How to List GED on Resume: 6 Examples That Look Right

By Mustafa Tarabya, founder of CVBooster · Published 2026-10-07 · Updated 2026-10-07

10 min read

To list a GED on a resume, put it in the Education section as one line: the credential name, the state that issued it and the year, for example "GED Diploma, Ohio Department of Higher Education, 2022". You do not explain it, apologize for it or hide it, because a posting that asks for a "high school diploma or equivalent" is asking for exactly this line. The only thing that changes is placement: near the top when it is your highest credential and you have little work history, at the bottom when you have a degree or years of experience. Below are the exact wording, the placement rules and six complete resume examples. Written by Mustafa Tarabya, who hired for his own company, read every application himself and now writes CVBooster's guides.

If you have ever stared at the Education heading wondering whether "GED" looks like a confession, it does not. It looks like a box ticked. Here is the most common case first.

GED as your highest credential: first job

With a short work history, education moves up and the GED line sits next to anything that shows reliability.

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What a GED is, in the words a resume reader uses

A GED is one of the recognized high school equivalency credentials in the United States. CareerOneStop, which is sponsored by the US Department of Labor, describes it plainly: "A high school equivalency or HSE is a recognized alternative to a high school diploma." Among the exams it lists are "The General Educational Development ( GED ®) test" and "The High School Equivalency Test ( HiSET )" (CareerOneStop).

The federal government spells out the same equivalence for its own hiring. The Office of Personnel Management defines high school graduation or equivalent as meaning "the applicant has received a high school diploma, General Education Development (GED) equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education" (OPM qualification policies).

That definition tells you what to write. The credential is issued by your state, so the state goes on the line, not the testing center.

How to put GED on a resume: the line and where it goes

The education line has three parts and one optional fourth.

• Credential name: "GED Diploma", "GED Credential" or "High School Equivalency Diploma (GED)". Use the name printed on your document.
• Issuer: the state agency, or simply the state, such as "State of Texas".
• Year: the year you passed. Leave it off if it makes you feel older than the job needs to know, but keep it on federal and government applications.
• Optional: honors such as GED College Ready scores, or the adult education program where you prepared, if it is local and the employer will know it.

Where it goes depends on what else is on the page:

• GED is your highest credential, little work history: Education sits right under the summary.
• GED plus a certificate or college credit: list the newer credential first, the GED under it.
• GED plus a degree: you can drop the GED, because the degree implies it. Keep it only if an application form asks.
• Many years of experience: Education goes at the bottom, one line.

GED Testing Service draws a line worth knowing when an employer asks for proof: "Your diploma is the certificate issued by your state upon completion of the GED indicating that you have earned your high school equivalency. Your transcript is the official record of the GED test subjects that you took and your scores." (GED Testing Service). The same page notes that many colleges require the transcript; for a job, keep both to hand in case a background check asks.

GED in progress: how to show it before you pass

If you have passed some subjects and are still testing, list it with an expected date. Do not write "GED" on its own, because a reader will assume it is finished and the background check will say otherwise.

The "Passed / Remaining" line is optional. It helps when the job needs the credential by a hire date, because it shows the manager how close you are.

GED plus a certificate: put the newer credential first

Once you have training after the GED, that training leads. The GED still stays on the page, because many medical and trade postings ask for both.

GED with years of experience: one line at the bottom

After a decade of work, nobody is reading your education first. Keep it short and let the experience carry the page.

The year is gone on purpose. At this point the date adds nothing a hiring manager needs, and the line still answers the question a form will ask.

HiSET or TASC instead of GED

Some states use a different equivalency test. Write the name of the credential your state issued, not "GED" as a generic word, because a background check verifies the exact credential.

GED on a federal resume

Federal applications are where the GED line matters most, because many grades list high school graduation or equivalent as a requirement and the reviewer checks it against the OPM definition quoted above. Give the full credential name, the issuing state and the date, and keep the detail your other resumes can skip. Our federal resume example shows the rest of the format.

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Mistakes that make a GED look worse than it is

• Explaining why you left high school. The resume is not the place. If an interviewer asks, one calm sentence is enough.
• Writing "GED" with no issuer or year on a government form. It looks unfinished and slows down the eligibility check.
• Listing it as a high school diploma. It is an equivalent, not the same document, and a verification will show the difference.
• Putting it above a newer credential. Training, certificates and college credit tell the reader more, so they go first.
• Leaving it off when the posting asks for a diploma or equivalent. An automated screen may be looking for exactly that line.

If you are building your first page, our first job resume guide covers the sections around the education line, and the high school graduate resume shows a full example you can adapt. For jobs that do not ask for a degree at all, see the best paying non degree jobs.

Frequently asked questions

Should I put my GED on my resume?

Yes, when it is your highest credential or when the posting asks for a high school diploma or equivalent. It answers a screening question in one line. Once you hold a college degree you can leave it off, because the degree implies it, but keep it on any application form that asks for high school graduation or equivalent.

Where does a GED go on a resume?

In the Education section. Put Education right under the summary when the GED is your highest credential and you have little work history. Move Education to the bottom when you have years of experience. When you also have a certificate or college credit, list the newer credential first and the GED underneath it.

How do I write GED on a resume if I have not finished?

Write the credential with an expected date, such as "GED Diploma, expected March 2027", and optionally list the subjects you have passed. Never write "GED" alone while you are still testing, because the reader will assume it is complete and a background check will show that it is not.

Is a GED the same as a high school diploma on a resume?

It is an equivalent, and most employers and the federal government accept it where a posting says diploma or equivalent. On the resume, name it accurately as a GED or high school equivalency diploma rather than calling it a high school diploma, because verification checks the exact credential your state issued.

Do I list the year I got my GED?

Include it on federal and government applications and on early career resumes, where the date shows how recent your schooling is. With ten or more years of experience you can drop the year, since it adds nothing a hiring manager needs and the line still answers the education question.

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