Many students drop out of school due to various reasons. They get burdened with financial situations at home sometimes. Sometimes they take up a job that doesn’t require higher education but then later ask for it. Such situations put the person in a difficult spot.

But thanks to the GED, one can now change the direction of one career and move forward without any difficulty. The GED is for people who have dropped out of high school and couldn’t attend college. The exam determines whether a person fulfills all the high school graduates’ requirements to join a college for higher studies. This determines whether or not a person is college-ready.

The GED exam is a test of reading, writing, thinking, and problem-solving skills. These skills form a base for the workplace as well as post-school education. It marks the beginning of a very promising career, high-paying jobs, higher education, and a better workplace.

Let us now read about GED in detail, and let’s uncover how a person can get his GED.

The GED: The basics

GED stands for Tests of General Educational Development. But since 2011, the company is known just by the term GED. GED is a high school equivalency test that is accepted in 40 states out of the 50 states.

People older than 18 years old who aren’t enrolled in any schools or haven’t graduated can take the GED exam. There are few special sets of requirements for people of the age group of 16-18 years. You can take the test if you fulfill those requirements. The exam also requires your detailed personal information. This includes age, residency, preparation, and time elapsed since you have left school.

Signing up for the GED

The first step towards taking the GED exam is to sign up for MyGED. This is a personalized online program that serves as the interface for all your activities, including scheduling tests, viewing scorecards, ordering transcripts, and obtaining your diploma.

GED is not available for online conduction and can only be taken physically.

The next step is to study for the test. There are many books available for the preparation for the exam. You can also join GED tutoring services to get help. You can look for our online tutoring services for the preparation. You can get access to resources as well as to tutor on an affordable budget.

What is on GED

Before taking the GED test, it is very important to know what is there in the exam. This helps you in preparation as well as forming a strategy for taking the test.

The duration of the GED exam is over 7 hours. It consists of four subjects, math, science, social studies, and language arts. It is suggested not to take tests of all the subjects on the same day. You can prepare for each subject individually and then take the test separately.

The test format for all the subjects varies from each other. So it is a good help to know about all the details individually. Let us now look at the details of each subject separately.

1.   Mathematical Reasoning

The math test is for 1 hour and 55 minutes. It consists of 5 questions for 20 minutes, where the calculator is not allowed. Then there is a 5-minute break, followed by a 95 minutes test with 35-40 questions. The authorized calculator can be used for the second half of the test. The permitted calculator for the GED exam is TI-30XS. It is recommended that you buy your calculator and practice using the same. This makes you familiar with the use and functions of the calculator.

The math test covers topics like functions, algebra, geometry, ratios, proportions, percentages, statistics, inequalities, equations, etc. One must be familiar with the basic math topics before they take the test.

2.   Reasoning through Language Arts

It is a three sections test with one break. The total time for the test is 2 hours and 30 minutes. The first section has about 20 questions with a time limit of 30 minutes. Section two consists of a written essay, which is to be completed in 45 minutes. Then there is a break of 10 minutes, which is followed by section three. This section has 30-35 questions and a time limit of 65 minutes.

The language arts test assesses one’s skills with grammar, sentence formation, word choice, punctuations, capitalization, etc. Most of the students find this category difficult and hence recommend a tutor for the preparation.

3.   Social Studies

This is one hour and 10 minutes test consisting of 30-35 questions. There is no break in this section.

The skills tested in this category are analysis, inferences, evaluation, and data interpretation. This category includes questions from civics and government, US history, economics, geography, and the world.

4.   Science

The science test is a 1 hour 30 minutes test. There is no break in this section as well. The test consists of 30-35 questions.

This test includes questions from life science, physical science, and earth and space science. Skills tested in this section are data analysis, infographics study, evaluation, and inferential skills.

Requirements for the GED

The score in each subject can be in the range of 100-200 marks.

A score of 145 or higher is required to earn high school equivalency. If your score in any of the subjects falls below 145, you will have to take all the tests again.

 

A score of 165-174 is considered good for college admissions, and a score of 175-200 awards you additional college credits too.

Question Type in the GED

The questions in the GED exam appear in a different format. Following are the main types of questions that are seen in the exam. You can prepare according to the format of the exam.

• Multiple choice
• Fill in the blank
• Drag and drop
• Dropdown
• Select an area
• Short answer
• Extended responses

Summary

We hope this article walks you through the exam and the requirements for the exam. This overview will help you with the preparation and hence to ace the exam.

We provide online tutoring services as well as counseling services to guide you through your career path.