Canada: GED Out, CAEC In
Canada replaced the GED exam with the Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC) on May 3, 2024. If you have already passed portions of the GED test, don’t worry; your scores remain valid for three years. We will keep you informed about the transition from GED to CAEC in Canada.
Canadian Online CAEC Classes
Fast, Cheap and Easy
Get Your Diploma in 2 Months.
In Alberta, the CAEC exam costs $200 for the entire 5-test battery or $40 per subject test. These fees applied to the GED, and we assume they will also count for the CAEC exam.
Onsego provides an award-winning CAEC prep program but does not administer the CAEC exam. To learn more about how to register for the exam, visit the Alberta government CAEC exam page.
Alberta residency is required to qualify for the CAEC exam, and you must be at least 18 years of age. However, 17-year-olds may also qualify if they meet some pretty strict additional requirements. Please contact the regional CAEC Administrator or get in touch with your local CAEC testing center (see below).
Though taking a practice test or attending a prep course is not required in Alberta, you are advised to prepare well if you want to be successful. A proven way to get well-prepared fast is by following the Canadian online CAEC classes provided by Onsego Prep.
CAEC candidates can only write the CAEC exam in the province or territory they reside in. For example, a person who lives in Ontario can only write the CAEC exam there. Testing centres will ask for an ID from all candidates, and that ID must show they are residents of that province or territory, or they will not be able to write the exam.
What is the CAEC Exam?
The CAEC exam is Canada’s HSE (High School Equivalency) exam that offers adults who were not in the circumstances to complete their regular high school curriculum the chance to get hold of a credential that’s all across North America accepted in lieu of a common high school diploma.
The CAEC exam comes with five modular, separate sub-exams that assess a candidate’s academic proficiency in the five subject fields of
- Science
- Language Writing
- Language Reading
- Social Studies
- Mathematics
The Canadian CAEC is accepted in the same way as a regular high school diploma by practically all North American government agencies, employers, and institutions of higher learning.
Online CAEC Preparation
In Alberta, there’s no requirement to get all set for the CAEC exam with a prep course in an adult education center, and you also don’t have to take and pass the official CAEC practice test first.
But bear in mind that the five CAEC subtests are pretty challenging and that proper preparation is absolutely required. Some students learn better under the supervision of a teacher, while others are self-disciplined enough to learn on their own using a good online course.
You may well benefit from the CAEC online prep course designed by Onsego. GED Testing Service® recognizes the U.S. version of this comprehensive yet very affordable prep course as entirely aligned with the current GED exam. This prestigious recognition is only awarded to 20 online programs.
Onsego has also developed a Canadian CAEC-aligned program that is fully aligned with the new Canadian CAEC exam and complies entirely with CAEC standards.
The Social Studies section of Onsego’s CAEC prep course has been completely renewed to include all elements of the new exam and better reflect Canadian values, culture, history, geography, and demographics.
The Alberta CAEC exam is available on a computer and in a paper-based format, and you may combine these two options if you wish.
For accommodations, please contact a CAEC testing center near you, but do so in a timely manner to avoid disappointments. Registration must be done on the Vretta website.
