Earn a High School Diploma or CAEC in the Canadian Armed Forces

You can earn a high school or equivalent diploma while serving in the Canadian Armed Forces.

The Canadian Forces High School Education Initiative (HSEI) allows you to complete your high school diploma or earn the Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC) while serving in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Probably the fastest way to prepare for your CAEC exam is to study with a high-quality online preparatory program like Cansego CAEC Prep.

If, however, you do better under the supervision of a CAEC instructor, contact a prep facility near you (click on the link to your province or territory below to learn all about the options).

The High School Education Initiative

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) introduced the High School Education Initiative in April 2023.

The program emphasizes the critical role of education in the armed forces and how earning a high school diploma or equivalent will help enlistees boost their career options.

Canadian Armed Forces enlistees can earn their diploma within the first 5 years of service.

The High School Education Initiative lists adult education programs in many Canadian jurisdictions.

The HSEI program is available to CAF Regular Force enlistees and Reserve Force Members who have already enrolled. You can, if operations allow, complete your high school diploma or CAEC during duty hours.

The program explains how to apply to the HSEI and helps participants earn high school credits and advance their careers.

Additionally, the program lists high school diploma options and adult education programs across the provinces and territories of Canada.

The CAEC (Canadian Adult Education Credential), a contemporary, technically advanced, and computer-formatted assessment, replaced the outdated, paper-based Canadian GED exam in early 2024.

Earning high school credits

Under the HSEI, you can earn credits towards your high school diploma (depending on the jurisdiction where you live). You can  get credits from your:

• basic military training
• previous education
• work experience and life skills

A prior learning examination will determine the credits you require to complete a high school diploma, and a counsellor from a local school will help you.

Advancing your career

For most positions in the Canadian Armed Forces, holding a high school or equivalent credential is a prerequisite.

Having a high school diploma (or CAEC) will open many more opportunities throughout your entire military career. A secondary education credential will also prove invaluable when transitioning to civilian employment.

Be aware, however, that for specific functions in the armed forces, you must have a high school diploma; a CAEC will not be sufficient.

Though the CAEC is quite challenging and equivalent, it is not the same as a Canadian high school diploma and does not qualify for reimbursement under the Educational Upgrading CAF policies.

If you decide to go the CAEC path, you may want to know all about the passing score on the five modular CAEC sub-exams.

The five modules assess your knowledge and skills across math, reading, writing, science, and social studies.

How you apply

Visit a regional CAF Transition Centre or speak with your Chain of Command.  Also, contact your local school district to learn all about the available adult high school programs in your area.

You are required to submit a Self-Development Plan on the Defence Wide Area Network (DWAN), the restricted-access, high-security CAF network.

You may also qualify for claiming your education expenses. To learn more, check out the webpage “Education Expense Reimbursement in the CAF.”

Adult education and diploma programs by jurisdiction

All Canadian provinces and territories offer free adult high school and adult education programs. In some cases, you must buy study books or materials yourself.

• Alberta
  When you are enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces, you have the following options in Alberta:

1. CAEC (Canadian Adult Education Credential)
2. Alberta High School Diploma (in English or Francophone)
3. Certificate of High School Achievement (in English or Francophone)
4. Certificate of School Completion

• British Columbia
  If you live in British Columbia, the following options are available to you:

1. B.C. Adult Graduation Diploma (Adult Dogwood Program)
2. B.C. Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood Diploma Program)

• Manitoba
  If you live in Manitoba, you have these options:

1. CAEC (Canadian Adult Education Credential)
2. Mature Students Manitoba High School Diploma

• New Brunswick
  CAF enlistees living in New Brunswick can complete the following:

1. CAEC (Canadian Adult Education Credential)
2. New Brunswick Adult High School Diploma

• Newfoundland & Labrador
  If you live in Newfoundland & Labrador, these options are open to you:

1. CAEC (Canadian Adult Education Credential)
2. Newfoundland & Labrador Adult Basic Education Certificate Level III

• Northwest Territories
  CAF enlistees living in the Northwest Territories have these options:

1. CAEC (Canadian Adult Education Credential)
2. Traditional Northwest Territories High School Diploma

• Nova Scotia
  If you are a resident of Nova Scotia, the following options are open to you:

1. CAEC (Canadian Adult Education Credential)
2. Nova Scotia Adult High School Graduation Diploma

• Nunavut
  CAF enlistees living in Nunavut have this option:

1. Nunavut Secondary Education Diploma (Pathway to Adult Secondary School – PASS)

• Ontario
  If you are an Ontario resident, the following options are open to you:

1. CAEC (Canadian Adult Education Credential)
2. OSSD (Ontario Secondary School Diploma)

• Prince Edward Island
  If you reside in Prince Edward Island, you have these options:

1. CAEC (Canadian Adult Education Credential)
2. PEI Senior High School Graduation Certificate
3. PEI Provincial Certificate of Accomplishment

• Quebec
  CAF enlistees living in Quebec have these options:

1. Certificate of Vocational Training
2. Quebec General Adult Education Certificate

• Saskatchewan
  If you are a Saskatchewan resident, you have these options:

1. CAEC (Canadian Adult Education Credential)
2. High School Credit Option Saskatchewan (in English, Fransaskois, or Bilingual)
3. Saskatchewan Adult Basic Education Certificate

• Yukon
  CAF enlistees living in Yukon have these options:

1. B.C. Adult Graduation Diploma (Adult Dogwood Program)
2. B.C. Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood Diploma Program)

Cansego provides top-notch online CAEC programs that will help you earn a CAEC quickly. However, we don’t provide the actual CAEC exam. We advise you to confirm the information on this page with your province’s official sources for accuracy.