GED In North Carolina

Students looking to earn their North Carolina GED diplomas can take the four separate GED subtests online or at an official North Carolina test center.

North Carolina also uses the HiSET exam for high school equivalency testing. To take the exams, candidates must register and set up an account on GED.com or hiset.org.

This website offers free GED online classes and free GED practice tests so you can determine whether an online course is right for you.

If so, we recommend you continue with Onsego GED Prep, a comprehensive and accredited GED course, and get well-prepared for the HiSET and GED exams fast.

So, North Carolina uses two options for high school equivalency testing: the GED and HiSET exams. High school equivalency testing gives people who never finished high school the opportunity to acquire an equivalent credential.

The GED exam is given exclusively on a computer, while the HiSET is available both on paper and in a computer-based format.

The GED test includes four independent subtests covering these academic subject areas:

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

The HiSET exam includes five subtests, as there are separate Language Writing and Language Reading subtests.

All subtests may be taken separately. There’s no need to take the entire battery in one session.

When you pass the GED or HiSET exam, you will receive your High School Equivalency Diploma from the State of North Carolina.

This credential is nationwide accepted as equivalent to a high school diploma by government organizations, businesses, colleges, and universities.

North Carolina GED Requirements

• The minimum age to qualify for North Carolina GED or HiSET testing is 16.
• For students ages 16 and 17, however, strict additional requirements count.
• They must, for instance, have permission from their school districts and a parent or guardian. Please see a testing center near you for details.
• Test-takers cannot already have a high school or equivalent diploma.
• They can also not be enrolled in another education program.
• There is no need for test-takers to be North Carolina residents.
• There’s no North Carolina requirement to first pass the GED Ready practice test or another practice test. This doesn’t count for online GED testing!
• Test-takers are not required to attend a GED or HiSET prep course.

North Carolina’s Board of Community Colleges approved that the 58 North Carolina Community Colleges can also use the HiSET exam as an alternative to the GED test.

Please note that not all testing sites provide both exams, so get well-informed on which option(s) your nearest testing center offers (see also below).

North Carolina GED Prep Classes

You can prepare for the GED test by studying online. You can also choose a traditional GED prep class near you. Click on your nearest city to see all the prep locations.

• Asheville
• Charlotte
• Concord
• Durham
• Elizabeth City
• Fayetteville
• Greensboro
• Greenville
• Hickory
• High Point
• Jacksonville
• Raleigh
• Rocky Mount
• Wilmington
• Winston-Salem

You can find numerous locations in the state where GED instruction will get you prepared to take the North Carolina HSE exam successfully.

