Canadian Adult Education Credential
Primer
The new Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC) is a new national high school equivalency (HSE) diploma assessment. A student must pass all five exams with 55% to achieve the credential. The provincial government in the province where the test is taken issues the HSE diploma.
| Subject and parts | Number of questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 50 questions | 75 minutes |
| Writing | 1 persuasive writing task | 75 minutes |
| Math Part I: No calculator Part II: Calculator |
42 questions 12 questions 30 questions |
120 minutes 30 minutes 90 minutes |
| Science | 35 questions | 90 minutes |
| Social Studies | 40 questions | 90 minutes |
CAEC replaces the former General Education Development (GED) for HSE, but the CAEC is not similarly normed with cut scores to use for organization or program admission. In terms of breadth and difficulty, the CAEC exams may be considered GED-lite, which is suitable since it only tests for HSE and not further levels, such as continuing with academic studies or vocational training.
The testing for the credential was made by Alberta Education with input, review, and approval from all provinces. Alberta Education currently administers the tests on its Vretta assessment platform. It is also responsible for the licensing and setup of official CAEC testing centres. Per its scope, it does not currently offer learning resources or development supports for CAEC.
The credential is national. The tests are available in French and English. The majority of provinces and territories use the CAEC for HSE. British Columbia and the Yukon have opted out using their own HSE program instead.
In some provinces, official CAEC testing centres are listed. In some, the testing centres list is not available until creating a candidate account and booking a test.
In the face of rising costs and decreasing funds, this credential serves as a strong first step for adult students to move forward with foundational learning and vocational training.
