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GED Reasoning Through Language Arts Test

The GED Reasoning Through Language Arts test lasts 2.5 hours. The first section of the test includes reading and language questions and concludes with an Extended Response (essay). You will have a 10-minute break before the second section, which includes reading and language questions only. Various question types include multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, drop-down, and drag-and-drop.

Your reading comprehension skills are assessed via questions based on single passages and on passages that are paired together. Most questions (75%) are based on informational texts, which include workplace documents, general nonfiction, and nonfiction related to general interest in social studies and science topics. The remaining 25% of the questions are based on fiction selections.

Your language skills are assessed via questions that require you to review and edit written text and select words and phrases so that the final product is written correctly. These questions involve selecting the correct sentence structure, agreement (subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent), capitalization, punctuation, homonyms, and possessives.

GED Mathematical Reasoning Test

The GED Mathematical Reasoning test evaluates your ability to solve mathematical problems and apply math to a variety of contexts. You will have 90 minutes to answer approximately 46 questions. You will not be able to use the calculator for the first five questions on the test. You can take up to 12 of the 90 minutes with these questions.

Check all of your work carefully before leaving this test section. You cannot return to these problems once the online calculator is enabled. You can access the online calculator by clicking on the calculator icon for the rest of the test. You can also take your hand-held TI-30XS MultiView™ calculator to use on test day.

Approximately 45% of GED math questions involve Quantitative Reasoning, which includes problems with positive and negative whole numbers, decimals, and fractions; ratios, proportions, and percents; data and statistics; and geometric measurement.

The remaining 55% of GED math questions involve Algebraic Reasoning, which includes expressions, polynomials, equations, inequalities, linear equations, quadratic equations, and patterns and functions.

GED Science Test

The GED Science test evaluates your ability to understand, interpret, and apply scientific information. You will have 90 minutes to answer 34 questions based on reading passages, graphics such as diagrams, tables, graphs, maps, or a combination of the two. You will need a minimum score of 150 to pass the GED Science Test.

You will work with six-question formats on the Science Test. Many questions will be in the familiar multiple-choice format, but you must be acquainted with the other formats, including fill-in-the-blank, drop-down, hot-spots, drag-and-drop, and short-answers.

The GED Science Test contains two Short-Answer questions (each worth 3 points!) based on one passage, two passages, a graphic, or a combination. You will write your answer in a text box. Read the prompt carefully and use the online highlighter to target specific facts and information that you will use in your response. Your answer must be one or two paragraphs long, with complete sentences and well-developed ideas. An effective response must answer the questions and use specific information from the source materials. It should not be based on your opinions or personal experiences.

Life Science topics account for 40% of the questions on the GED Science test. These biology-based topics include human body systems, cell structures and processes, health and nutrition, heredity and reproduction, genetics and DNA, evolution and natural selection, and the organization of ecosystems.

Physical Science topics account for 40% of the questions on the GED Science test. These physics and chemistry-based topics include atoms and molecules, properties and states of matter, chemical reactions, energy and work, motion and forces, waves, electricity, and magnetism.

Earth and Space Science topics account for 20% of the questions on the GED Science test. These geology/astrophysics-based topics include the structure of Earth, plate tectonics, geological cycles and processes, renewable and nonrenewable natural resources, weather and climate, the solar system, and the universe.

GED Social Studies Test

The GED Social Studies test evaluates your ability to understand, interpret, and apply information about history, geography, government, economics, and civics concepts. You will have 70 minutes to answer 35 questions based on reading passages and interpreting graphics such as charts, graphs, diagrams, editorial cartoons, photographs, and maps. You will need a minimum score of 150 to pass the Social Studies Test.

You will work with five-question formats on the GED Social Studies Test. Many of the questions will be in the familiar multiple-choice format, but you will need to be acquainted with the other formats, including fill-in-the-blank, drop-down, hot-spots, and drag-and-drop.

Civics and Government topics account for 50% of the questions on the GED Social Studies test. These topics include modern and historical governments, constitutional government, levels and branches of the U.S. government, the electoral system, and the role of the citizen.

U.S. History topics account for 20% of the questions on the GED Social Studies test. These topics stretch from colonialism and the American Revolution through the Civil War and Reconstruction into the modern era of industrialization, immigration, two world wars, the Cold War, and the movements for equal rights.

Economics topics account for 15% of the questions on the GED Social Studies test. These topics include basic economics concepts and systems, the government and the economy, and labor and consumer economics issues.

Geography and the World topics account for 15% of the questions on the GED Social Studies test. These geography/astrophysics-based topics cover major stages in world history as well as the relationship among resources, the environment, and societies.