North Carolina GED Testing Centers

Albemarle
Stanly Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 141 College Dr – Albemarle – NC 28001 – Ph: (704) 991.0362/0345
Archdale
Randolph Comm. Coll. (HiSET) – 110 Park Dr – Archdale – NC 27263 – Ph: (336) 633.0321
Asheboro
Randolph Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 629 Industrial Park Ave – Asheboro – NC 27204 – Ph: (336) 633.0200/0321
Asheville
Asheville-Buncombe Tech (GED, HiSET) – 340 Victoria Rd – Asheville – NC 28801 – Ph: (828) 398.7312
Bolivia
Brunswick Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 50 College Rd – Bolivia – NC 28422 – Ph: (910) 755.7300
Boone
Caldwell Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 372 Comm College Dr – Boone – NC 28607 – Ph: (828) 297.3811 or (828) 726.2721
Brevard
Blue Ridge Comm. Coll. (HiSET) – 45 Oak Park Dr – Brevard – NC 28712 – Ph: (828) 694.1746
Charlotte
Central Piedmont Comm. Coll. (GED) – 1141 Elizabeth Ave – Charlotte – NC 28235 – Ph: (704) 330.6886
Central Piedmont Comm. Coll. (HiSET) -1320 Sam Ryburn Walk – Charlotte – NC 28204 – Ph: (704) 330.6737
Clinton
Sampson Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 1801 Sunset Ave – Clinton – NC 28329 – Ph: (910) 900.4007 or (910) 592.8081
Clyde
Haywood Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 185 Freedlander Dr – Clyde – NC 28721 – Ph: (828) 627.4648
Concord
Rowan-Cabarrus Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 1531 Trinity Church Rd – Concord – NC 28027 – Ph: (704) 216.3635
Creedmore
Vance-Granville Comm. Coll. (GED) – 1547 S Campus Dr – Creedmoor – NC 27522 – Ph: (252) 738.3510
Dallas
Gaston College (GED, HiSET) – 201 Hwy 321 S – Dallas – NC 28034 – Ph: (704) 922.6321
Dobson
Surry Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 630 S Main St – Dobson – NC 27017 – Ph: (336) 386.8121/3663
Dublin
Bladen Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 7418 NC 41 W – Dublin – NC 28332 – Ph: (910) 879.5524/5587
Durham
Durham Tech (GED, HiSET) – 1637 E Lawson St – Durham – NC 27703 – Ph: (919) 536.7218/7220
Elizabeth City
Coll. of the Albemarle (GED, HiSET) – 1208 N Road St – Elizabeth City – NC 27909 – Ph: (252) 335.0821
Fayetteville
Technical Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 2201 Hull Rd – Fayetteville – NC 28303 – Ph: (910) 678.0053
Flat Rock
Blue Ridge Comm. Coll. (HiSET) – 130 Eagles Reach Dr – Flat Rock – NC 28731 – Ph: (828) 694.1746
Franklin
Southwestern Comm. Coll.-Macon Annex (HiSET) – 5 W Main St – Franklin – NC 28734 – Ph: (828) 339.4486
Goldsboro
Wayne Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 3000 Wayne Memorial Dr – Goldsboro – NC 27534 – Ph: (919) 735.5151/739.6904
Graham
Alamance Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 1247 Jimmie Kerr Rd – Graham – NC 27253 – Ph: (336) 506.4131
Grantsboro
Pamlico Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 5049 Hwy 306 S – Grantsboro – NC 28529 – Ph: (252) 249.1851
Greensboro
Guilford Tech (GED, HiSET) – 3505 E Wendover Ave – Greensboro – NC 27405 – Ph: (336) 334.4822
Hamlet
Richmond Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 1042 W Hamlet Ave – Hamlet – NC 28345 – Ph: (910) 410.1700/1778
Henderson
Vance-Granville Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 200 Comm College Rd – Henderson – NC 27536 – Ph: (252) 738.3318
Hickory
Catawba Valley Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 2550 Hwy 70 SE – Hickory – NC 28602 – Ph: (828) 327.7000
High Point
Guilford Tech Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 901 South Main St – High Point – NC 27260 – Ph: (336) 334.4822
Hudson
Caldwell Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 2855 Hickory Blvd – Hudson – NC 28638 – Ph: (828) 726.2721
Jacksonville
Coastal Carolina Comm. Coll. (GED) – 444 Western Blvd – Jacksonville – NC 28546 – Ph: (910) 938.6826
Kenansville
James Sprunt Comm. Coll. (GED) – 133 James Sprunt Dr – Kenansville – NC 28349 – Ph: (910) 296.2400
Kinston
Lenoir Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 231 Hwy 58 S – Kinston – NC 28502 – Ph: (252) 527.6223
Laurinburg
Richmond Comm. Coll.-Morgan Ctr (HiSET) – 517 Peden St – Laurinburg – NC 28352 – Ph: (910) 410.1773
Lillington
Central Carolina Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 1075 E Corn Harnett Blvd – Lillington – NC 27546 – Ph: (910) 814.8971
Lincolnton
Gaston College (GED, HiSET) – 511 S Aspen St – Lincolnton – NC 28092 – Ph: (704) 922.6321
Louisburg
Vance-Granville Comm. Coll. (GED) – 8100 NC Hwy 56 – Louisburg – NC 27549 – Ph: (919) 496.1567
Lumberton
Robeson Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 5160 Fayetteville Rd – Lumberton – NC 28359 – Ph: (910) 272.3700/3607
Manteo
Coll. of The Albemarle-Dare (GED) – 205 Hwy 64 S – Manteo – NC 27954 – Ph: (252) 473.2264
Marion
