How Hard is the GED?

Back in our high school days, we often fantasized about ditching the classroom routine in favor of taking the GED test. (This daydream was usually strongest during double-period Calculus AB, by far the dreariest educational experience on the planet.) But the fantasy was always short-lived, in large part because of some negative stereotypes. The folks we knew with GEDs weren't the most impressive lot, and the buzz was that having the letters "GED" on your resume virtually guaranteed that your gla