Dear editor,

I recently saw in the Troup County Banner that the G.E.D test’s passing score has been changed from 150 to 145. Now although this could be a great thing, I have some concerns of my own.

I have recently passed the G.E.D in September of last year with passing grades above 150 or right at 150. I studied for hours to prepare for the test, took and paid for countless practice tests to get my score above 146.

I worked hard to get the grades that I think I deserved. Every time I failed the practice tests — which were $6 apiece and I know I took over 10 of them — it made me want to study so much harder to pass.

They said they were changing the test passing score because the estimated number of Georgians that did not pass the test because of the score were to be over 2,000. So, if you have failed the G.E.D test since Jan. 1, 2014, that they were going to just go ahead and give them their diplomas.

All right, well how is that fair to those who spent their hard earned money at $40 per test or $20 after the first fail, to retake the test to gain the score of 150? How is that fair to those of us who spent our hard earned money buying practice test after practice test because our score was under 150 but above 145?

I don’t suppose they are going to just send us all refunds are they?

Now, this is not all about money, I know that everyone is money hungry these days, when they shouldn’t be. Forty dollars for each section of the test? OK, yeah, maybe, but $40 or $20 for retakes? Why can’t they be free? After all, it is your school’s standards that we as students are trying to live up to. We are just trying to cram every little bit of information into our brains, some 10 or even 20 years after leaving school. Countless hours of studying, classes, grades, Internet searches, flashcards and almost zero hours of sleep to cram years of knowledge in, in a short amount of time. How is it fair?

What makes it fair that students from two years ago who failed the G.E.D with grades below 150 but above 145 are just given their diplomas without having to go through what other students have to go through? The $6 practice tests? The $160 retake if you failed every one of your sections on top of the $160 you already spent on the first batch.

I worked my butt off to get my G.E.D and you’re telling me that if I would have just waited until the first I could have gotten my G.E.D without paying those extra fines or working myself ragged?

If you want my honest opinion about your changing of the G.E.D passing scores or just the G.E.D period, I’ll tell you. You should have just left it alone.

Stop changing the test and stop screwing with our education, because honestly, that is all you’re doing. We as students work our tails off so that we can meet your ridiculous standards just so that we can have a little piece of paper that says we can work, because honestly no one hires without a G.E.D.!

Hayley Timmons

LaGrange