McDowell Tech (GED, HiSET) – 54 College Dr – Marion – NC 28752 – Ph: (828) 652.0657/659.6001
Mocksville
Davidson Co. Comm. Coll. (HiSET) – 1205 Salisbury Rd – Mocksville – NC 27028 – Ph: (336) 249.8186
Monroe
South Piedmont Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 4209 Old Charlotte Hwy – Monroe – NC 28110 – Ph: (704) 290.5841/5230
Morehead City
Carteret Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 3505 Arendell St – Morehead City – NC 28557 – Ph: (252) 222.6211
Morganton
Western Piedmont Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 200 E College Dr – Morganton – NC 28655 – Ph: (828) 448.6704/3134
Murphy
Tri-County Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 21 Campus Circle, Murphy, NC 28906, Ph: (828) 837.6810 or (828) 835.4226
New Bern
Craven Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 800 College Ct – New Bern – NC 28562 – Ph: (252) 638.9306/7172
Polkton
S Piedmont Comm. Coll. (GED) – 680 Hwy 74 W – Polkton – NC 28135 – Ph: (704) 272.5338
Raeford
Sandhills Comm. Coll.-Hoke Ctr (GED or HiSET) – 1110 E Central Ave – Raeford – NC 28376 – Ph: (910) 875.8589 or (910) 695.3933
Raleigh
Wake Technical Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 3200 Bush St – Raleigh – NC 27609 – Ph: (919) 334.1537/1538
Rocky Mount
Edgecombe Comm. Coll. (HiSET) – 225 Tarboro St – Rocky Mount – NC 27801 – Ph: (252) 823.5166
Nash Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 522 N Old Carriage Rd – Rocky Mount – NC 27804 – Ph: (252) 451.8389
Opportunities Industrialization Ctr (HiSET) – 402 E Virginia St – Rocky Mount – NC 27802 – Ph: (252) 618.6561
Roxboro
Piedmont Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 1715 College Dr – Roxboro – NC 27573 – Ph: (336) 322.2480/2142
Salemburg
Tarheel Challenge Academy (HiSET) – 600 N Main St – Salemburg – NC 28385 – Ph: (910) 900.4007
Salisbury
Rowan-Cabarrus Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 1333 Jake Alexander Blvd – Salisbury – NC 28145 – Ph: (704) 216.3468/3536
Sanford
Central Carolina Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 5910 Enterprise Park Dr – Sanford – NC 27330 – Ph: (919) 777.7701
Shelby
Cleveland Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 137 S Post Rd – Shelby – NC 28150 – Ph: (704) 669-4228/4174
Siler City
Central Carolina Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 400 Progress Blvd – Siler City – NC 27344 – Ph: (919) 545.8663/8665
Smithfield 
Johnston Comm. Coll. (GED) – 245 College Rd – Smithfield – NC 27577 – Ph: (919) 209.2065
Southern Pines/Pinehurst
Sandhills Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 3395 Airport Rd – Southern Pines – NC 28374 – Ph: (910) 695.3974
Spindale
Isothermal Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 286 ICC Loop Rd – Spindale – NC 28160 – Ph: (828) 395.1435 or (828) 286.3636
Spruce Pine
Mayland Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 196 Mayland Dr – Spruce Pine – NC 28777 – Ph: (828) 766.1326
Statesville
Mitchell Comm. Coll. (HiSET) – 701 W Front St – Statesville – NC 28677 – Ph: (704) 878.3233
Sylva
Southwestern Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 447 College Dr – Sylva – NC 28779 – Ph: (828) 586.4486
Tarboro
Edgecombe Comm. Coll. (GED) – 2009 W Wilson St – Tarboro – NC 27886 – Ph: (252) 823.5166
Thomasville
Davidson County Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 297 DCCC Rd – Thomasville – NC 27360 – Ph: (336) 249.8186
Wadesboro
S Piedmont Comm. Coll. (HiSET) – 514 N Washington St – Wadesboro – NC 28170 – Ph: (704) 290.5230
Washington
Beaufort Co. Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 5337 US Hwy 264 E – Washington – NC 27889 – Ph: (252) 946.6194
Weldon
Halifax Comm. Coll. (GED) – 100 College Dr – Weldon – NC 27890 – Ph: (252) 536.6389
Wentworth
Rockingham Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 560 County Home Rd – Wentworth – NC 27375 – Ph: (336) 342.4261
Wilkesboro
Wilkes Comm. Coll. (HiSET) -1328 S Collegiate Dr – Wilkesboro – NC 28697 – Ph: (336) 903.3230
Williamston
Martin Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 1161 Kehukee Park Rd – Williamston – NC 27892 – Ph: (252) 789.0229
Wilmington
Cape Fear Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 411 N Front St – Wilmington – NC 28401 – Ph: (910) 362.7045
Wilson
Wilson Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 902 Herring Ave – Wilson – NC 27893 – Ph: (252) 246.1356
Winston-Salem
Forsyth Tech (GED) – 2100 Silas Creek Pkwy – Winston-Salem – NC 27103 – Ph: (336) 734.7606
Forsyth Tech (HiSET) 1300 Bolton St – Winston-Salem – NC 27103 – Ph: (336) 734.7831
Winterville
Pitt Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 1986 Pitt Tech Rd – Winterville – NC 28590 – Ph: (252) 493.7606
Yanceyville
Piedmont Comm. Coll. (GED, HiSET) – 331 Piedmont Dr – Yanceyville – NC 27379 – Ph: (336) 694.5707

