Getting ready to take the GED exam can be a life-changing journey, and understanding the test’s structure is a significant step toward success. The GED, which stands for General Educational Development, is designed for individuals who didn’t complete high school but still want to earn an equivalent diploma.
To help you prepare with confidence, we’re going to break down the GED exam’s structure in this comprehensive guide. There are a lot of secrets that will be revealed to help you get ready to be successful on this exam. I would like to suggest that you read this confidentially where no one else will see you digesting all these details.
If all the doors and windows are locked now you can dive in to read these carefully. In fact, as an investigative candidate I will suggest you need a notepad and pencil to take some secret notes that will be useful afterwards for your review and in your preparations. A few very bold candidates have printed these copies directly. Even though I am not suggesting what you should, I will recommend you pay close attention to these helpful details. Or you can gather all these and many more details in this short webinar.
What is the GED Exam?
Before taking a deep dive into the details, let’s start with the fundamentals. The GED exam is a series of four tests that assess your skills and knowledge in various academic subjects. Successful completion of these tests can earn you a GED credential, which is widely accepted by colleges, universities, and employers as the equivalent of a high school diploma.
As the last time I researched, I was shocked that almost all the universities accept GED Diploma and hopefully in subsequent writings, I will focus mainly on many of the success stories I encountered. But for now, be rest assured that your GED Diploma can be a door opener to the tertiary institution if that is your plan. Before I conclude this write-up, I will show you what you must work towards to be embraced by these colleges.
The four main subject areas covered by the GED exam are:
- Mathematics
- Science
- Social Studies
- Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA)
The Test Structure
Now, let’s discuss the structure of the GED exam from start to finish. There are four subjects that would be tested. I will recommend, based on experience, starting with all the easier subjects, and saving the difficult ones for the last. The reason is that when you pass one exam, you are motivated to take on the next and the next till you defeat all, only to realize that none are too difficult to tackle in the first place.
Mathematica Reasoning (Math)
Let’s start with the subject that most candidates find interesting – Mathematical Reasoning. You have one hour and fifty-five minutes to complete this exam. The total number of questions ranges between 45 and 55. GED will allow you to use the screen calculator to answer the questions. Some of these questions are multiple choice questions while others will want you to determine the actual value and input in the line or box provided under the question.
Now to the meat of the exam, there are questions on number operations like PEMDAS, to test your number operation skills. You must be familiar with signed integers; on the exam you see them as positive and negative numbers. During your study preparation try as much to understand ratios, proportion, and percentage calculations. Work hard to understand powers and roots so you can solve exponential and radical problems with confidence.
It is also important you have a good grasp of pre-algebra and algebra one concepts because you will see quadratic equation problems on the exam, it could be to use the formula or factor methods or graphical interpretations. I will not want to over emphasize geometry, statistics, and probability on this exam.
For those of you willing to build a sold foundation in number operations, signed integers, powers and roots leading to exponential and radicals, and understanding pre-algebra and algebra in one place, I have you covered. You can use this link to start studying, most of my students complete these within ten to fifteen days from a committing forty-five minutes to an hour each day.
Below is a summary of what you should expect on a mathematical reasoning exam.
- Test Length: 115 minutes
- Number of Questions: Approximately 45-55
- Focus Areas: Number properties and operations, Algebraic problem-solving, geometry, quantitative problem-solving, and interpreting and using data.
- You can use an on-screen calculator for some questions but not all.
To reiterate, in the mathematics section, you’ll encounter a mix of multiple-choice questions and questions that require constructed responses. You’ll need a strong grasp of algebra and geometry, as well as the ability to solve problems and interpret data. There is a link that can help you build a sold foundational understanding in mathematics, so you are now ready, you can enroll and complete this foundational math course, to remove the fear of math once and for all.
By the way, don’t forget our jungle agreement, this information will remain confidential!
Science
The Science test evaluates your ability to analyze scientific information, evaluate experiments, and understand scientific concepts. For a brief period, you will wear many hats in the exam hall; as a laboratory scientist that understand what is expected in the laboratory when we are talking about carrying out an experiment, gathering data and translating it to what everyone can understand.
You should also expect questions about biology, chemistry, and physics, among other topics. These questions may not be in depth, but if you are not fully prepared it may stump you.
