certificate will no longer be available starting spring 2024 – and that’s raising concerns about how adults will get their high school diploma or equivalent.

The Ontario Ministry of Education says testing in Canada is done by a U.S.-based company, which has decided to end the service in Canada.

Jim Barlow provides GED preparation training in Waterloo Region through his company Legacy 5 Consultants. He was also part of the team that brought the testing to Canada from the United States in the late 1990s and is the consulting editor on the book test-takers use to study.

He says the change has left him feeling “empty.”

“All the work we put together to get an option for adults. And now we're back to square one,” Barlow said. “What are you doing? Have you really thought this thing out?