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Earning a high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED) is often a prerequisite for getting into trade school, including welding school.1
For example, the admissions requirements section of Tulsa Welding School’s catalog indicates applicants are required to be either high school graduates or GED holders.2
Read on for more information on the GED and its role in being admitted to a welding program.
How to Get into Welding School
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The requirements for admission to trade school, including welding school, can vary. However, you can expect a few general requirements at many welding schools.1
General Admissions Requirements for Welding School
- Possess either a high school diploma or GED.
- Complete an application and undergo an entrance interview.
- Take an admissions test and receive a qualifying score.1
Some welding schools may require prior welding training or experience if the individual is enrolling to complete some kind of advanced diploma.1
What Is the GED and How Can You Earn One?
The GED is a test you can take to prove you have a high school-level education. Normally, when a student graduates from high school, he or she receives a diploma that proves the completion of the proper number of courses. 3
Students who do not finish their high school coursework and graduate can use the GED to demonstrate that they have learned the material required to graduate.3
The GED covers four primary subjects, with a different test for each one. Students can take the four tests together or one at a time.3
GED Test Subjects
- Reasoning through language arts
- Social studies
- Science
- Mathematical reasoning3
To earn your GED, you must not be enrolled in high school, and you have to be over the age of 16.3
You can visit a GED testing center in your state to schedule your test. Before taking the main GED test, however, you will have to take a series of pre-tests online to find out if you will need GED classes to help prepare for the exam.3
If you do need further instruction before the test, you can take GED classes online. There are several GED practice tests you can take as well.3 Such preparation could help you pass the GED for trade school.
Why Might a GED Be Helpful for Welding School?
Knowledge of certain subjects can be helpful if you intend to become a welder. These include chemistry and physics.
It can also be helpful if a welder has strong math skills. Many welders need to be able to read dimensional diagrams and understand or interpret them.4
While not all of this is covered on a GED exam, some of what you are tested on does align with these skills.5
In order to pass the math portion of the GED test, you will need to have some familiarity with things like measurements, equations, math concepts and the application of mathematical concepts to solve problems.5
For the science portion of the test, you will need to be able to read charts and graphs, understand basic scientific concepts and utilize scientific reasoning.6
All of this could be helpful during welding school.
Are There Other Benefits to Having a GED?
The GED test has been available since 1942, and it is a credential that at least 18 million adults in the United States have earned since that point. Lawyers, politicians, teachers and many other professionals earned their GED before starting their careers.7
There are advantages of earning a GED beyond helping you get into welding school.7
For one, the average hourly wage for workers with a GED is usually higher than for those who did not complete high school, so you could have a higher earning potential.7
Another perk? Earning your GED may be a good confidence booster.7
Earn Your GED and Start Welding Training
If you did not graduate from high school, earning a GED could open doors for you as a working adult.7
A GED could also help you get into welding school.2
Reach out to Tulsa Welding School for more information about earning your GED and meeting the other requirements to start your welding training. Call 855-237-7711.
1 https://education.seattlepi.com/requirements-trade-school-2492.html
2 https://www.tws.edu/wp-content/uploads/tws-school-catalog.pdf
3 https://ged.com/blog/what-is-a-ged/
4 https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/welders-cutters-solderers-and-brazers.htm#tab-4
5 https://ged.com/about_test/test_subjects/math/
6 https://ged.com/about_test/test_subjects/science/
7 https://www.theclassroom.com/benefits-getting-ged-3876.html
