What is the CAEC (Canadian Adult Education Credential)?

The CAEC is a high-quality, Canadian-made education credential that replaces the GED. It meets industry standards and is recognized by employers and post-secondary institutions as a reliable indicator of educational achievement.

The CAEC assessment includes five tests written in-person, which take approximately 7.5 hours to complete in total. Testing sites will not offer all five tests within one day.  Learners must schedule to write the tests over a minimum of two days.

Tests are scheduled in advance and completed on computers at official testing centres across Ontario. Those taking the CAEC assessment will have the option to book individual tests according to their schedule.

The learner needs a score of 55% on each of the 5 tests to pass the CAEC.  After passing all 5 tests, the learner will get an Ontario High School Equivalency Certificate (OHSEC).

What should the learner expect of the CAEC?

CAEC tests are computer-based and are completed in person at official testing centers. Tests must be scheduled over a minimum of two days. Evening and weekend hours are available at select testing locations.

There are 5 tests that must be scheduled:

Reading

• 50 questions

• 75 minutes

Science

• 35 questions

• 90 minutes

Writing

• 1 persuasive writing task

• 75 minutes

Social Studies

• 40 questions

• 90 minutes

Mathematics (120 minutes total)

• Part I: No calculator

• 12 questions

• 30 minutes

• Part II: Calculator

• 30 questions

• 90 minutes

Who provides the CAEC?

As with the GED, the TVO Independent Learning Centre (ILC) is the only provider of the CAEC testing program in Ontario.  TVO/ILC have also partnered with Vretta to help with scheduling and booking the CAEC with the learner.  Learners will need to make an account with TVO ILC and Vretta as a part of the CAEC process.

Every province in Canada has established different rules and arrangements for administering the CAEC, especially regarding booking, viewing results, and fee structure.  Remind learners to check that the information they find online applies to Ontario.

What if the learner previously wrote the GED?

The GED continues to be a recognized credential. If the learner previously passed the 5 GED test subjects, their credential remains valid. If the learner completed some (but not all) of the 5 GED test subjects, the CAEC will accept successfully completed GED test subjects in place of the associated CAEC test subjects until May 2027.  After May 2027, the learner will need to complete all 5 CAEC tests.

If the learner was a previous GED candidate, they can request and pay for a copy of their GED transcript/certificate through their student account (which is now the CAEC portal account).  They should be able to login using their previous GED login credentials. ILC will not accept requests for transcripts/certificates sent through email or voicemail. 

If the learner cannot log in to their account, they should email caec@tvo.org with their full name (at the time of writing the tests) and date of birth for help. ILC can re-set their account by sending the learner an activation link with more instructions.

How should a learner decide whether to write the CAEC or complete their OSSD?

This article from ILC can help the learner make an informed decision.

It is also helpful to refer the learner to their local school board to have their current transcript assessed to further help determine their options and timelines.

Who can write the CAEC?

To register to write the CAEC assessment, the learner must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• do not have an Ontario High School Diploma

• have been a resident of Ontario for a minimum of 6 months

• are not currently registered with an Ontario public, Catholic, or private high school

• are 18 years or older and have been out of school for a minimum of one full year

Learners who are homeschooled: their 18th birthday will be recognized as the completion of their secondary instruction. As a result, these students must wait one year from their 18th birthdate before they are eligible to enroll.  If learners were home schooled, they must provide proof that they were home schooled.

What is the cost to write the CAEC?

It costs $100 to register for all 5 CAEC tests.  All fees and payments are non-refundable.

The cost to re-write a test is $100. Learners are only required to re-write the tests on which they did not receive a passing score. 

How does a learner request testing accommodations?

The learner may be granted accommodations to write the CAEC tests depending on their learning needs. Accommodations may include:

• Extra time

• Periodic stop-the-clock supervised breaks as needed

• A reader/scribe

• Braille

The learner must request accommodations when registering for the CAEC assessment.  The learner must submit supporting documentation about their testing accommodations in their online registration  in order to be considered.

Decisions will be provided within 60 days from the date on which all documentation is received. Learners who have been denied a requested accommodation may appeal directly to TVO ILC if they are not satisfied with the decision.  

It may be possible to request accommodations to write the Math tests and/or the Writing test as a paper booklet submission, rathe than online.  However, it is not possible to switch on exam day from computer-based to paper-based.  Accommodations MUST be requested and approved in advance.

If documentation is approved, accommodations may allow for learners to complete the tests "offline" according to their accommodation needs.  The learner will be asked to acknowledge that the ideal form of administration is the digital assessment platform and that there is an inherent potential for discrepancies when responses are manually entered into the digital assessment platform from a paper administration. The learner will be asked to acknowledge that their answers on the CAEC tests for Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Reading will be machine-scored based on the answers manually entered into the digital assessment platform by a CAEC testing centre administrator or invigilator. All scores are final for those tests.   

To maintain the integrity of the CAEC tests, the use of a dictionary, thesaurus, or translator for the Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Reading tests are not considered universal supports, special arrangements, or accommodations, and are not permitted under any circumstance. 

How does a learner register for the CAEC?

After confirming eligibility criteria, the learner must complete the following:

• Create an account on the CAEC portal and enter their basic personal information.  

• Upload two forms of valid government-issued ID.  At least one form of ID must also include the learner's name, date of birth, Ontario address, photo and signature.

• Pay the $100 registration fee

• Submit their registration on the CAEC portal.  Once their registration is approved by the ILC CAEC team, they will contact the learner to schedule the tests at the nearest testing centre.  This is scheduled through Vretta.

Learners should expect to wait 2-3 weeks after submitting their registration before they get an email response from ILC about scheduling their CAEC.

What forms of ID are accepted?

