GED

The General Educational Development, or GED, test is a high school-equivalency test specifically designed for individuals who did not complete a high school diploma, and certifies that the test-taker has high school-level academic skills.

It is composed of four subtests, which can be taken together or separately, but you must pass all four subtests in order to pass the test overall.

GED stands for “General Educational Development.”

The GED is specifically designed for individuals who did not complete a high school diploma, no matter the reason.

While a GED is not a high school diploma, once a test-taker passes the exam, then that person becomes eligible to receive a high school-equivalency diploma.

Forty states currently offer the GED test.

Your high school-equivalency diploma can be used for job applications or in applying to colleges or universities.

To find a test center near you, check with Pearson VUE. You will need to print your registration ticket from your online account and bring it, along with your identification, to the testing site on test day. Some test centers will require other forms or documentation, so make sure to check with your test center in advance.

The GED test gauges high school-level content knowledge and skills in four areas: Reasoning through Language Arts (RLA), Mathematical Reasoning, Science, and Social Studies.

The Reasoning through Language Arts test assesses your ability to understand a range of texts which can be found in both academic and workplace settings. The test includes literary and informational texts as well as important US founding documents. The texts vary in length from 450 to 900 words. You will be asked to identify details and make logical inferences from—as well as valid claims about—the texts. You also will be asked to define key vocabulary and use textual evidence to analyze the texts in your own words in the form of a written response.

The Mathematical Reasoning test assesses mastery of key fundamental math concepts. Rather than focusing on specific content, the test focuses on reasoning skills and modes of thinking that can be used in a variety of mathematical content areas, specifically algebra, data analysis, and number sense. Questions will assess your ability to make sense of complex problems, use logical thinking to find solutions, recognize structure, and look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. You also will be evaluated on the precision of your mathematics.

You may bring a TI-30XS scientific calculator to the test. You will be provided with a formula reference sheet for the math test.

The Science test assesses your mastery of scientific content in life science, physical science, and Earth and space science, as well as your ability to apply scientific reasoning. Each question on the test will focus on one science practice and one content topic. Specifically, questions will relate to two primary themes: Human Health and Living Systems—all concepts related to the health and safety of all living things on the planet—and Energy and Related Systems—all concepts related to sources and uses of energy.

The Social Studies test assesses your mastery of both social studies content and skills. Each question addresses one element of social studies practice and one specific content topic. The primary focus of the test is on American civics and government, with the other three content areas as supplements. The questions address two core themes: Development of Modern Liberties and Democracy—which traces the current ideas of democracy from ancient times to present—and Dynamic Responses in Societal Systems, which addresses how society’s systems, structures, and policies have developed and responded to each other.

Each subtest is taken separately. You must complete one subtest before moving on to the next. You will have 115 minutes for the math test, ninety minutes for the science test, seventy minutes for the social studies test, and 150 minutes for the Reasoning through Language Arts test.

The GED test has 240 questions.

The GED includes a variety of question types, including multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, hot spot, and fill-in-the-blank, as well as one essay question.

Candidates are expected to be able to read closely, write clearly, edit and understand standard written English as it is used in context, and solve quantitative and algebraic problems. You also must show strong content knowledge in life science, physical science, and Earth and space science as well as civics and government, United States history, geography and the world, and economics.

The number of raw points each question is worth depends on the number of required answers for that question. There are sixty-five raw score points on the Reasoning through Language Arts exam, forty-nine on the Mathematical Reasoning exam, forty on the Science exam, and thirty on the Social Studies exam. The total number of raw points earned is then scaled to a score between 100 and 200.

You must earn at least 145 scaled score points to qualify for your high school equivalency credential. Each test is scored independently, and points from one test cannot affect the point value of another. You must pass each subtest to qualify for your high school-equivalency credential.

A score of at least 165 qualifies you as College Ready, and a score of 175 or higher qualifies you as College Ready + Credit, meaning you could qualify to receive college credit.

Yes. You need to score at least 145 out of 200 on each of the four subject tests, or at least 580.

There are three versions of each test, so if you want to retake the test, you can do so right away up to two times. You will receive a different version of the test each time. If you still need to retake the test after the third time, you must wait sixty days. Ultimately, you may take each test up to eight times a year. If you do not pass one subtest, you are not required to retake all of the tests—only the one you failed.