General Educational Development Test

The General Educational Development (GED) is a test given to individuals of high-school age or older who have not completed high school. Passing this exam provides the applicant with a certificate that shows that he possesses high school-level academic skills. The GED test is developed by the American Council on Education. The test was created in 1942 to aid veterans in their return to civilian life after World War II and has been revised four times since then to meet ever-changing academic standards.

The GED test consists of five tests: reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. Depending on the testing center and location, all five tests may be taken in one day, or they may be spread out over several days, which may or may not be consecutive.

• The reading portion of the GED test contains seven passages that must be read and analyzed. The questions about the passages will assess the candidate’s comprehension of what he read. This portion has 40 questions that must be completed in 65 minutes.
• The writing portion of the GED test divides into two sections. The first part covers sentence structure, grammar, word usage, organization, and mechanics. It consists of 50 questions that must be completed in 75 minutes. The second part requires the candidate to write an essay within a 45-minute time limit. The essay is scored on its focus, organization, idea development, and correct use of grammar, spelling, sentence structure, word usage, and mechanics.
• The math portion of the GED test consists of 50 questions that must be completed in 90 minutes. Of these questions, 40 are multiple-choice, while the other 10 must be answered in a different format, such as a numerical or coordinate grid. Candidates are provided a calculator to use in the first portion of the test. The test focuses on numerical operations, geometry, measurements, probability, statistics, and algebra.
• The science portion of the GED test covers 50 multiple-choice questions that must be answered in 80 minutes. It covers physical, earth, life, and space science, and candidates will need to be able to interpret information found in a graph, map, or chart. The test covers topics such as weather, geology, photosynthesis, energy, and cells. In addition, health and environmental topics, such as pollution, recycling, and heredity will be covered.
• The social studies portion of the GED test requires 50 questions to be answered in 70 minutes. The test-taker will be required to read short passages and answer questions about them. The main topics include civic, government, economics, geography, environmental law, global warming, workplace budgets, and tax forms.

Approximately 3,200 locations in the US administer the GED test. The test must be taken in person; it cannot be taken online. The cost of the GED test varies by state. It is free in some states, while California charges more than $100 per administration. Some states also charge a registration and/or retake fee. A local testing center can provide you with the exact fee amounts. To prevent cheating, 25 versions of the GED test are used.

Whether or not you are allowed breaks during the test depends on the testing center. It may also depend on how many tests you are taking in one sitting. Each of the five sections of the GED test is scored on a range from 200 to 800, with 410 being the passing score. The total passing score is set at 2250. However, some colleges may require a higher score for admission. If a candidate fails one or more portions of the GED test, he only has to retake those portions. The entire test does not have to be retaken.