State officials are urging Nebraskans working on their GED certificates to finish their task this year or they’ll have to start over next year with a new series.

Lincoln media reports that nearly 10,000 Nebraskans are working on their GED diplomas in place of high school diplomas.

A Nebraska Education Department official says the GED Testing Service will release a new series of tests next year, so test results on the current series won’t be valid.

Department director of adult education Vicki Bauer says “there’s no grandfathering of scores, because it changes so dramatically.”

The GED certificate is earned by passing tests on reading, writing, social studies, science and math.