Another way you can earn a school diploma

The only people ineligible to take the GED (General Education Development) test are those who already have high-school degrees or those who are still high-school age.

Everyone else, no matter how little schooling he or she has had, or where school was attended, or what language was used - yes, everyone else may register for, study for, and take the GED.

Furthermore, those who don't pass the test the first time may take it as many times as needed until they do pass.

In 1977 some 518,000 adults in the US took the GED - 362,000 passed.

The GED is often referred to as a ''high-school equivalency exam'' and means just that. For those who for whatever reasons did not earn a high-school degree , it is an opportunity to prove through examination the ability to go on to postsecondary training.

While the majority of those who take the GED use the exam to be eligible for community college work and vocational training, there are always a few who go on into the liberal arts, some ending up in professional or graduate schools.