For adults and women who left high school prematurely, earning their high school equivalency credentials is important as it provides them with the opportunity to get better jobs, and the credential also qualifies them for a college education.

GED Scoring

The GED sub-exams are measured on a 100-200 scale.

• The passing score range is 145
• The high school equivalency score range is 145-164
• The college-ready score range is 165-174
• The college-ready plus college credit score range is 175-200

HiSET Scoring

HiSET scoring takes place on a scale up to 20, and the passing score on each of the five subtests is 8. Your essay must result in at least a 2 (out of 6) score, and your total score cannot be less than 45, not including your essay score.

North Carolina GED Cost

If you sit for the North Carolina GED exam at a test center, the fee is $26 per individual subtest (module). So then, the entire GED exam will cost you $104.

When you fail a module in North Carolina, you can retake that part without any waiting period, but when you’ve failed a subtest three times, you need to wait 60 days before you can try again.

The testing fee includes two retakes per subject field at no charge, but you need to complete that within one calendar year. After that year, the regular fee will apply again. This only counts for on-site GED testing.

When taking the GED exam online, each sub-exam costs $36 (so $144 for the entire battery). To qualify for online GED testing, however, you must first reach passing scores on the GED Ready practice test. You must buy four of these tests, one for each GED sub-exam, on the website GED.com. That’ll cost you an additional $28!

North Carolina HiSET Cost

The HiSET exam will cost you $10.75 per subject test if you take it computer-based or $15 if you take the HiSET on paper. Per individual subtest, you’ll have two retests at no cost. So, in North Carolina, the HiSET exam costs $53.75 or $75.

To qualify for the online HiSET exam, the “HiSET-At-Home” exam, also referred to as the “Remote Proctored (RP) HiSET Exam,” you also need to reach passing scores on the HiSET Official Practice Test. You will understand that when taken in an online proctored format, the HiSET exam is only available on a computer.

Preparation is crucial, and please don’t forget to check our article about signing up for your GED test at MyGED.

Four GED Subtests

The GED (General Education Development) exam must be taken entirely on a computer and contains four modules (independent subtests) in Mathematical Reasoning (Math), Science, Social Studies, and Reasoning through Language Arts (Literacy).

You have the option to take one module at a time. The HiSET exam has five subtests that may also be taken individually; the Literacy part has separate Language Writing and Language Reading tests.

North Carolina GED – How to Start

When you are ready to go the GED path, remember the following guidelines to get ahead in acquiring this important diploma. Find a GED prep site near you and find out if you qualify. See if the prep classes are free.

Learn all about their registration policy, as there may be some differences. Registration for the GED must be done online at GED.com, where you’ll be asked to create your account at the online portal MyGED.

Free Online North Carolina GED Prep

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

Online GED and HiSET Testing

So now, you can take the GED and HiSET exams online as well. Until recently, you had to come to an official North Carolina testing center and take the exams in person.

Now, that has changed. For information about online HiSET testing, go to this post: Online Proctored HiSET exam, and for more details about the online GED exam, go to this page: Online Proctored GED exam.

North Carolina GED Test-Prepare Well

Come to the exam only when you are perfectly prepared. Your local bookstore and library can provide study material for optimal preparation, and there are also many locations in your region where free GED preparation is available (click on a city near you in the listing above).

You may contact an adult high school or another adult education center by phone or email to see if they provide career readiness support programs or see if there are any other options or education forms like online programs to get you all set fast for a great career or continue learning in college.

The free video lessons and GED practice tests published on this website let you find out if online learning is right for you. If so, register with Onsego GED Prep, an accredited course that GED Testing Service recognizes as one of only 20 online GED courses that are in line with the current GED test.

With your GED, any business will be glad to use your skills and knowledge!

Why a High School Diploma is Important

Nowadays, most apprenticeships call for a high school degree (or similar), and if you want to go to college, university, or technical/vocational school, you will need a high school or equivalent degree. Going for your HSE diploma is the first and most important step in the direction of a sunnier future.

The objective of adult education is to make sure that applicants will acquire the basic skills needed to access higher education and decently paid employment. The GED program is actually a crucial bridge toward further competency training and higher education, and therefore, sufficient funding remains necessary.

For more information:
North Carolina Community College System
High School Equivalency Division
200 W Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27603
Phone: 919.807.7100
Fax: 919.807.7165

FAQ about the North Carolina GED

How to get a North Carolina GED?

Adults looking to earn their High School Equivalency (HSE) diplomas in North Carolina must pass the four separate subtests of the GED test or the five individual subtests that make up the HiSET exam. So North Carolina uses two options to get hold of an equivalency diploma: the fully computerized GED exam and the HiSET, which is available both in a computerized format and on paper.

What are the North Carolina GED testing requirements?

The North Carolina GED exam is for people who have never completed their high school education. Test-takers don’t have to be state residents, and there’s no requirement to first take prep classes or pass a qualification exam, except when writing the exams online. In North Carolina, the minimum age to qualify for HSE testing is 16, though 16 or 17-year-olds only qualify if they meet strict, additional criteria.

What is the North Carolina GED cost?

The North Carolina GED test costs $104 when you take the exam at one of North Carolina’s official GED testing centers. Online GED testing costs $144 for the full GED exam, but you may count the additional $28 for four GED Ready tests as well, which totals it all to $172. The HiSET exam is 53.75 (when taken on a computer) or $75 (on paper). HSE testers have the option to register for, pay for, and take the four GED or five HiSET subtests one (or more) at a time.

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Last Updated on November 14, 2024.