If you are considering enrolling in general adult education (FGA) to get there, then this article is for you! We will tell you everything you need to know to fully understand the path you still have to go through.
If the adult industry is something completely new to you, we suggest you start with this reading on the basics of FGA!
Getting a high school diploma compulsory units
First, you should know that to obtain a high school diploma, you must accumulate 54 secondary 4 and 5 units, including at least 20 from secondary 5.
Among these 54 units, you must have:
- 12 French units, including at least 6 units from year 5 of secondary school;
- 8 second language units, including at least 4 units from year 5 of secondary school;
- 4 units from the social sciences field of 4th or 5th secondary;
- 8 units from the field of mathematics, science, and technology from the 4th or 5th secondary, including at least 4 units in mathematics.
If you count the mandatory units listed above, you can see that they will allow you to accumulate 32 units. To obtain the 54 units necessary to obtain your diploma, you will therefore also have to acquire optional units.
Obtain a high school diploma via a DEP or ASP
Attention! If you are on a path to obtain a secondary school diploma via a vocational studies diploma (DEP) or a Certificate of professional specialization (ASP), the operation is a little different.
To obtain this high school diploma, you will need to complete:
- 4 units of mathematics from the 4th or 5th year of secondary school;
- the courses french from the 4th grade and of the5th secondary;
- the courses of4th grade Englishand of the5th secondary.
So you can see that if you are following or have completed one of these paths, you will have slightly fewer units to complete.
Did you know that ChallengeU offers several courses that allow you to obtain mandatory units for obtaining the DES? Consult all the courses offered by ChallengeU
Obtaining a high school diploma optional units
What are optional units for?
Optional units have two uses:
- They are required to obtain a high school diploma;
- They can also be prerequisites for certain techniques integers, or even universities. For example, maths SN, TS, or chemistry and physics for science programs.
How to accumulate optional units in FGA?
In General Adult Education, unlike the youth sector, we do not take courses in physical education, visual arts, ethics and religious culture, geography, biology, etc. On the other hand, you may already have optional secondary 4 or 5 units accumulated when you were studying in the youth sector. Some successful vocational training courses can also count towards the accumulation of optional units. The number of optional units to obtain a secondary school diploma therefore varies from one person to another.
Several FGA courses allow you to obtain optional units. We can think of courses in the field of social sciences, sciences, computer science, or personal development. The course offering varies from one center to another. We therefore invite you to inquire with your center to find out what courses they offer.
At ChallengeU, we have sequences of strategies and methods that accompany our mathematics, French, and English courses. These sequences are assigned to students who need them and they will provide optional units that will be added to their learning record.
At adult education centers, elective courses vary from center to center. Many offer courses that allow you to explore new areas while earning credits toward your diploma.
Getting a high school diploma the units you still have to do
Now that you have a good understanding of the distinction between compulsory and optional units, you probably want to know how to evaluate what you still have to do!
For students registered with challenges
When you registered with ChallengeU, a training advisor analyzed your file to see where you were in your course and what units were missing to achieve your objective.
This information can be found in your training profile that you received by email when you registered.
For students registered with an FGA center
If you are taking a course with an adult training center, your center should be able to send you your training profile. When you registered, you signed this document and received a copy.
If you can no longer find it, you must contact your center and ask either to be sent your training profile, or for a guidance counselor to give you the information.
For those who are not registered in the adult sector
If you are not yet registered in an adult education center and would like to know how many units you have left to do, it is possible! Two options are available to you:
- By phone: call the school service center near you (you can find the list here) and ask to speak to SARCA (reception, referral, advice, and support service). Advisors will be able to help you free of charge. Before calling, make sure you have your identification documents (health insurance card, driver’s license, or birth certificate) and/or old report cards on hand.
If necessary, you can call us so that our training advisors can help you with your process.
- With a transcript: If you have access to your transcript from the Ministry, you can look in the left column at the number of secondary 4 and 5 units that you have accumulated so far. This will give you a rough idea of what you still need to complete to obtain your diploma. If you want to retrieve your transcript, you can always order it here.
Warning! It is not always easy to interpret a learning report. We strongly advise you to contact a training advisor to see more clearly.
On the Road to Success in Earning a High School Diploma
We hope that all this information will be useful to you. Now you know everything you need to do to return to your studies and get a high school diploma.