Bermudians can again obtain a US high school equivalency diploma without leaving the Island.

Up to the summer of 1995, the General Education Diploma (GED) was administered in Bermuda.

But it was stopped after GED officials in Washington D.C. sent a directive that the exam could not be offered in countries with no US base or embassy.

US-based GED officials also explained that they decided to close all international testing centres due to a decline in enrolment.

As a result, locals were forced to travel to the US to write the exam -- requiring time and money. And they often did not receive their results until months later.

But The Royal Gazette has learned that residents can sit the exam at least twice a year via a laptop computer.

Adult Education School administrator Julie Beach called the option, available through US-based Sylvan Prometric for Educational Test Service in New Jersey, "a Godsend''.

"We, at the Adult Education School, are excited because our students now have options when they are ready to take the GED test,'' she said. "If they still want to travel abroad and incorporate their test into a holiday we can arrange for testing in either Atlanta or New Jersey (or other states if they are American).

"Already at least 50 students have obtained their GED this way since we took the first Adult School students to New Jersey in February, 1996.

"If however students do not want to travel abroad they can now opt to take the test in Bermuda.'' Seventeen-year-old Terrence Rance has already taken advantage of the new testing method.

Terrence, who admitted that he was worried about taking the test overseas, said: "I felt a lot better when I learned I could take it here. It just took a lot of pressure off my mind.

"At first I felt it was going to be difficult because I don't like computers.

But after taking the test I felt confident. I think it (the GED) is a lot better to take here in Bermuda. I usually blank out on tests, but being here helped.'' Terrence -- who works at Oleander Cycles as part of a mechanic apprenticeship, expects to receive his results in two weeks.

And if he failed a subject -- he suspects science -- he could take that one subject without leaving Bermuda.

The cost of taking the computer-based GED test in Bermuda is $525.

"This is expensive but to go abroad would be equally or more expensive, taking into account the airfare and hotel costs,'' Mrs. Beach said.

Individual subjects are $100 and the essay portion is $125. So if a student has failed one subject in the past he or she can register to resit that subject and have the score incorporated into their transcript.

Students have to register at least five days prior to the test date by phone, fax, or mail and pay the fee at that time by credit card or a bank draft.

Students must be 17 years or older to take the test and must have withdrawn from high school. Computer skills are not required. A tutorial is given before the exam to ensure that students are comfortable with the laptop keyboard, of which Sylvan provides 15.

"We are, however, offering GED on the computers at the Adult School along with tutorials to help our students feel more comfortable with computer-based testing,'' Mrs. Beach added.

Because Sylvan visits the Island to administer computer-based exams for those interested in sitting pre-graduate exams such as the GRE (Graduate Record Exam), Mrs. Beach pointed out that local GED centres do not have to pay to bring administrators to Bermuda.

"All we have to do is call up and register,'' she said. "At the moment they are coming down twice a year. They were here in April unbeknown to us and this past October.'' Anyone interested in more information on laptop testing in Bermuda can contact any of the GED centres -- The Adult Education School, CARE Computer Services or Community Education.