In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated. Terms Defined. “Applicant” means the individual who is seeking to earn a high school diploma by examination. “Candidate” means an individual who is deemed eligible to take, scheduled to sit for, or has taken the high school equivalency test. “Department” means the Maryland Department of Labor. “GED Option Program” means a program administered by the State Department of Education that creates a pathway to a high school diploma by examination for currently enrolled high school English language learner students under the age of 21 years who have experienced interrupted education and have a lower level of English proficiency than their peers. “High school equivalency test” means an examination program authorized by the Department and the Maryland State Board of Education as a method for earning a high school diploma. “Module” means a single subject area being measured by the Test. “Online Proctored” means the administration format for the Test whereby candidates can access and complete the Test from a virtual location that meets the criteria and is delivered online and is continually monitored by a trained staff member of the Testing Service. “Secretary” means the Secretary of Labor. “State Board” means the Maryland State Board of Education. “Test” means the instrument given by a high school equivalency test program for the purpose of earning a Maryland High School Diploma. “Testing Service” means a contractor awarded to provide a high school equivalency test. The High School by Examination program offers an alternate and acceptable way for an individual who has not received a high school diploma is eligible pursuant to Regulation .04 of this chapter to earn a Maryland High School Diploma. Candidates who successfully complete a Test are awarded a Maryland High School Diploma by the State Board and the Department. A successful candidate may not be awarded any other Maryland High School Diploma either by the State Board, the Department, or by a local school system. The Test will measure the major subject area skills required of a high school education as determined by a testing service. The Test will be offered in modules of each of the major subject areas and each module may be scheduled separately. The Test is given: On a computer at an approved test center; or Online as permitted by the Department. The State Board shall review and approve the State agreement with the Department and a testing service issuing the Test. An applicant is eligible to take the Test if the applicant: Resides in the State of Maryland at the time of testing; Is not subject to compulsory school attendance set by Education Article, §7-301, Annotated Code of Maryland; and Either: Meets both of the following requirements: Has not obtained a Maryland High School Diploma, or a high school certificate or, diploma or equivalency issued by another state or non-U.S. or correspondence school; and Has been officially withdrawn from a regular full-time public or private school; or Has obtained a Maryland High School Certificate of Program Completion in accordance with COMAR 13A.03.02.09E; or Is enrolled in a GED Option Program. Various test centers shall be operated throughout Maryland and online. Scheduling of the Test shall be done by the applicant via the internet. A link to the Test application, schedule, and other pertinent information shall be posted on the Department's website. An applicant shall be required to demonstrate identity, age, and residency by providing one of the following at the time of testing: A current official Maryland driver's license or current official Maryland learner's permit; A current official Maryland identification (ID) card issued by the Motor Vehicle Administration; A current official photo ID issued to an incarcerated individual, with name, current address, date of birth, and signature, by the Department of Juvenile Services, the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, or other residential facility accepted by the Adult Education Director or the Director’s designee; A current official photo ID issued to an individual under supervision by the Department of Juvenile Services, with name, current address, date of birth, signature, and current residential address issued by the Department of Juvenile Services accepted by the Adult Education Director or the Director’s designee; A current active duty military ID card for in person testing; A valid passport and additional documentation that demonstrates residency in Maryland; or GED Option candidates may use a current school photo ID issued to an individual, with name, current address, date of birth, and signature approved by the Adult Education Director or the Director’s designee. If none of the forms of identification and residency identified in §A of this regulation are attainable, prior to scheduling a Test, the applicant may apply to the Secretary for a waiver in accordance with the procedures set out in Regulation .18 of this chapter. The applicant shall provide to the Department one or more forms of identification which collectively show name, address, date of birth, signature, and photograph. If the Secretary or the Secretary’s designee is satisfied that the documentation of identification is authentic and valid, and the individual meets age and residency