New business helps with GED classes

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Students who have only partially passed their General Education Development (GED) tests have until the end of 2013 to complete the series or will have to start over as of January 2014.

Jody Wilson, owner of North West Ohio Learning Services LLC, which offers professional tutoring services in the Van Wert area, announced that, according to the Ohio Department of Education, the current 2002 series of GED testing is scheduled to end on December 31.

The state issued a press release earlier this summer stating those who have not passed one or more parts of the 2002 series, beginning January 1, 2014, will need to take the entire test and pass to receive a GED. Prior scores will not be counted. The cost of the GED test in 2014 is $120.

The last day to place an application for the Paper-Based Test (PBT) is August 9 of this year. All fees and documentation (accommodations, parental consent form and/or age waiver if required) must be in the office by August 9. All fees received after this date will be returned to the applicant.

The last day in the State of Ohio for Paper-based Testing is Saturday, December 21, (based on each test center’s schedule). No test center is permitted to test beyond that date.”

“The current GED test series is composed of five sections; Reading, Science, Social Studies, Writing Skills and Mathematics,” Wilson explained. “Each section is graded separately and a GED certificate is issued upon successfully passing all five sections. From my experience in adult education, there are many individuals who are only one or two sections short of receiving certificates.”

NWOLS is the only location in Van Wert offering GED prep at the current time, and Wilson urges anyone who still needs to pass one or two tests to contact her.

Wilson will also help students register for the test free of charge.

“Registration must be completed online by August 9 to take the paper test,” she noted. “If a student doesn’t have access to a computer, we’re happy to help, even if he or she isn’t taking classes from us.”

For more information on the GED program and to register for GED testing, interested persons can visit the North West Ohio Learning Services website at www.NWOLS.com.

In addition to GED preparation classes, NWOLS offers a wide range of classes from basic study skills to enrichment.

“We’ll customize classes for whatever people are interested in,” Wilson said. “If we can’t teach it, we’ll find somebody who can.  Next summer we’ll offer math and writing boot camps and hope to start a kids’ book club.”

Wilson is thrilled by the response she’s gotten just from word of mouth. “Classes are growing every day,” she noted.  “NWOLS is the only professional tutoring service in town, and there seems to be a real need for it. We’re delighted to be here.”