Learners will need to scan and save two forms of ID as a part of their online registration. When registering, they will need to upload those scans to provide two forms of valid government-issued identification (ID).  These can be two primary or a primary and a secondary. The learner's ID must be government-issued and non-expired. It must also include your name, date of birth, Ontario address, photo and signature. Only the following will be accepted:

Primary forms of ID

• Passport

• Driver’s license or Learner’s permit

• Canadian military identification card

• Federal/provincial/territorial issued identification card

• Federal/provincial/territorial Correctional Services identification

• Indian Status card

• Canadian citizenship card

• Canadian permanent resident card

Secondary forms of ID

• Government of Canada Immigration Status (opens in new window)

• Health card

• Birth certificate

• Foreign government-issued ID

• Temporary resident document (IMM 1442) Work permit

• Temporary resident document (IMM 1442) Temporary resident permit

• Refugee Protection Claimant Documents

• Confirmation of permanent residence (IMM 5292 or IMM 5688)

• Verification of status documents (IMM 5009)

Any documentation provided in a language other than English or French must be translated by a certified translator and be provided to the CAEC Testing Centre. Any costs associated with translation will be the responsibility of the learner.

In rare instances, a learner may not be able to obtain two forms of valid identification. In this case, they should contact TVO ILC to determine two appropriate and acceptable forms of identification for each special circumstance that may arise. The validation of alternative forms of identification may result in lengthy processing times and should be arranged before registering for the CAEC.

Where can the learner write the CAEC?

Here are the testing centres in or near the QUILL region:

Kitchener / Waterloo

• Conestoga College

• 299 Doon Valley Dr- Room 2A509

• Kitchener, ON, N2G 4M4

London

• College Boreal

• 142 rue Fullarton, Room 106

• London, ON, N6A 0A4

or 

• Fanshawe College

• 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd- Room F3005

• London, ON, N5Y 5R6

Owen Sound

• Georgian College

• 1450 8th St E, Room D105

• Owen Sound, ON, N4K 5R4

Visit the ILC CAEC site to view more testing locations.

Evening and Weekend testing hours are available at select locations. Check with the scheduling site for location availability.

After registering for the CAEC, how does the learner schedule the CAEC?

After the learner's registration is accepted, they will receive a Vretta username and access code by email.  This information is very important as it is required to schedule their tests.  The learner should follow the link in that email to schedule their 5 CAEC tests.

The learner must book their 5 CAEC tests over a minimum of 2 days.

The learner has up to three days before their test date to cancel or reschedule through their Vretta account. IMPORTANT: The learner will not be able to re-schedule a test within three days prior to the test.

What should the learner bring and expect when completing the CAEC tests?

On the test date, the learner should bring a valid photo ID with their full legal name to the exam, and a basic scientific calculator (graphing calculators are not permitted).  They should also come knowing their Vretta ID number and access code.

They should arrive at the test centre at least 30 minutes before their scheduled test time for check-in, parking and preparation.  Failure to arrive 30 minutes before the test can result in the test not being able to be completed.

All electronics (cellphones, watches of any kind) must be turned off and put away in the exam room.

All the CAEC tests are computer-based and are completed in person at official testing centers. Tests must be scheduled over a minimum of two days.

What type of calculator can the learner bring?

Candidates can only use a calculator for Part II of the CAEC Mathematics exam. Part I must be completed without a calculator unless an accommodation has been approved by the CAEC jurisdictional administrators. 

The use of graphing calculators is not permitted, and the following calculator materials, properties and/or configurations are also not permitted:

• programmed memory content

• built-in notes, libraries, or formulae (e.g., definitions or explanations in alpha notation)

• upgraded or downloaded programs • remote communication capability

• symbolic manipulation capabilities • manipulate algebraic expressions

• external (peripheral) devices and other support materials such as manuals, printed or electronic cards, printers, memory expansion chips or cards, external keyboards 

Examples of approved calculators include:

•  TI-30XIIS

• TI-30Xa

• TI-30XS

• CASIO fx-260

• Casio fx-300MS Plus 2nd Edition 

What happens after writing the CAEC?

Learners should login to their Vretta account to view their scores once released. Learners will be able to view their scores for Reading, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies tests within approximately 2 business days, but the score for the Writing test will be available after 2-3 weeks.

After all test scores have been received, it usually takes a minimum of 4 weeks for the learner's official transcript and Ontario High School Equivalency Certificate to be sent to them.  The learner's transcript and certificate will be mailed to them automatically by ILC. They do not need to separately request these in their CAEC student portal. 

What if the learner does not pass one or more CAEC tests?

The learner needs 55% to meet the minimum standard and officially pass a CAEC test. Results may be given a letter score, rather than percentage grade.  

If the learner receive one of the following, they must retake that test:

• AS (Approaching Minimum Standard) or 

• DMS (Does not meet Minimum Standard)

If the learner receives one of the following, then they have passed that test:

• ES (Exceeds minimum standard) or  

• MS (Meets minimum standard)

The cost to re-write a test is $100. Learners are only required to re-write the tests on which they did not receive a passing score. 

Learners can rewrite each test once per calendar month, and up to a maximum of 3 times per calendar year.

To pay the rewrite fee, the learner should login to their TVO ILC student portal. This rewrite fee will not be available until one month after their non-passing score.  Encourage the learner to use this waiting period to study for their rewrite test.

The CAEC tests for Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Reading are machine-scored. All scores are final for these tests.  The learner may request to have a CAEC Writing test rescored by the CAEC testing service if they believe that their score does not accurately reflect their level of achievement. The fee for rescoring a test is $30. A request must be made within 90 days of receiving the original test results. A rescored test result will become the final score, even if it is lower than the original score.