I would like to help by breaking things down to help you as you prepare. Biology would be referred as the life science section. Do you see the trick there? You will be introduced to biological molecules, structures, and functions of cells, how cells breathe, reproduce, divide, produce their food and some excellent information about genetics. During your study, I will encourage you to practice drawing and labeling those cell diagrams, because these GED guys have heard that you are uncovering a lot of exam secrets. So be fully ready. As part of your life science preparation be ready to answer questions on human anatomy and physiology.
On the exam you will notice physics and chemistry are grouped under physical science. They might start you with periodic table, chemical bond, state of matter and chemical reactions and conclude chemistry section with acids and bases expecting you to know some balancing of chemical equations. From there you will move into my favorite section physics. You will be asked about motion, forces, work, energy, and power. You will also need to know a mix of magnetism and electricity, during your preparation, please pay attention to all those units, conversions and laws and basic calculations; I don’t want you to be surprised.
The final part his geography but again, they are going to call it earth and space science. You will need to know about space science, the nine planets, our solar system, our planet earth, geology, hydrology, and meteorology. Prepare to see a lot of -ology questions here and be prepared to answer all of them correctly.
The exam will take one hour and thirty minutes to complete, for fifty to sixty-five questions. After thorough preparation most of our students are confident to excel in science and in math. Since you have made up your mind to enroll, there is no need to postpone. You can enroll right here.
- Test Length: 90 minutes
- Number of Questions: Approx 50-65
- Focus Areas: Earth and space science, life science, and physical science.
- No calculator is allowed in this section.
Social Studies
The Social Studies section covers a wide range of topics, from historical events to government structures. You’ll need to interpret primary and secondary sources and demonstrate your understanding of social studies concepts.
This one is my favorite because I loved current affairs when I was in school. I am sure you do too. Now it will come handy, at least you will value all the time you spent watching the evening news. On GED Social Studies exam you will travel on memory lane to showcase your understanding of how North America lived before the arrival of the Europeans. You will be asked about the British influence on the early North Americans and how this led to the Revolution and the Slave trade.
I should mention that there are four sections in social studies, namely US history, Civics and Government, Economics, Geography, and the World. All these sections are captivating when you are preparing for your exam.
During this time, you will be asked about how the US gradually became a global power and their influence on the world. Before they let you leave, you will be asked about recent economic and political development in the US. I just need to let you know this upfront.
The Civics and Government questions should be piece of cake for you. Since they will provide with plate and fork to dissect the national cake that the three arms of government always share every time. Just kidding, no cake! Be ready to showcase your understanding about the three arms of government, civil liberty, and rights. You should also be familiar with some landmark Supreme court rulings from 1890 to date, at least ten or thirteen of them, because they believe you can someday become an attorney so they want to see what you can prove with convincing evidence on this exam.
I also need to alert you to know some basic economics things like types of economic systems, function of the market; demand and supply theory and why Government always intervenes in economic policy implementation.
That was a lot, I can promise you that at GED Bootcamps, we will help you understand all these four sections, master the core concepts with our 150+ study tips and expose you to GED approved mock exams. Our experienced instructors will guide you until you are in the higher percentile, because when you show up for your exam, you should as well shine when you walk out of the exam hall. You can check the study tips out for yourself.
Having revealed this much, do you know you only have seventy minutes to answer around fifty questions in various formats. There is no need to use a calculator on this exam, but you can bring your historical, economic, and analytic mind to this exam. Many of our students achieve excellent grades here. I am rest assured; it will be another fun day in the park for you. Thinking about enrolling now. I put the link here for you.
- Test Length: 70 minutes
- Number of Questions: Approximately 50
- Focus Areas: U.S. history, civics and government, economics, and geography.
- No Calculator: You won’t be allowed to use a calculator in this section.
Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA)
Most students refer to Reasoning Through Language Arts as English Language and Writing, but I will let you in on another secret, it deeper than just english language. They are going to give long passages to read, then multiple choice questions. Here is the kicker, since they know that you can speak the language well, they are going to give more questions in less time, to test how fast and accurate you can prove yourself under this GED exam condition.
