The CAEC in Alberta
Pass all five CAEC tests and Alberta Education mails you a High School Equivalency Diploma. Here's who can write, how to register, what it costs and how your old GED scores fit in.
Who runs the CAEC in Alberta
The Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC) replaced the GED in Alberta in May 2024. Alberta Education and Childcare developed the CAEC with national partners and leads its administration. In Alberta, passing the CAEC earns you the Alberta High School Equivalency Diploma.
You write the tests in person at an approved testing centre. Alberta lists centres in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Lloydminster, Cold Lake, Canmore and more than twenty other communities. They include colleges, polytechnics and community adult learning organizations. The full table is on Alberta's equivalency diploma page.
Questions go to Alberta's CAEC Testing Service by email at ecc.caec@gov.ab.ca, Monday to Friday, 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (closed statutory holidays).
Who can write the CAEC in Alberta
The basic rule
- You are 18 or older
- You have been out of school for at least 10 consecutive months
- At least one of your CAEC tests is written in Alberta
Age exemption
If you are 17 and home-educated, you can ask for an exemption. Complete the CAEC age exemption request form before you register. Processing can take up to 20 business days, so apply early.
Alberta also offers a second route to the same diploma: if you meet the age and out-of-school rules and are short of the credits for an Alberta High School Diploma, you can apply to the principal of a high school.
How to register, step by step
- Check that you qualify. Use the rules above. If you are 17 and home-educated, send the age exemption form first.
- Create an account on the CAEC digital platform.
- Book a test at the testing centre you choose and pay the fees on the platform. If you need a special arrangement or accommodation, select that option while booking.
- Show up with ID. You must provide proof of identification at the centre.
You don't have to write all five tests at once. Alberta says there is no time limit to finish and the tests do not expire. For how other provinces handle this, see CAEC registration by province.
Fees, retakes and rescoring
Test fees
Alberta does not publish one province-wide price. Testing centres can tell you their fees, deadlines and test dates. Ask for the total before you book.
Retakes
One attempt per subject per calendar month, up to 3 per calendar year. Each attempt costs the test fee again, where a fee applies. You can't rewrite a test you passed.
Rescoring
Only Writing can be rescored: $30, requested within 90 days of your results. The new score is final, even if it is lower.
Fees are as of October 2026. Confirm with your testing centre before you pay.
The five tests
The tests are computer-based, with a paper option. All five tests are available in English or French. You need 55% on each test to pass, and 80% or more is graded as exceeding the standard. Results for Reading, Math, Science and Social Studies come in about 2 business days. Writing takes about 20 business days.
Reading
50 questions, 75 minutes
Study guide →Writing
One persuasive writing task, 75 minutes
Study guide →Mathematics
Part I: 12 questions, 30 minutes, no calculator. Part II: 30 questions, 90 minutes, calculator.
Study guide →Science
35 questions, 90 minutes
Study guide →Social Studies
40 questions, 90 minutes
Study guide →A calculator is allowed only on Math Part II, unless an approved accommodation allows one on Part I. Dictionaries and translators are not allowed on Reading, Math, Science or Social Studies.
Accommodations and special arrangements
Alberta separates two kinds of support. Special arrangements are changes to the testing conditions, such as additional breaks, that help you feel comfortable. Accommodations are targeted supports linked to a medically diagnosed condition or extenuating circumstances, such as a reader, a scribe or braille.
You request either one when you book your test on the CAEC platform. For accommodations, expect to provide supporting documentation, such as medical documentation. Decisions are made within 60 days of receiving all your documents, so request well before you want to write. What a centre can offer for special arrangements varies, so ask your testing centre too.
More detail: CAEC test accommodations explained.
Old GED results: the December 2027 cut-off
If you passed any GED tests from the 2002 Canadian Test Series before the switch, those results still count for the same subjects for up to 3 years, until December 2027. You only need to write CAEC tests in the subjects you didn't pass. You must pass at least one CAEC test to earn the credential this way.
- GED written in Alberta: your results combine with your CAEC results automatically. Check your GED scores in myPass.
- GED written outside Alberta: email your official transcript to ecc.caec@gov.ab.ca.
A GED diploma you already earned stays valid. If you have some GED passes, don't wait until late 2027 to finish.
Free prep and help paying
Alberta notes that some testing centres offer CAEC preparation classes, so ask when you book. Free sample tests are on the CAEC platform, and our free lessons cover every subject.
For grants, part-time community programs and other funding, read Help paying for the CAEC in Alberta.
For instructors
Check each learner's age and out-of-school date first, and start any age exemption early given the 20-business-day processing time. Learners with partial GED passes should finish before December 2027. Learners who need accommodations should request them at booking, with supporting documentation ready, well ahead of their planned test date.
CAEC Alberta FAQ
How old do I have to be to write the CAEC in Alberta?
You must be 18 or older and out of school for at least 10 consecutive months. A 17-year-old home-educated student can ask for an age exemption by completing Alberta's CAEC age exemption request form before registering. Requests may take up to 20 business days.
How much does the CAEC cost in Alberta?
Alberta does not publish one province-wide price. You pay fees when you book a test on the CAEC digital platform, and testing centres can tell you their fees, registration deadlines and test dates. Rescoring a Writing test costs $30. These figures are as of October 2026, so confirm with your centre.
Where can I write the CAEC in Alberta?
At an approved testing centre. Alberta lists centres in communities across the province, including Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Lloydminster and many smaller towns. Testing is in person.
How many times can I retake a CAEC test?
You can write any one subject test once per calendar month and up to 3 times per calendar year. You cannot rewrite a test you already passed, and each attempt means paying the test fee again (where a fee applies).
Do my old GED scores still count in Alberta?
Yes, for a limited time. GED tests passed in the 2002 Canadian Test Series still count for the same subjects for up to 3 years, until December 2027. If you wrote the GED in Alberta, your results combine automatically. You must pass at least one CAEC test to earn the credential this way.
What do I get when I pass all five tests?
Alberta Education mails you an Alberta High School Equivalency Diploma at the mailing address in your myPass account, usually within about 4 to 6 weeks of your final passing test.
Last checked: October 20, 2026
Sources
- Government of Alberta: High school equivalency diploma options
- Government of Alberta: How to earn your CAEC
- Government of Alberta: CAEC, supporting diverse learners
- CAEC digital platform (registration and practice tests)
CAEC Ready is an independent study resource, not affiliated with the Government of Alberta or any CAEC testing provider. Rules and fees change, so confirm details with the official pages above.
Ready to start preparing?
Six full practice tests timed like the real CAEC, with answer keys that explain every answer, or start with the free lessons.