Difference Between GED and High School Diploma (With Table)

There are many ways to complete our school education. If we are more willing to pursue further, we can join some colleges as well. For that, we need something to show that we have a good education which is equivalent to 12th. It can be done by two methods one is GED, and the other is high school diploma, and they are written by many students. 

GED vs High School Diploma

The main difference between GED and High School Diploma is some people need a certificate which is similar to high school is called GED and completing the GED is very easy as it won’t take much time. High School Diploma is written by people who want to get a certificate which is similar to graduating from a high school, and the duration will be longer. 

A GED is an exam written by people who fail to complete their high school, and it is considered to be a diploma so that with the help of that, students can proceed further with their studies. But having a GED will not always give you a guarantee that you can find a job easily. It is considered to be very hard to find a job, especially when you are searching for a job in the United States.

A high school diploma is equivalent to getting a 12th passed certificate. It is important, especially when you plan to study further. These are completed by people who just left their 10th standard. So, they will write this exam to get qualified and will continue to apply for colleges based on their score. This diploma is very useful for getting admission to colleges.

Comparison Table Between GED and High School Diploma

Parameters of Comparison

GED

High School Diploma

Definition

It is similar to a high school diploma

It is taken by students who left their education after the 10th standard.

Requirements in Education

Students are not requested to have any specific requirements in education

Students should have completed some specific education for high school diploma

Testing

They have four levels of test to get selected

They have to write a test in each of their subjects

Option

You can easily complete and get the certificate in a few months

This will be useful for students who want to go to college

Workforce

If you are planning to do a job, then GED is the best option for you

But high school diploma will not guarantee a job for you

What is GED?

GED is similar to your high school diploma. With the help of your GED score, you can apply for colleges or even for jobs. It is very famous in the United States of America. More than 98% of schools in the US used to accept GED for their admission process. That includes community colleges, private schools, and universities. The expansion of the GED is a general educational development test. 

When you have a GED certificate, it is equal to having a 12th school certificate. The value is that much worth it. All your work will be done online, and you can even study from the comfort of your home by having an internet connection. It will allow you to study like every other people. In India, GED is considered to be a diploma that most people study when they stop studying after 10th and decide to do GED as a diploma.

Also, students do GED when they fail to get a high school certificate. Studying GED and completing it depends on one’s abilities. If you have a good ability to study then, it won’t be hard for you. If you are someone who is not at all interested in learning, then it will become tough for you to complete it. It also has less information in the subject so which makes it somewhat easier compared to the other exams. Studying for GED will not cost you much, and you have to complete all 4 papers in them.

What is High School Diploma?

It is something that will leave you with a high school graduation certificate. When a student completes high school, he or she will be able to get a GED certificate for their completion. This certificate will be very valuable to them when they want to join a college so that they can make a good and effective resume which will make their selection process easier. With the help of this, some students can even apply for jobs as well.

But again, getting a job just with the help of a high school diploma is not an easy task. People can’t simply hire just because you have completed a high school diploma. Even if you land in some jobs, they will be very basic, and you have to work hard to reach some great positions. Having a high school diploma will help you to gain some practical skills. A high school diploma will show how much hard work you have put up in learning that.

Because in high school, it is very similar to like getting a 12th grade. Here you have to write exams in whatever subject you learn. You can’t skip any exam and move forward. It will come under the type of general diploma. It will indicate that you have met all the basic requirements for proceeding further with your education. 

Main Differences Between GED and High School Diploma

  1. An exam that is taken by students who want a certificate that is equivalent to a high school diploma is called GED. On the other hand, a high school diploma is taken by students who want to have a certificate equal to the 12th standard.
  2. In GED you have to write four exams. On the other hand, for a high school diploma, you have to write the exam in each subject.
  3. Studying for GED is not a difficult task as it will contain only the basic things. But studying for a high school diploma is a difficult task as it is important.
  4. You can easily complete the GEED within few months. But it will take more time to complete the high school diploma.
  5. With the help of a GED, you can search for jobs. But with the help of a high school diploma, it is difficult to get placed in a job.

Conclusion

Both are considered to be good options whenever you plan to proceed further in your education. Even if you are trying to find any part-time job, then having a GED or high school diploma will make that easy for you. Because getting a full-time job is difficult with this level of education. But getting a part-time one can be easier when we compare it with a full-time one. 

Even there are some countries where they will mainly look for your GED scores rather than your high school diploma certificate. So, depending on the type of place you are going to study, you can decide whether you should take up a GED or a high school diploma. 

References

  1. https://direct.mit.edu/rest/article-abstract/82/1/23/57213
  2. http://ays.issuelab.org/resources/9688/9688.pdf