We always remind our students not to walk into this exam without adequate preparation. Here is the reason why. There are twelve core strategic concepts that GED exam tests under reading, namely, identifying the main ideas, discovering authors purposes, identifying the audience the passage is directed at, the tone and mood of the writing and meaning of words and phrases just to name a few.
The GED Exam will also test your grammar and sentence structure skills. You should know the rule of writing and parts of speech and wear a proofreader hat in the exam hall. Now you understand why you need to be fully prepared before you walk into that exam hall.
The last part that often surprised many unprepared candidates is the essay section. You would be given two different passages and GED will provide instruction on what you should with these two different passages, sometimes, to draw parallel, differences or argue for or against without necessary requesting your opinion in three to five explicit paragraphs. You will need to use the computer keyboard to type your essays. With forty-five minutes allotted to you for completing this essay, you cannot get much done typing “a-r-c-h-i-t-e-c-t-u-r-a-l d-e-s-i-g-n” with your index finger!
The RLA section is divided into three parts:
- Reading – You’ll need to read and analyze texts, answering questions to demonstrate your comprehension.
- Language – This part tests your ability to correct and revise sentences to improve grammar and coherence.
- Essay – You’ll be required to write an extended response (essay) based on provided source materials.
We encourage you to read wide, practice writing essays on a wide range of topics to prepare yourself and type them at least one short essay a day. I know you might scoff at this as a Herculean task, but it usually paid off on the exam day. You are confident, you can navigate your way, compose your thoughts, and use the basic order of writing essay; introduction-body-conclusion.
With our expert instructors with years of experience and knowledge from the college, they are going to share additional secrets with you that will help you succeed on this exam, so be rest assured we have your back!
- Test Length: 155 minutes
- Number of Questions: Approximately 46
- Focus Areas: Reading comprehension, language, and writing skills.
- Calculator Use: You can use an on-screen calculator for some questions but not all.
With all these details, at your fingertips, there is no doubt in mind that we have reduced your anxieties and fear about GED exam. Our goal at GED Bootcamps is to fully equip you to succeed. In fact, if you do not check out any other article in this blog section, this one is sufficient for you to help you plan.
With these details you can prove you are smart by seeing all these practical information as knowledge that helps you prepare for the GED Exam, when you distil this information and extract all the necessary facts and base your decision on them, you just proved that you are a wise student. Either you go the self-study route, or you enroll with GED Bootcamps, be rest assured we are rooting for your success every time.
Before I forget, I promised you the final piece of the GED exam puzzle. As you prepare for this exam you need to know all the different formats the GED exam is asked. This will also help you as you prepare. These are some secrets that we don’t share on the street. Since you have promised me, you would divulge anything, I can go ahead and spill all the secrets to you. My goal is to make sure you use this information for your GED exam preparation. Are you ready again? Please close the door behind you and follow me to this tunnel where I will uncover the final secrets to you.
Let’s Discuss the Exam Formats
Now that you are familiar with all the subject and exam objectives for the GED exam. There is one more item that I need to bring to your attention. What do the questions look like on this exam?
Remember, the GED Exam is about more than just memorizing facts – it’s about applying your knowledge. You want to stay calm, read each question carefully, and trust in your preparation. No surprises can catch you off guard when you approach each question with focus and confidence. So, expect five types of question formats. I would like to elaborate on each of these exam formats below one after the other.
Multiple Choice
Multiple Choice questions are your familiar A, B, C, or D options. This is the most common format you will come across on all your GED exams. The questions could be shorter in science and math but would be longer for social studies and reasoning through language art. Be rest assured that you can perform very well on these exams. To pass very well on these exams, read each question carefully, eliminate the obviously wrong answers, and then choose the best one. Watch out for tricky phrasing – sometimes it’s not just about what’s right, but what’s the most right. Don’t rush; take a deep breath and tackle each question with precision. During GED exam prep sessions, we share a tested flowchart that will help you ninety percent of the time to select the correct answers, assuming you are fully prepared. You need to get into the habit of using it before the exam and not on the exam day.
Drag & Drop
Drag & Drop questions require you to move items or concepts into the correct order or category. Take your time organizing the puzzle pieces. Double-check your work before moving on – precision is key. And remember, if it doesn’t seem to fit perfectly, it probably doesn’t. This is where your preparation would be put to task. Listing of facts like oceans, arms of government, experimental processes just to name a few. So please, as you study, pay close attention to these details. If you attend GED Bootcamps session, we emphasized all these details in class to help our students remember. In fact, in some cases, we create mnemonics to help enhance retention of these necessary details. Besides, during your mock practice session, you will observe what falls in this drag and drop category questions.
