CAEC Passing Score

The CAEC (short for Canadian Adult Education Credential) is the new Canadian-made high school equivalency education credential.

CAEC refers to both the exam and the diploma awarded to candidates who have successfully completed the five sub-exams that make up the CAEC exam.

Canada’s new high school equivalency test meets the requirements of post-secondary institutions and the expectations of industry.

Most provinces and territories have adopted the new exam to replace the outdated, paper-based Canadian GED test, which is no longer available nationwide.

The CAEC test is a contemporary assessment delivered on a user-friendly computer-based platform. It replaced the Canadian GED test in May 2024.

The CAEC exam is not available online. Though entirely computer-based, the five CAEC subtests must be written at an official test centre in your province or territory.

Please note that you are required to write the subtests in the jurisdiction where you live! 

The CAEC exam offers adults without a high school diploma the opportunity to earn an equivalent educational credential. For CAEC qualification requirements, <- check this page.

Multiple-choice CAEC questions

The five CAEC sub-exams consist mainly of questions in the multiple-choice format; only the essay in the CAEC Writing module is not multiple-choice.

Because the multiple-choice questions are computer-based, you can access your scores as early as two days after you take a subtest. Only the essay result will take (considerably) longer.

The CAEC test, like the former GED exam, offers students without a high school diploma the chance to secure a credential recognized in the same way as a regular high school diploma by employers and schools of post-secondary learning.

To pass each subtest of the CAEC exam, you must answer at least 55 percent of the questions in that subtest correctly. That’s the passing score.

The Canadian Adult Education Credential allows for career advancement, securing decent-paying employment, attending training programs and apprenticeships, or pursuing a college degree.

The CAEC passing score

The minimally required score to pass one of the five CAEC sub-exams is reached when you answer 55% of the questions correctly. Averaging is no option.

You need to meet this percentage (the passing standard) on each of the five CAEC modules (individual subtests).

If you have to retake a CAEC subtest, you get one chance per calendar month, with a maximum of 3 retakes in a full calendar year.

Four CAEC score ranges

On the CAEC exam, there are four score ranges. To pass a subtest, you must at least reach the Minimum Standard (55% of the answers correct). If you don’t reach that level, you will have to retake that module.

There are four CAEC scoring ranges:

• 0-39% – Does Not Meet Minimum Standard (or: DMS)
• 40-54% – Approaching Minimum Standard (or: AS)
• 55-79% – Meets Minimum Standard (or: MS)
• 80-100% – Exceeds Minimum Standard (or: ES)

You may retake a subtest once per calendar month, and up to three times per year.

Please note that for each retake, you must pay your province’s testing fee again.

If you have already passed one of the five subtests, you cannot take that subtest again.

The five CAEC subtests

The new Canadian CAEC assessment comes with five independent subtests with questions that reflect typical Canadian cultures and perspectives.

You can write the five sub-exams in English or French, and the five modules can be taken one (or more) at a time in the order you prefer.

The five independent CAEC modules measure a candidate’s knowledge and skills in the following academic subject fields:

• Language Writing
• Language Reading
• Math
• Social Studies
• Science

A point of caution: please do not use any GED study materials when preparing for your CAEC exam. The

The new CAEC exam was built from the ground up and includes extensive content on Canada and Canadian-specific topics, whereas the old Canadian GED test addressed nothing specific to Canada.

All across participating Canadian jurisdictions, there are preparation classes where teachers will work hard to prepare you for the challenging CAEC exam.

However, a growing number of CAEC hopefuls prefer to study for the exam with a top-notch online program, for example, the online CAEC program designed by Cansego, allowing them to learn when and where they want.

If you are enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces and want to earn high school credits or pass the CAEC exam, note that there’s a lot of support offered in the forces!

Using a calculator

Please note that you can use a calculator only in the second part of the CAEC Math test.

You can’t just use any calculator. Graphing calculators are not allowed, and you cannot bring your calculator case to the testing room as well.

Approved calculators for the CAEC Math Part 2 section include the TI-30XS, T30IIS, and TI-30Xa from Texas Instruments, and the fx-260 and fx-300 MS Plus 2nd edition from Casio.

These are just a few examples; please verify with your test centre which calculator you can use to avoid any misunderstandings.

Computer-based CAEC testing

The CAEC exam is fully computer-based, and, aside from the essay, all questions are multiple-choice.

The five CAEC subtests are independent modules that can be written in any order and, if you wish, one (or more) at a time.

Because the new Canada CAEC exam is entirely computer-based, your results will be available within two days. Only your essay will take approximately two weeks to be scored.

Accommodations

The CAEC exam supports students to apply for accommodations, which may include paper-based testing, more testing time, Braille, and a lot more.

Students requiring an accommodation should create an account on the official website, vretta.com, and select their jurisdiction.

Once they’ve set up their account, they can log in to the CAEC portal, navigate to the left-hand navigation menu, and click “Accommodations Request.”

Then, select “Request Accommodation,” and upload all supporting documentation, including relevant information. They can submit their request by clicking “Confirm.”

The CAEC representative in the student’s province or territory will review the accommodation request and determine the appropriate accommodation.

To start your CAEC prep, join Cansego today!

Please note that Cansego offers high-quality CAEC prep resources to help you prepare for the exam quickly. We do, however, NOT provide the actual CAEC exam. We recommend verifying the information above against your province’s official CAEC information for accuracy.