What You Need to Know to Pass the GED Tests Test One: Language Arts, Writing, Part I Time: 75 minutes with 50 questions The GED Language Arts, Writing Test has two parts. Part I is a proofreading and editing test in multiple-choice format, and Part I1 is an essay. Part I consists of several passages, 12-22 sentences long. These include instructional or "how-to" texts, business communications, and informational articles. Always read the entire passage before you start answering questions. When you see an error, expect that there will be a question about it, but wait until you have finished reading the passage to address that question. Some questions require you to have a sense of the passage as a whole. Questions on Part I of the Writing Test cover four general content areas: sentence structure, organization, usage, and mechanics. Sentence structure (30%) You will be asked to correct sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and comma splices. You will also correct improperly subordinated ideas, misplaced modifiers, and lack of parallel structure. Organization (15%) You will be expected to restructure ideas within a paragraph, choose an effective topic sentence, remove irrelevant ideas, and unify a document. Usage (30%) Usage includes correct use of pronouns, nouns, and verbs. Mechanics (25%) You will be asked to use standard conventions in the use of punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. Spelling items focus on possessives, contractions, homonyms, and other commonly confused words. Item Types Various questions will ask you to: Correct sentences from the passage which may or may not contain a mistake. Choose the best way to correct the mistake or choose the alternative "(5) no correction is necessary." Revise an underlined part of a sentence. The sentence part may or may not include an error. You will choose the best correction or option (1) which has no change. Choose alternate ways to present ideas. These items test your ability to restructure or combine sentences.
Test One: Language Arts, Writing, Part II, the Essay Time: 45 minutes for one assigned essay topic For the GED Language Arts, Writing Test, Part 11, you will write an expository essay. An essay gives a writer's views on a particular topic. You will be given an essay topic describing a situation and asking you to present your opinion or explanation. Topics cover general knowledge, so that you may draw on personal observations and experiences to write the essay. Within the allotted time, you should plan, write, and proofread your essay. The test booklet contains scratch paper for planning and two lined pages for the final draft. On pages 22 and 23, you can read over the directions and an assignment that are representative of Part I1 of the Writing Test. Scoring A sample of the GED Essay Scoring Guide is on page 185. Two trained readers score the essay, judging how well you: focus and develop your main points; organize your essay; develop your ideas, using examples and details; demonstrate effective word choice; and use correct sentence structure, grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Two readers will each assign your essay a score between 1 and 4. These two scores are averaged to find your total score. An average score of 1 or 1.5 means that both parts of the GED Language Arts, Writing Test must be repeated. If the average score is 2 or higher, a formula is used to find a combined score for Parts I and I1 of the Writing Test. Test Two: Social Studies Time: 70 minutes with 50 questions The GED Social Studies Test examines your ability to understand and use information about social studies. You will be asked to think about what you read. You will not be tested on any outside knowledge about social studies. Questions on the GED Social Studies Test cover five general content areas: United States history, world history, civics and government, economics, and geography. United States History (25%) Items include excerpts from historical documents, including the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, the Federalist Papers and landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases.
World History (15%) You will read and answer questions about global events and how people have responded to them. Civics and Government (25%) The questions cover the organization and operation of the United States. At least one practical document (for example, a voters' guide or tax form) will be included. Economics (20%) You will read about the production of goods and services and how they are marketed and used. You will find practical documents, such as budgets and other workplace materials, in this part of the test. Geography (15%) This area covers relationships between people and the environment. Test Three: Science Time: 80 minutes with 50 questions The GED Science Test examines your ability to understand and interpret science information presented as text or graphics such as maps, charts, graphs, or diagrams. You will be asked to think about what you read. You will not be tested on any outside knowledge about science. Questions on the GED Science Test cover general content areas, including life science, earth and space science, and physical science. Life Science (45%) You will find topics such as cells, heredity, and health, and functions such as respiration, photosynthesis, and the behavior and interdependence of organisms. Earth and Space Science (20%) These topics include Earth's structure; earthquakes and volcanoes; weather and climate; and the origin and development of our solar system and universe. Physical Science (35%) These topics include atoms, elements, compounds, radioactivity, matter, energy, and magnetism. Test items in the above content areas also reflect the following content standards, as described in the National Science Education Standards: Science as Inquiry (the principles behind scientific methods, reasoning, and processes); Science and Technology (use of technology in scientific processes and findings); Unifying Concepts and Processes (major concepts such as "constancy and change"); Science in Personal and Social Perspectives (contemporary issues such as personal and community health); and History and Nature of Science (pursuit of scientific knowledge and historical perspectives on it).