Hotspot
Think of Hotspot questions like digital target practice. You’ll need to select a specific area on an image or graph. Hover over the hotspot options and choose the right spot with your mouse – always remember accuracy is crucial. Be mindful of the details and make sure you’re hitting the bullseye. Don’t worry, your preparation will help you understand the right answers to these types of questions.
Drop Down (within multiple-choice)
Adding a twist to the classic multiple choice! With Drop Down questions, you’ll encounter a dropdown menu within a multiple-choice question. Again, there is nothing to be concerned with because you would have encountered these multiple times during your mock practice exams. You want to pay close attention to the questions and select the right answer from the dropdown list. Carefully review each option before making your choice. It is a combo move, but if you stay focused, you will realize that this this a very nice exam experience.
Fill-in-the-Blank
Time to fill in those blanks. For Fill-in-the-Blank questions, type in your answer directly. Pay attention to spelling and capitalization – details matter. If it’s a numerical answer, make sure your math is on point. Take a moment to review your responses before moving on. Attention to detail is your secret weapon here. You will come across many of these in class to help you retain most of the necessary details you learn in class.
Passing the GED Exam
To pass the GED exam, you generally need a minimum score of 145 on each subject test. If you achieve this score or higher in all four subject areas, you’ll earn your GED credential.
Now that you understand the GED exam’s structure, it’s time to explore some tips to help you prepare effectively and come out on top.
Source: https://ged.com/about_test/scores/college_ready/
Tips for GED Success
Now that you have been provided with all the vital information about how to prepare for this exam, what is the next plan of action. You must be determined to succeed. These seven-study plans have been tested several times and it always works.
- Create a Study Plan: Develop a study plan that outlines your goals and sets a timeline for your preparation. Allocate specific times for each subject area to ensure comprehensive coverage.
- Use Reliable Resources: Invest in study guides, textbooks, and online resources that are specifically designed for GED preparation. Practice tests and sample questions can be especially helpful.
- Take Practice Tests: Regularly take practice tests to become familiar with the GED format and question types. This will help reduce test anxiety.
- Seek Additional Help: If you’re struggling with certain subject areas, don’t hesitate to seek help. This can be in the form of tutoring, online courses, or studying with a group.
- Simulate Test Conditions: When practicing, simulate the test conditions as closely as possible. Stick to time limits and avoid distractions to enhance your test-taking skills. At GED Bootcamps, we have access to approved practice tests online to help our students prepare effectively and improve their skills before appearing for and of these four exams.
- Review and Reflect: After taking practice tests, review your answers and understand the reasoning behind the correct solutions. This can help you identify areas where you need improvement.
- Stay Healthy and Consistent: Consistency is key. Stick to your study plan, and don’t procrastinate. Regular and steady preparation yields the best results. Don’t underestimate the importance of good sleep, a balanced diet, and regular exercise. These factors can significantly impact your cognitive performance.
You can also download the 150+ Study Tips on the GED Bootcamps website as part of your knowledge checklist with all the flashcards provided in class to help you succeed. While you are there you can also enroll for the next GED Bootcamp that suits your schedule.
Taking the GED Exam
On the test day, arrive early to the testing center, and make sure you have the required identification and any other necessary documentation. Be confident, but don’t rush through the questions. Carefully read each question-and-answer choice before selecting your response.
If you’re unsure about an answer, it’s generally a good idea to make an educated guess, as there is no penalty for guessing. Remember that your goal is to pass each section, so don’t dwell too long on any one question.
The Journey to Success
The journey to passing the GED exam might seem daunting, but with dedication and the right approach, it’s entirely achievable. The key is to understand the GED exam’s structure, thoroughly prepare for each subject area, and follow the tips we’ve discussed.
Don’t forget that earning your GED is not just about passing a test; it’s about opening doors to better education and career opportunities. So, embark on this journey with confidence, and remember that many have successfully paved the way before you. You’ve got this!
All the best on your GED journey, and may your success inspire others to follow in your footsteps.
