Quick Fix: Slip your GED right into the “Education” section of your resume, just like a regular high school diploma. Use the full name—“General Educational Development (GED)” or “High School Equivalency Diploma”—add the year you earned it (or expect to), and skip the school’s name entirely. Employers treat it exactly the same.
What’s Happening
Putting a GED on your resume isn’t some mysterious process. Since 2020, the U.S. Department of Education officially counts the GED as a high-school equivalency credential U.S. Department of Education. That means it checks the “high school diploma required” box on job applications. Private employers, government agencies, even colleges and universities? They all accept it the same way they’d accept a standard diploma National Center for Education Statistics, 2024. Honestly, this is the cleanest, simplest way to meet the education requirement without jumping through hoops.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Grab your resume file and open it in the same editor you used before—Word, Google Docs, Pages, whatever you prefer.
- Find the Education section. In Microsoft Word 365 2026, it’s usually tucked under Insert → Table → 1×3, or it might just be labeled “Education.”
- Type in the credential. Write out the full name:
- General Educational Development (GED)
- High School Equivalency Diploma (use the state-specific name if that’s what you earned)
- HiSET Diploma (only if you’re in one of the states that switched to HiSET)
- Drop in the year. Toss it in parentheses or with a dash—“(2023)” or “2023 – 2023” both work fine.
- Leave the school name blank. Most formatting guides now say to skip it entirely or type “N/A” instead of the high school’s name.
- Match the formatting. Keep it left-aligned, same font family and size as the rest of the resume (11–12 pt is standard).
- Save as a PDF. Hit File → Save As → PDF (or File → Export → PDF on a Mac) so your formatting stays intact when you upload or email it.
If This Didn’t Work
- State-specific name mix-ups. Some states—like New York, West Virginia, and Indiana—dropped the GED name years ago and now use HiSET or TASC. List whatever your state calls it; employers know they’re all the same CareerOneSpot, 2025.
- Online verification headaches. If the employer’s applicant tracking system keeps flagging “high school diploma,” just upload a PDF of your official transcript or diploma. Most states let you pull a free digital copy from your GED.com account or state portal.
- ATS keyword snags. Some systems scan for the exact phrase “high school diploma.” Toss it in once in parentheses after your GED: “General Educational Development (GED) – equivalent to high school diploma.”
Prevention Tips
- Save your credential right away. Grab the PDF diploma or transcript the moment you pass—state portals often wipe files after 12–24 months.
- Keep the Education section plain. Skip graphics or icons; ATS systems read plain text best.
- Update your LinkedIn too. In the Education field, select “High School Diploma,” then type “General Educational Development (GED)” in the description box to line up with ATS search terms.
- Double-check state changes. As of 2026, eight states have fully switched to HiSET or TASC. Before you list your credential, peek at your state’s Council on Adult Education page to confirm the current test name.
