Are ELS GED classes online?

Yes. GED preparation at Empower Learning System is taught online, so students can join from anywhere in Malaysia. You need a device that can run video calls and a reasonably stable internet connection. It is part of Online Secondary, alongside our IGCSE programme.

What is the minimum age for the GED exam in Malaysia?

You can sit the GED with no age restriction from 18. At 17 you can still test, but you must complete an age waiver through your GED.com account first. Under 17 you cannot sit it, though you can prepare.

Do I need an Authorized GED Prep Provider in Malaysia?

GED Testing Service's policy for Malaysia says candidates should be approved by an Authorized GED Prep Provider, which you select during GED.com account setup. In practice the step that decides whether you can book the exam is GED Ready: students who prepared with Empower Learning System and passed GED Ready at 145 or above have registered, sat the official test and received their diplomas. ELS is not on GED Testing Service's list of authorized prep centres, so talk to us before you create your account and we will walk you through the setup.

Can I take the GED with a UNHCR card?

In many cases, yes. GED Testing Service's Malaysia policy says anyone testing outside their country of citizenship should be able to produce a passport or a UNHCR card, and describes a validated UNHCR card as acceptable ID for some candidates. Whatever you bring must show your full name, date of birth and photograph, and the name must match your GED.com account exactly. Confirm your document with the test centre before you book.

Do I have to pass a practice test first?

Yes. In Malaysia you must pass the GED Ready practice test with a score of at least 145 in a subject before you are allowed to schedule the real test in that subject. We build GED Ready into the study plan rather than treating it as an afterthought.

What is better for my child — IGCSE or GED?

For students between 12-16 years old, IGCSE is the recommended path as it provides a comprehensive international education. However, GED can be a good alternative for students over 16 who face financial constraints or other barriers to completing IGCSE.

Can students switch from IGCSE to GED preparation?

Yes, students who are unable to complete IGCSE due to financial constraints or other factors can switch to GED preparation after age 16.

How long does it take to prepare for the GED?

It depends on where a student is starting from and how much time they can give it. The four subjects are taken as separate tests, so students can prepare for and sit them one at a time rather than all at once. We set a timeline with each student after an initial assessment.

Do I need a school certificate to sit the GED?

No. The GED exists precisely for people who did not finish secondary school, which is why it is often the right route for students whose education was interrupted. Identification requirements are set by the test centre, so confirm what documents you will need with them before booking.

Do you provide financial assistance?

We offer various support options for students with limited financial capacity. Please contact our administration for specific details about available assistance programs.

Are there any additional support services for refugee students?

Yes, we provide compassionate support understanding the unique challenges faced by refugee students, including academic counseling and mentorship.

Empower Learning System · Taught online across Malaysia

GED Classes Online in Malaysia

Affordable online GED preparation for students anywhere in Malaysia. If your education was interrupted, if IGCSE is out of reach, or if you are over 16 and need a recognised qualification to move on with — the GED is the route, and we teach all four subjects online so you can study from wherever you are.

Our students pass, and then keep going

Waris Ahmed came to Malaysia as a refugee in 2019, years after his father was forced to flee. He studied online, sat the GED, and passed. He is now going on to a Bachelor of Science in Health Science. That is the whole point of this programme: not a certificate, but the door it opens.

Eman Waheed came to Malaysia in 2019 and studied with us for four years, from Grade 8 to Grade 12. In 2025 she earned her GED, passing all four subjects.

Read Waris Ahmed’s story, Eman Waheed’s — or see more of our students.

What is the GED?

The General Educational Development (GED) test is a high-school equivalency qualification made up of four subject tests. It is an alternative pathway for students who face challenges completing the IGCSE examination. The GED is recognised by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and is accepted in the USA, Canada and other countries.

Because the four subjects are sat separately, the GED suits someone rebuilding an education in stages rather than someone able to commit to two uninterrupted years of schooling. There is no requirement to have finished secondary school to take it — that is precisely what it was designed for.

The four GED subjects

Mathematical Reasoning

Number sense and operations, ratios and proportions, linear and quadratic algebra, functions, geometry and measurement, and reading data from graphs and tables. Roughly half the test is quantitative problem solving and half is algebraic.

