The National External Diploma Program is a competency-based path to an actual high school diploma for adults and out-of-school youth, offered in seven U.S. jurisdictions. Instead of a timed exam, you complete assignments and projects that apply reading, math, writing, and other academic skills to real-life situations, and your state department of education or local school board issues the diploma when you finish.
How It Differs From the GED and HiSET
The credential itself is the biggest difference. The NEDP awards a high school diploma issued by your state’s department of education or a local school board.1CASAS. National External Diploma Program Information Kit The GED and HiSET award equivalency credentials. Most employers and colleges treat equivalency credentials the same as a diploma, but some job postings and military enlistment standards draw a line between the two. If you want the credential to read “high school diploma” rather than “high school equivalency,” the NEDP is the non-traditional route that delivers it.
The format is different too. The GED is a computer-based exam with four timed modules totaling about seven hours. The HiSET has five subtests on paper or computer. Both require you to sit down and perform under time pressure. The NEDP has no high-stakes exam. You complete assignments at your own pace over several months, and if your work on an assignment falls short, you revise and resubmit rather than retaking a test section.
The trade-off is access and time. The GED is available in all 50 states; the NEDP is limited to seven jurisdictions and generally takes six to nine months of sustained work.2CASAS. NEDP FAQ It suits self-motivated learners who want a real diploma and aren’t in a hurry.
Where the Program Is Available
The NEDP operates in Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington.3CASAS. Current NEDP Locations If your state isn’t on this list, the program is not available to you, and the GED or HiSET is the realistic alternative. Within each participating state, only certain local agencies are authorized to run the program, so you’ll need to confirm a provider operates in your area through your state’s department of education, your local workforce development board, or the CASAS directory.
Who Qualifies
You need to be at least 18 and officially withdrawn from high school. Some local providers may allow 17-year-olds who have formally left traditional schooling, but 18 is the standard minimum. You also need to live within the service area of an authorized provider in one of the seven jurisdictions above.
Academic readiness is measured through CASAS placement tests in reading, math, and writing before you start.1CASAS. National External Diploma Program Information Kit The minimum CASAS scale scores are 236 in reading and 226 in math, and a writing prompt is scored as part of intake.4CASAS. NEDP Diagnostic Phase Quick Guide If you fall below those thresholds, you’ll typically be referred to adult basic education classes and can reapply once your skills are stronger. The placement tests themselves usually have no fee.
For enrollment, bring government-issued photo ID and proof of residency such as a utility bill or lease. Most providers also ask for transcripts from any high school you previously attended; these don’t decide eligibility, since the program evaluates current competency, but they help your advisor understand your background.
What the Program Actually Looks Like
The NEDP is built around two phases, both delivered mostly online, with periodic in-person or video-proctored check-ins.
Diagnostic Phase
Once you pass the CASAS placement tests, you move into the Diagnostic Phase. You complete self-assessments and foundational assignments that confirm you can use the online platform and meet the program’s performance standards. Your advisor uses the results to identify where you’ll need to focus during the main body of work.
Generalized Assessment Phase
This is the core of the program. You complete competencies across ten content areas covering communication, applied math, technology, health literacy, civic literacy, geography and history, financial literacy, science, workplace skills, and college and career readiness.5CASAS. National External Diploma Program Competencies The tasks mirror situations you’d meet in daily life: budgeting a household, interpreting health information, evaluating a news source, analyzing a workplace scenario.
Every task is held to a 100% mastery standard.1CASAS. National External Diploma Program Information Kit There’s no partial credit and no curve. If a submission doesn’t meet the standard, you revise and resubmit until it does. The self-paced format is forgiving on scheduling, but the mastery requirement means weak areas can’t be glossed over.
In-Office Checks
Throughout the assessment phase, you’ll periodically complete In-Office Checks (IOCs). These are proctored sessions where an assessor confirms the work you’ve submitted is genuinely yours. IOCs can happen in person at your provider’s office or remotely over a video platform like Zoom or Google Meet. In a remote IOC, you share your screen, keep your camera on, and leave your microphone unmuted so the proctor can monitor for unauthorized materials.6CASAS. First Activity Assessment and In-Office Check Quick Guide
Cost and Funding
Fees vary by provider. Some publicly funded adult education centers offer the program at no cost; others charge several hundred dollars or more. Because the NEDP qualifies as an adult education program under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, many local workforce agencies can cover part or all of the tuition for eligible participants.7CASAS. The National External Diploma Program – A Solution for All WIOA Titles Ask your provider upfront what the total cost is and whether WIOA or other public funding is available. If cost is a barrier, contact your local workforce development board before enrolling.
Technology You’ll Need
Most of the program is completed online. CASAS lists the following minimums: an internet connection with at least 100 kbps upload speed, a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 or higher, a working microphone, and a video card.8CASAS. NEDP Hardware and Software Requirements A printer is recommended but not required. Windows 10 or later, Mac OS, and Chrome OS all work, and any major browser is supported, though remote proctored sessions on a MacBook require Google Chrome rather than Safari. If you don’t have reliable equipment at home, ask whether your provider offers on-site computer access; many adult education centers and public libraries do.
Accommodations
If you have a documented disability, accommodations are available and can include extra time, large print or Braille materials, a sign language interpreter, text-to-speech software, a scribe, a private testing room, or splitting assessments across multiple sessions. You’ll need documentation such as an IEP, a 504 plan, or a note from a medical professional. The accommodations you use during the CASAS placement tests should match what you use during instruction and program tasks, so raise this with your provider before testing rather than after.
Finishing the Program and Getting the Diploma
Once you’ve completed every competency to mastery, your work goes through a formal portfolio review. A separate evaluator who hasn’t worked with you directly audits all your submitted tasks against national program standards.1CASAS. National External Diploma Program Information Kit If anything falls short, you resubmit those specific items. The review typically runs two to four weeks, depending on how many candidates are in line at your agency. When your portfolio passes, your state department of education or local school board issues your diploma.
What the Diploma Lets You Do
Because the NEDP produces a state-issued high school diploma rather than an equivalency credential, it satisfies the high school completion requirement for federal student aid. The Federal Student Aid Handbook treats a diploma as valid when it meets the requirements set by the appropriate state agency, which is exactly how NEDP diplomas are issued.9Federal Student Aid. 2024-2025 Federal Student Aid Handbook, Volume 1, Chapter 1 – School-Determined Requirements You can complete the FAFSA with it and apply to any college that accepts a high school diploma.
For employment, the diploma carries the same weight as any traditional high school diploma. The program’s competencies also build in workforce readiness and digital literacy, so the skills you demonstrate to earn the credential are ones employers can use.10CASAS. National External Diploma Program The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education has recognized the NEDP through its Advancing Innovation in Adult Education initiative.