Upon graduating from high school each person is awarded a high school diploma. This diploma in most cases comes in the form of a certificate and is awarded from the department of education of that state or province, depending on the country or area in which you live. The diploma cannot be awarded until the student has completed all the mandatory requirements for that state or province. If the student has not completed or has not received the proper of number of credits upon completion of grade twelve then they will not be awarded their high school diploma.
The type of diploma awarded will vary from state to state or province to province. For example in certain areas of Canada that have three different types of high school diplomas that a student can be awarded. The high school diploma that you can receive can be of one of three levels. The top-level status on the diploma indicates that a student has graduated with honors. This means that a student has completed all the requirements for his/her grade twelve graduation with an academic standing of about above eighty percent. The level down on a high school diploma is that of distinction. This means that a person has completed all the necessary requirements and has achieved an average that falls in the range of sixty-five to seventy-five. The third and final level that can be awarded on a high school diploma is that of graduated. This simply means that they student has completed the requirements and has graduated from grade twelve with an overall average of less than sixty percent. No matter what the level achieved, the results are still the same. The person has graduated from high school and now has the opportunity to attend a college or university.
Having a high school diploma is a very important thing today. Without it you are limiting yourself to what employment opportunities are available to you. At one point in time it was rare for a large percentage of people to graduate from high school so businesses were not that strict about a person having a high school diploma. However, now today, most if not all business owners and jobs require that a person has received a high school diploma. Also research has shown that when a person without a school diploma was hired without having a diploma they are less likely to receive the same amount of pay as someone who has a high school diploma. With a diploma you are likely to be paid more. There some are people who argue that this goes against equal rights and equal opportunity for all but research has shown that those people who have been awarded their high school diploma are better prepared for the workforce than those who do not. There is much debate about whether this is true or not.
There are options for older people who have quit school before receiving their high school diploma or for those who reached the age of seventeen or eighteen but who were still unable to meet the necessary requirements. These people can now take what is called the GED exam. By taking this exam and passing students will be awarded their high school diploma. This exam is comprised of a series of sections and exams in which people must receive a certain mark in order to pass. All sections and exams must be completed and passed in order to receive their GED/high school diploma. If you are not sure how to go about attaining your GED you may contact your local high school or even an adult education center. There are trained professionals at these places that may be able to assist you in finding the information you need. There are some adult education centers that will arrange for you to complete the GED exam there on site. Do not be afraid to ask for help in finding out information.