requirements, the Secretary may issue a waiver. The applicant shall present the documentation submitted to the Secretary in support of the waiver to the test center. In addition to the documentation required in §A or B of this regulation, the applicant shall: Provide the applicant's signature verifying his or her identity and residency in Maryland at the time of testing; Remit the appropriate fee along with the completed application at the time of registration; and For an applicant younger than 18 years of age, present to the Department prior to the scheduling of a Test: Written verification of school withdrawal from an official of the last regular full-time public or private school attended; Verification of home schooling pursuant to COMAR 13A.10.01 from an official of the: Supervising public or private school system; or School or institution offering an educational program operated by a bona fide church organization; or A Maryland High School Certificate of Program Completion. The Department shall establish a reasonable fee schedule for the scheduling of tests, issuance of diplomas and transcripts, and related costs associated with the administration of the Test Program. Only duplicate copies of official transcripts and diplomas may be issued with remittance of fee. Confirmation of test date and location shall be transmitted electronically to candidates before the assigned test date. To be admitted to the test center, each candidate shall present documentation verifying identity, age, and Maryland residency as described in Regulation .06A of this chapter. To qualify for a Maryland High School Diploma by examination, a candidate shall earn the minimum passing score for each test module and the overall passing score for the entire battery of the Test established by the testing service. Once a candidate receives a passing score on an individual module, that score remains valid towards the achievement of a Maryland High School Diploma until a new series of tests has been issued by the testing service. In the event that a new series of tests has been issued, the Secretary may determine how and for how long passing scores on the previous series can be applied to the achievement of a Maryland High School Diploma. Candidates who have failed one or more modules of the Test and candidates who fail to report to the Test on the assigned date may register for a retest/reschedule and may be charged the applicable testing fee. Candidates who are retested shall be administered a different form of the Test from that previously administered. A candidate seeking to retest shall register as proscribed in Regulation .05 of this chapter. Changes may not be made to a candidate’s record after the diploma has been awarded unless the changes are a result of an error on behalf of the testing service or the Department or a legally verifiable name change. The Adult Education Director or the Director’s designee shall make changes when the Department is known to be in error. All scores shall be retained in perpetuity by the Department Each module of the Test, may be taken in a selected language as available from the Testing Service. If a candidate chooses to take a module in a selected language, the entire module must be taken in the same language. Separate modules may be taken in different languages if available from the Testing Service. A candidate who obtains passing scores on the selected language tests and who obtains the required overall passing score, shall be awarded a Maryland High School Diploma. Accommodations for candidates with disabilities shall be made available. Individuals who request testing accommodations shall provide appropriate documentation of their disability and the need for the requested testing accommodations, prior to scheduling. An individualized assessment of each request for testing accommodations shall be made based on the documentation provided and in accordance with the documentation policies of the Testing Service. Candidates who have passed a Test module outside of Maryland may transfer those results for credit towards a Maryland High School Diploma if that Test module is a current, valid, approved exam within Maryland, and the Applicant has not previously been issued a high school diploma or credential. An applicant, high school graduate, or nongraduate whose records are unobtainable may take the Test and be awarded a diploma without verification of school withdrawal required in Regulation .06C(3) of this chapter by: Making a written request to the Adult Education Director; and Providing evidence that shows attempts made to obtain official verification. Based on the facts and extenuating circumstances of each case, the Adult Education Director or the Director’s designee has discretion to grant or deny requests to take the Test without official verification of school withdrawal. To protect the security of the tests, the integrity of the testing procedure, and the validity of test scores, the Adult Education Director or the Director’s designee has authority to request from the Testing Service the invalidation and revocation of test scores and to require the candidate to retest. Misrepresentation of information on the Test application form may result in the revocation of the diploma. Any violation of testing and test center policy may result in ejection from the test