What’s On the GED Test?

The GED test includes the following four sections (also referred to as tests), each of which you can take separately:

Reasoning through Language Arts
Social Studies
Science
Mathematical Reasoning

You can take each of the four test sections separately, at different times, and in any order you want. This is one of the benefits of doing the test by computer. Because everyone is working individually on the various test sections rather than as a group exam, the computer-based test eliminates the need for the whole group of test-takers to work in tandem.  

The GED Tests consist of five individual tests. Each test covers a different component of standard high school curriculum, and each test is primarily a skills test rather than a knowledge test. Except for Part II of the Language Arts, Writing Test (the essay-writing exercise), each of the GED Tests consists entirely of multiple-choice questions—five choices per question. So the basic question format is the same across all five tests.

Passing the GED Tests does not require rote memorization or extensive knowledge of the subject areas they cover. Instead, each of the five tests is designed to gauge the same four broad skills:
- Comprehension (understanding and interpreting information)
- Analysis (drawing specific inferences and conclusions from information)
- Synthesis and evaluation (characterizing, generalizing from, and making judgments about information)
- Application (using information in ways other than those presented)

You will be tested on Writing in a two-part exam. The first part consists of fifty multiple-choice questions dealing with sentence structure, organization, mechanics, and usage. You will be given 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete this part of the test. You will be asked to read several passages of twelve to eighteen sentences each. Each passage is followed by a series of multiple-choice questions that ask you to either find mistakes in the sentences or indicate the best way to rewrite the sentences. Thirty percent of the total number of questions deal with sentence structure; 30 percent test your knowledge of standard usage; 15 percent deal with the organization of ideas; and 25 percent deal with mechanics such as punctuation, proper use of homophones, and capitalization.
The second part of the Language Arts, Writing Test is your opportunity to write an essay. You will be given your topic, scratch paper on which to jot notes and write an outline, and lined paper on which to write your essay. You will have 45 minutes to compose an essay of approximately 200 words that clearly states your ideas and is reasonably well organized and free of mechanical errors.
The Social Studies Test is made up of fifty multiple-choice questions, and you will have 1 hour and 10 minutes in which to complete it. The five areas this test covers and the percentage of questions for each area are as follows: U.S. history (25 percent), world history (15 percent), civics and government (25 percent), economics (20 percent), and geography (15 percent). The reading material for this test will either be formatted as a single paragraph or as a longer passage. You will be expected to interpret graphics such as graphs, maps, and political cartoons.
The Science Test is similar to the Social Studies Test in format—you will be asked to read either short paragraphs or longer passages, and you will need to be able to understand graphic information. Forty-five percent of the Science Test covers life science, 20 percent deals with earth and space science, and 35 percent with chemistry and physics. There are fifty multiple-choice questions, and you will have 1 hour and 20 minutes to finish this test.
The Language Arts, Reading Test is the fourth component of the exam. The reading selections vary from short poems to longer passages and include contemporary classical literature, poetry, and drama. The prose passages consist of selections written before 1920, between 1920 and 1960, and after 1960. Although there are only forty multiple-choice questions in this test, you will be given 1 hour and 5 minutes to complete the test because many of the passages are lengthy. Forty-five percent of the Language Arts, Reading Test covers prose fiction. The remaining portions of the test cover nonfiction (25 percent), drama (15 percent), and poetry (15 percent). You will be asked not only to comprehend what you are reading, but also to analyze the material and apply your knowledge to related topics. Each passage of this section of the GED is headed by a question designed to direct your thoughts to the purpose of the passage. By paying attention to these questions, you will be on the right track for formulating the best possible answer to the multiple-choice questions following the reading selection.
Math is the final test in the battery that makes up the GED Test. You will have 90 minutes to complete this portion. Each of the fifty questions has five answers from which to choose. The Mathematics Test will require you to apply basic operations using whole numbers, fractions, and decimals. You will also be tested on your knowledge of ratios, percents, and measurement. Your skills on computation will be applied to word problems, so your ability to read and comprehend the questions is essential for success. Twenty to thirty percent of the Math Test will deal with arithmetic and numbers. Another 20 to 30 percent will cover data, statistics, and probability, and 20 percent to 30 percent deals with algebra. A final 20 to 30 percent of the Math Test will assess your basic knowledge of geometry and measurement. The Math Test is arranged so that the easier questions will be at the beginning of the test. This is important to remember when pacing yourself.

How Is the Test Scored?
Most states now use a “standard score” system, in which the number of correct answers on each GED Test is converted to a 200–800 scale. The use of a scaled scoring system accounts for the varying number of questions among the GED tests, as well as for possible variations in overall difficulty among different versions of a test. In general, most states require an average score of at least 450 and a score of at least 410 for each test.
GED test-takers also receive a percentile rank based on each of the scaled scores described above. Percentile ranks range from 0–99 percent and indicate the test-taker’s performance compared with the entire GED-testing population. For example, a percentile rank of 60 percent means that the test-taker scored higher than 60 percent of all other test-takers.
For each GED component test, the more questions you answer correctly, the higher your score. No penalties are assessed for incorrect responses. Your GED essay (Part II of the Language Arts, Writing Test) will be evaluated by 2 trained readers who score the essay on a scale of 0–6. Your score for Part II will be combined with your score for Part I (the multiple-choice portion) into a single Language Arts, Writing score.

Can I Take the GED More Than Once?
After you’ve received your official scores in the mail, you will be eligible to retest, if necessary, on any or all of the sections of the GED in which you did not meet the minimum passing score for your state. At the time of retesting, you will be given a different version of the test, which means that you will not be tested on the same questions you worked with previously.
Most testing centers charge an additional fee for retaking all or part of the GED. You may retake the same test no more than twice during the same calendar year, and most states impose a waiting period before each retesting. Multiple scores for the same test (for example, the Mathematics Test) are not averaged. Only your highest score for each test is considered in determining whether you have attained the minimum passing score for that test.