Reasoning Through Language Arts

Close reading of informational and literary texts, identifying an argument and the evidence behind it, grammar and sentence structure, and an extended written response where you build a case from two source texts.

Science

Life science, physical science, and Earth and space science — tested through reading experiments, interpreting results, and reasoning from data rather than recalling memorised facts.

Social Studies

Civics and government, United States and world history, economics, and geography, again weighted towards interpreting sources, maps and charts.

How online GED classes work

What you need

A laptop, tablet or phone that can run a video call, and an internet connection steady enough to hold one. Nothing needs to be bought or installed beyond that.

Live teaching, small groups

Lessons are taught by a teacher you can interrupt and ask questions of — not a library of recorded video you are left alone with.

Anywhere in Malaysia

Students join from Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang, Johor and further afield. No commute, no relocation, and no need to live near Batu Caves.

Who the GED is for

Aged 17 and over

From 18 you can sit the GED with no age restriction. At 17 you can still test, but only after completing an age waiver in your GED.com account. Younger students can begin preparing.

Moving on from IGCSE

Students unable to complete IGCSE because of financial constraints or other barriers can switch to GED preparation after age 16.

Refugees and low-income families

Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention, and refugee children are not given formal education. This programme exists for them.

Adults already working

Students supporting a household can study around a job, because the classes come to them rather than the other way round.

How to get your GED in Malaysia, step by step

Preparation and examination are two separate things, and confusing them is the most common reason students stall. ELS teaches the subjects; the test itself is booked and sat through the official GED Testing Service. Here is the whole route.

1
Talk to us first
Contact ELS and tell us where your education stopped and what you are aiming at. We assess which of the four subjects you are close to ready for and which need the most work, then set a study plan around that — including how you will meet Malaysia's approval requirements below.
2
Study the four subjects online
Classes run online with a teacher, not a folder of recorded videos. You work through Mathematical Reasoning, Reasoning Through Language Arts, Science and Social Studies with coaches who hold a bachelor's degree as a minimum.
3
Create your GED account
Registration for the test is done through GED.com, the official GED Testing Service site. You create the account yourself; it is also where your scores and, on passing, your transcript and diploma are issued.
4
Choose a prep partner during account setup
Malaysia's policy asks candidates to select an approved prep partner while setting up their GED.com account. ELS is not on GED Testing Service's list of authorized prep centres, but our students have consistently gone on to register and sit the exam once they passed GED Ready. Talk to us before you set up your account and we will take you through it.
5
Pass GED Ready at 145 or above
Before you can schedule a real subject test in Malaysia you must pass the official GED Ready practice test in that subject with at least 145. Treat it as the gate it is: we use it to decide when a subject is genuinely ready, not as a formality at the end.
6
Book and sit one subject at a time
Each of the four subjects is a separate test with its own fee and its own date, sat in person at an authorised test centre. Most students pass one before booking the next rather than attempting all four at once.
7
Plan what comes next
Passing is the point at which the real decision starts. We help with higher education pathways, scholarship applications and career guidance once the certificate is in hand.

What it costs

Tuition at ELS

ELS is a low-cost learning centre, not a commercial tuition business, and support options exist for students with limited financial capacity. Because what a family pays depends on their circumstances, we would rather discuss it with you than print a number that turns out not to apply. See our fees page or contact the office.

The exam fee

GED Testing Service charges USD 90 per subject — so USD 360 for all four — paid directly to them when you book, not to ELS. Because the four tests are booked separately, the cost is spread out rather than due at once. Fees are set in US dollars and revised from time to time, so confirm the current figure in your GED.com account before you pay. The GED Ready practice tests are charged separately.

Where a GED is recognised

The GED is recognised by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and it is accepted as a high-school equivalency in the USA, Canada and a number of other countries. For students whose resettlement case may eventually take them somewhere else, that portability is the qualification’s central advantage over a certificate tied to one national system.

Recognition by individual institutions in Malaysia varies, and we will not tell you otherwise. Some colleges and private universities accept the GED for entry; others ask for additional qualifications. Before committing to any pathway, confirm the entry requirements directly with the institution you are aiming at — and speak to us, because helping students work that out is part of what we do.

See higher education pathways for what comes after.

Why study for the GED at ELS

Taught online, wherever you are

GED preparation at ELS runs online, so you are not limited by where you live or what it costs to travel. Students join from across Malaysia — Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang, Johor and beyond — without moving house or giving up work.