and test center and may result in a revocation of test scores and the Maryland High School Diploma. Waivers to the requirements of Regulations .06(A) and .07 of this chapter are granted only by the Secretary or the Secretary’s designee in exceptional circumstances if it is in the candidate's best interest and in accordance with testing standards. If the candidate is a student with a disability who receives special education and related services from a public or nonpublic program, the candidate must request a waiver of withdrawal from the Secretary prior to registration which requires that: The waiver application to the Secretary or the Secretary’s designee shall include a copy of the student's current individualized education program indicating: That preparation for and taking of the Test is part of the student's transition plan pursuant to COMAR 13A.05.01.09A(3); and Any accommodations that the student may need for the Test; If it is necessary for the student to continue to attend school after the date of the filing of the waiver request in order to receive a free appropriate public education, the request shall indicate: That the student will withdraw from school before the testing date; and The date upon which the student will withdraw from school; The request shall be appended with a release that: States that the parent has approved the waiver request and understands that receipt of a Maryland High School Diploma will conclude the student's eligibility for special education and related services; Is signed by the student's parent; and Is on a form approved by the Department; and Upon receipt of notice from the Department that the candidate has failed to pass the Test, the local school system shall convene an individualized education program team meeting pursuant to COMAR 13A.05.01.07—.08 to plan for: The student's resumption of special education and related services within 90 days of the Test date; and Compensatory services for the period in which the student was withdrawn from school, as appropriate. The decision of the Secretary or the Secretary’s designee on a waiver request is final. A Maryland High School Diploma shall be awarded to all candidates who successfully complete the Test. Diplomas shall be awarded within a reasonable time period by the Department or its designee. The diplomas shall be awarded by the State Board and the Department and shall bear the signatures of the Board President and the Secretary. Program Description. The Maryland Adult External High School Program is designed to recognize demonstrated competence in adults, regardless of whether the skill was acquired in a formal school setting. Competencies areas addressed by the assessment are established by the National External Diploma Program. Procedures for Administering the Maryland Adult External High School Program and the Issuance of a Diploma. The Maryland Adult External High School Program is administered under a license agreement with the National External Diploma Program (NEDP) by the Maryland Department of Labor in consultation with the State Board. Local grantees receiving Department funding to implement the Maryland Adult External High School Program shall operate the program according to NEDP standards and requirements in addition to provisions identified in annual requests for proposals and requirements determined by the Department. Requirements for the program are described in manuals available at the Maryland Department of Labor, 1100 North Eutaw Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201. These manuals describe all diagnostic and assessment instruments, administrative procedures, evaluation criteria, eligibility of applicants, and requirements for a diploma. Residents of Maryland 18 years old or older who are not currently enrolled in a high school, who are not high school graduates, and who pass a screening test are eligible to register for the program. A registration fee shall be charged of each individual at the time of entering the program. If a student leaves the program before completion and subsequently elects to register at a later time, a new registration fee may be charged. The required assessment instruments shall comply with the most current standards and materials of the NEDP program to assure that they are valid. A Maryland high school diploma shall be awarded to each graduate upon certification by the External Diploma Regional Center Director that the program requirements have been satisfactorily met. Diplomas shall be awarded monthly. The diplomas shall be awarded by the State Board and the Department and shall bear the signatures of the Board President and the Secretary. Labor and Employment Article, §§11-807 and 11-808, Annotated Code of Maryland Effective date: January 14, 2010 (37:1 Md. R. 14) Regulation .04A, C amended effective November 28, 2011 (38:24 Md. R. 1501) Regulation .06 amended effective November 28, 2011 (38:24 Md. R. 1501) Regulation .08 amended effective November 28, 2011 (38:24 Md. R. 1501) Regulation .11A amended effective November 28, 2011 (38:24 Md. R. 1501) Regulation .17A, C amended effective November 28, 2011 (38:24 Md. R. 1501) Regulation .18 amended effective November 28, 2011 (38:24 Md. R. 1501) Regulations .01—.20 amended effective April 28, 2014 (41:8 Md. R. 470) Chapter revised effective July 21, 2025 (52:14 Md. R. 712)