Test Four: Language Arts, Reading Time: 65 minutes with 40 questions The GED Language Arts, Reading Test focuses on how well you understand and analyze what you read. You will not be tested on your knowledge of literature. Each selection will be preceded by a "purpose question" which helps to direct your reading of the text. Types of Selections Two nonfiction selections of 200-400 words: These may include informational or persuasive texts, critical reviews of the fine arts and the performing arts, and business documents. Three prose fiction selections of 200-400 words: These are excerpts from novels or short stories. There will be one selection written before 1920, one from 1920 to 1960, and one written after 1960. One poetry selection of 8 to 25 lines One drama selection of 200-400 words Thinking Skills he GED Social Studies Test, the GED Science Test, and the GED Reading Test require you to think about information in several ways. To answer the questions, you will use five types of thinking skills: comprehension, application, analysis, evaluation, and synthesis. Comprehension questions require a basic understanding of materials presented. They measure your ability to recognize a restatement, paraphrasing, or summary or to know what is implied in the text. Application questions require you to apply information in a new situation or context. You'll need to know how to support a generalization, principle, or strategy and then apply the generalization, principle, or strategy to a new problem. Analysis questions require you to break down information and find relationships between ideas in order to draw a conclusion, make an inference, distinguish fact from opinion and conclusions from supporting detail, identify cause-and-effect relationships, compare and contrast ideas, or recognize unstated assumptions. Evaluation questions require you to make judgments, draw conclusions, and identify values and beliefs. You will also need to recognize the role that values and beliefs play in decision-making. Synthesis questions require you to put elements together to form a whole. They require analysis of the overall text (for example: comparing and contrasting), interpreting tone, point of view, or purpose, or integrating new information with information in the text.
Test Five: Mathematics Time: 90 minutes with 25 questions on each of two parts The GED Mathematics Test has both formal mathematical problems and real world situations. About 50 percent of the test involves drawings, diagrams, charts, and graphs. For Part I, you will be able to use a calculator issued to you at the test site. Approximately 20 percent of the test will entail entering your answer on either a standard grid or a coordinate plane grid. The test includes directions on the use of these "alternative" formats. Some questions ask you to show how you would solve problems. Others test your ability to do basic math operations or test your understanding of concepts such as ratio and proportion, estimation, and formulas. A formulas page, which includes all the formulas you will need to take the test, will be provided. The GED Mathematics Test covers the following four content areas. Numbers and Operations (20-30%) This area tests your ability to work problems involving whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percents, and ratios and proportion. You will use numbers in equivalent forms, compare numbers, and draw conclusions. You will also relate basic arithmetic operations to each other, use them in the proper order, and compute with and without a calculator. Measurement and Data Analysis (20-30%) Measurement questions involve length, perimeter, circumference, area, volume, and time. You will need to understand both the customary U.S. measurement system and the metric system. Data Analysis questions test your skills with tables, charts, and graphs. You may be asked to find the mean (average), median, mode, or the probability that a given event will occur. Algebra (20-30%) These questions test your understanding of variables, algebraic expressions, and equations. Some questions test concepts such as square roots, exponents, and scientific notation. Percent, ratio, and proportion are also applied to algebra questions. A few questions may include powers and roots, factoring, solving inequalities, graphing equations, or finding the slope of lines. Algebra questions also test your understanding of the coordinate grid and ordered pairs. The new coordinate grid alternative answer format requires you to mark your answer by bubbling in the location of the ordered pair. Geometry (20-30%) Geometry questions cover lines and angles, circles, triangles, and quadrilaterals, and indirect measurement. You will use basic arithmetic operations to find values of angles and line segments. Some items require understanding of congruence, similarity, and the Pythagorean Relationship.