The cost of getting a high school equivalency degree in Indiana is going up, which has the state searching for an alternative testing method to assist students in obtaining their diploma.

The rights to the General Education Development exam, commonly referred to as the GED, is own by Pearson, who plans to make the test an online only exam as well as raise the rate in Indiana from $70 to $120 in 2014. This has the state concerned that not all students will have the financial or technological resources they need in order to take the test.

According to a representative for the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the state wants to keep their equivalency exam as affordable and simple as possible, and they believe that by maintaining the traditional pencil to paper method is the best way of staying true to those principles.

Interestingly, Indiana is not the only state considering replacing the GED test – 40 other states are currently scouring the country for a more viable option.

However, while Indiana is currently employing the help of state and nation educators to assist them in finding a suitable replacement exam - time is running out, as the prices for the GED are scheduled to increase on January 2, 2014.

Indiana hopes to either have another testing option selected by July, or that Pearson will simply opt to provide the cheaper, more tradition version of the test that they have made available for years.

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