Built for families with limited means

Empower Learning System exists for refugee and low-income families in Malaysia. Support options are available for students with limited financial capacity — contact the office for what applies to you.

A qualification that travels

The GED is recognised by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and accepted in the USA, Canada and other countries — which matters when a family's future may not be in one place.

Coaches who are qualified to teach it

Every GED coach at ELS holds a bachelor's degree as a minimum, and they coach towards the exam rather than lecturing at it — diagnosing what a particular student is weak on and working there. GED Testing Service issues no teaching licence of its own, so a degree plus real command of the four subjects is the standard that matters.

Mentorship, not just lessons

Personalised learning plans, mentorship and academic counselling, with the understanding that refugee students carry more than a timetable.

A route onward

The GED is a step, not an endpoint. We support higher education pathways, scholarship applications and career guidance after the exam.

Workable around a job

Many of our GED students are already working or caring for family. Online delivery is what makes it possible to study for a qualification without giving up the income a household depends on.

GED questions we are asked most

Are ELS GED classes online?: Yes. GED preparation at Empower Learning System is taught online, so students can join from anywhere in Malaysia. You need a device that can run video calls and a reasonably stable internet connection. It is part of Online Secondary, alongside our IGCSE programme.
What is the minimum age for the GED exam in Malaysia?: You can sit the GED with no age restriction from 18. At 17 you can still test, but you must complete an age waiver through your GED.com account first. Under 17 you cannot sit it, though you can prepare.
Do I need an Authorized GED Prep Provider in Malaysia?: GED Testing Service's policy for Malaysia says candidates should be approved by an Authorized GED Prep Provider, which you select during GED.com account setup. In practice the step that decides whether you can book the exam is GED Ready: students who prepared with Empower Learning System and passed GED Ready at 145 or above have registered, sat the official test and received their diplomas. ELS is not on GED Testing Service's list of authorized prep centres, so talk to us before you create your account and we will walk you through the setup.
Can I take the GED with a UNHCR card?: In many cases, yes. GED Testing Service's Malaysia policy says anyone testing outside their country of citizenship should be able to produce a passport or a UNHCR card, and describes a validated UNHCR card as acceptable ID for some candidates. Whatever you bring must show your full name, date of birth and photograph, and the name must match your GED.com account exactly. Confirm your document with the test centre before you book.
Do I have to pass a practice test first?: Yes. In Malaysia you must pass the GED Ready practice test with a score of at least 145 in a subject before you are allowed to schedule the real test in that subject. We build GED Ready into the study plan rather than treating it as an afterthought.
What is better for my child — IGCSE or GED?: For students between 12-16 years old, IGCSE is the recommended path as it provides a comprehensive international education. However, GED can be a good alternative for students over 16 who face financial constraints or other barriers to completing IGCSE.
Can students switch from IGCSE to GED preparation?: Yes, students who are unable to complete IGCSE due to financial constraints or other factors can switch to GED preparation after age 16.
How long does it take to prepare for the GED?: It depends on where a student is starting from and how much time they can give it. The four subjects are taken as separate tests, so students can prepare for and sit them one at a time rather than all at once. We set a timeline with each student after an initial assessment.
Do I need a school certificate to sit the GED?: No. The GED exists precisely for people who did not finish secondary school, which is why it is often the right route for students whose education was interrupted. Identification requirements are set by the test centre, so confirm what documents you will need with them before booking.
Do you provide financial assistance?: We offer various support options for students with limited financial capacity. Please contact our administration for specific details about available assistance programs.
Are there any additional support services for refugee students?: Yes, we provide compassionate support understanding the unique challenges faced by refugee students, including academic counseling and mentorship.

More answers on the frequently asked questions page, or see the full curriculum and higher education pathways.

Start your GED

Classes are online, so it does not matter where in Malaysia you are. Tell us where your education stopped and what you want to do next, and we will tell you honestly whether the GED is the right route.

Prefer to write? Email contact@elsystem.org. GED and IGCSE are taught on the Online Secondary; our main campus, where Early Years and primary are taught, is at 11A, Jalan Nakhoda Kanan, Kampung Nakhoda, 68100 Batu Caves, Selangor.