Qualification Requirements
- CAEC test-takers must be 18 years old or older in Alberta (in exceptional cases, 17-yr/olds may also qualify)
- CAEC test-takers must be Alberta residents
- CAEC test-takers must have been out of the public school system for at least 10 months
- CAEC test-takers cannot have a high school or equivalent credential
- CAEC test-takers must also meet additional requirements and be able to show proof of identity
Alberta CAEC Testing Centers:
Calgary
Calgary Learning Institute Ltd., 130, 3025 12 Street NE, Calgary, AB T2E 7J2, Phone: (403) 285-3555
Equilibrium Testing Center, 2130, 11 Royal Vista Drive NW, Calgary, AB T3R 0N2, Phone: (403) 453-4224
Cold Lake
Portage College, 7825 51 Street #1759, Cold Lake, AB T9M 0B6, Phone: (780) 639-0030/7102
Drayton Valley
Drayton Valley & District Community Learning Association, 4743-46 Street, Drayton Valley, AB T7A 1R8, Phone: (780) 542-3373 ext. 1
Edmonton
A&D Tutoring Services, 16408-100 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T5P 4Y2, Phone: (780) 444-9349
Careers in Transition Inc., 10621 100 Ave, Ste 420, Edmonton, AB T5J 0B3, Phone: (780) 702-9259 or (780) 496-9228
Lokken College, B100, 10080 Jasper Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 1V9, Phone: (888) 565-5366 ext. 1
Norquest College, 10215 108 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 1L6, Phone: (780) 644-6000
Edson
Edson and District Community Learning Society, Edson Provincial Building #105, 111-54 Street, Edson, AB T7E 1T2, Phone: (780) 723-6247
Fort McMurray
Keyano College, Bob Lamb Building, 8115 Franklin Avenue, Fort McMurray, AB T9H 2H7, Phone: (780) 791-4800 or (780) 838-3847
Fox Lake
Kayas Cultural College, FF9C & R8, Fox Lake, AB T0H 1R0, Phone: (780) 759-2030
Grande Prairie
Northwestern Polytechnic, 10726-106 Avenue, Grande Prairie, AB T8V 4C4, Phone: (780) 539-2212
Grande Prairie Public Library, 101, 9839-103 Avenue, Grande Prairie, AB T8V 6M7, Phone: (780) 357-7467
Hinton
Hinton Adult Learning, 110 Brewster Drive, Hinton, AB T7V 1B4, Phone: (780) 865-1686
Lac La Biche
Portage College, 9531 94 Avenue, Lac la Biche, AB T0A 2C0, Phone: (780) 623-5518
Lacombe
Burman University, 6730 University Drive, Lacombe, AB T4L 2E5, Phone: (403) 782-3381 ext. 4141
Lethbridge
Lethbridge College, 3000 College Drive S, Lethbridge, AB T1K 1L6, Phone: (403) 320-3368
Lloydminster
Lakeland College, 2602-59th Avenue, Lloydminster, AB T9V 3N7, Phone: (780) 871-5746/5760
Maskwacis
Maskwacis Cultural College, 2 Saddleback Road N, Maskwacis, AB T0C 1N0, Phone: (780) 585-3925
Medicine Hat
Medicine Hat College, 299 College Drive SE, Medicine Hat, AB T1A 3Y6, Phone: (403) 529-3896
Red Deer
Red Deer College, 100 College Boulevard, Red Deer, AB T4N 5H5, Phone: (403) 342-3292 or (403) 356-4909
Rocky Mountain House
Rocky Community Learning Centre, 4832 49 Street, Rocky Mountain House, AB T4T 1B5, Phone: (403) 845-3276
Ryley
Beaver County Community Adult Learning Service Centre, 5120 50 Street NW, Ryley, AB T0B 4A0, Phone: (780) 663-3731
Slave Lake
Northern Lakes College, 1201 Main St SE, Slave Lake, AB T0G 2A3, Phone: (780) 849-8600
Stettler
Stettler Adult Learning Centre, 4911 51 Street, Stettler, AB T0C 2L0, Phone: (403) 742-2280/6700
Taber
Taber Adult Learning Association, 5011 49 Avenue, Taber, AB T1G 1V9, Phone: (403) 223-1169
All of the above-listed facilities were GED test centers, and we assume that they continue offering the CAEC exam.
Alberta’s Leading Role
Alberta’s government played a leading role in developing the CAEC exam and replacing the GED test with the CAEC.
The Canadian Adult Education Credential helps meet the demand for a well-educated and skilled workforce. The CAEC offers adults without a high school diploma the opportunity to secure a made-in-Alberta secondary education credential equivalent to a high school degree.
The new CAEC, like the GED diploma, opens doors to more educational opportunities and better career perspectives.
The new CAEC program was developed together with 8 provinces and territories. Alberta is home to the Canadian National CAEC Testing Service Headquarters, which will manage and monitor the administration and test delivery process. In Alberta, test-takers can register for CAEC testing from May 22, 2024.
The eight provinces and territories that helped develop the CAEC are Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Saskatchewan.
The five CAEC subtests are computer-based, but there will be a paper option and other versions for students requiring accommodations. The exam is offered in both English and French.
Albertans who partially complete the GED exam can have their GED results count towards the new CAEC exam for three years, so until May 2027.