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2007 Tables and Figures | All Years of Tables and Figures | Most Recent Issue of the Digest |
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Table 104. | General Educational Development (GED) test takers and test passers, by age: 1971 through 2005 |
Year | Number of test takers (in thousands) | Percentage distribution of test passers, by age1 | ||||||
Total2 | Completing test battery3 |
Passing tests4 | 19 years old or less | 20 to 24 years old | 25 to 29 years old | 30 to 34 years old | 35 years old or over | |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
19715 | 377 | — | 227 | — | — | — | — | — |
19725 | 419 | — | 245 | — | — | — | — | — |
19735 | 423 | — | 249 | — | — | — | — | — |
1974 | — | — | 294 | 35 | 27 | 13 | 9 | 17 |
1975 | — | — | 340 | 33 | 26 | 14 | 9 | 18 |
1976 | — | — | 333 | 31 | 28 | 14 | 10 | 17 |
1977 | — | — | 330 | 40 | 24 | 13 | 8 | 14 |
1978 | — | — | 381 | 31 | 27 | 13 | 10 | 18 |
1979 | — | — | 426 | 37 | 28 | 12 | 13 | 11 |
1980 | — | — | 479 | 37 | 27 | 13 | 8 | 15 |
1981 | — | — | 489 | 37 | 27 | 13 | 8 | 14 |
1982 | — | — | 486 | 37 | 28 | 13 | 8 | 15 |
1983 | — | — | 465 | 34 | 29 | 14 | 8 | 15 |
1984 | — | — | 427 | 32 | 28 | 15 | 9 | 16 |
1985 | — | — | 413 | 32 | 26 | 15 | 10 | 16 |
1986 | — | — | 428 | 32 | 26 | 15 | 10 | 17 |
1987 | — | — | 444 | 33 | 24 | 15 | 10 | 18 |
1988 | — | — | 410 | 35 | 22 | 14 | 10 | 18 |
1989 | 632 | 541 | 357 | 35 | 24 | 13 | — | — |
1990 | 714 | 615 | 410 | 36 | 25 | 13 | 10 | 15 |
1991 | 755 | 657 | 462 | 33 | 28 | 13 | 10 | 16 |
1992 | 739 | 639 | 457 | 33 | 28 | 13 | 9 | 17 |
1993 | 746 | 651 | 469 | 33 | 27 | 13 | 10 | 16 |
1994 | 774 | 668 | 491 | 36 | 25 | 13 | 9 | 15 |
1995 | 787 | 682 | 504 | 38 | 25 | 13 | 9 | 15 |
1996 | 824 | 716 | 488 | 39 | 25 | 13 | 9 | 14 |
1997 | 785 | 681 | 460 | 43 | 24 | 12 | 8 | 13 |
1998 | 776 | 673 | 481 | 44 | 24 | 11 | 7 | 13 |
1999 | 808 | 702 | 498 | 44 | 25 | 11 | 7 | 13 |
2000 | 811 | 699 | 487 | 45 | 25 | 11 | 7 | 13 |
2001 | 1,016 | 928 | 648 | 41 | 26 | 11 | 8 | 14 |
2002 | 557 | 467 | 330 | 49 | 25 | 10 | 6 | 11 |
2003 | 657 | 552 | 387 | 47 | 26 | 10 | 7 | 11 |
2004 | 666 | 570 | 406 | 46 | 26 | 11 | 6 | 10 |
2005 | 681 | 588 | 424 | 45 | 26 | 12 | 7 | 11 |
— Not available. 1 People who did not report their age were excluded from this calculation. Age data for 1988 and prior years are for all test takers and may not be comparable to data for later years. 2 All people taking the GED tests (one or more subtests). 3 People completing the entire GED battery of five tests. 4 Data for 2002 and later years are for people passing the GED tests (i.e., earning both a passing total score on the test battery and a passing score on each individual test). Data for 2001 and prior years are for high school equivalency credentials issued by the states to GED test passers. In order to receive high school equivalency credentials in some states, GED test passers must meet additional state requirements (e.g., complete an approved course in civics or government). 5 Includes other jurisdictions, such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and American Samoa. NOTE: Data are for the United States only and exclude other jurisdictions, except where noted. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Some data have been revised from previously published figures. SOURCE: American Council on Education, General Educational Development Testing Service, Who Took the GED? Statistical Report, various years; Who Passed the GED Tests? 2005 Statistical Report, November 2006. (This table was prepared March 2007.) |