Taking the GED Test
Taking the GED Test
If you left high school without graduating,
the GED Tests
provide a way for you to earn your GED high school
diploma.
Getting your GED Diploma can make a big difference
in your
life. Read this Information Bulletin and learn:
* What is covered on the GED Tests
* How to prepare for the GED Tests
* Where to get help
READ ON!
WHAT IS THE GED TESTING PROGRAM?
The GED testing program offers you an
opportunity to earn
a GED high school diploma. Many people who did
not finish high
school have knowledge and skills comparable to
people who did
graduate. This idea is the basis of the GED testing
program.
The GED Tests ask questions about subjects covered
in high
school. The GED Tests are given in all 50 states,
the District
of Columbia, the U.S. territories, most Canadian
provinces, and
the Canadian territories. Each year, about one-half
million
people earn their GED Diplomas.
The GED Tests are available in English,
Spanish, and
French. Special large-print, audiocassette, and
braille
editions of the GED Tests are also available,
and adaptations
to testing conditions are permitted for adults
with
disabilities.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A GED DIPLOMA?
Education
The GED program provides an opportunity
for adults to
continue their education. Ninety-three percent
of colleges and
universities accept GED graduates who meet their
other
qualifications for admission.
Employment
A GED Diploma documents that you have
high school-level
skills. Approximately 96 percent of employers
accept the GED
Diploma as equivalent to a traditional high school
diploma.
Self-Esteem
Many GED graduates say they have feelings
of increased
self-esteem and self-confidence.
Once you earn your GED Diploma, it's up
to you to pursue
the individual goals you set for yourself.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO TAKE THE GED TESTS?
If you left high school without graduating
and your high
school class has graduated, you are probably eligible
to take
the GED Tests. Contact your nearest GED Testing
Center or the
department of education in your state, territory,
or province
for specific eligibility requirements. Information
on where to
call is given on pages 15 and 16 of this Bulletin.
HOW CAN I DECIDE IF I AM READY TO TAKE THE
GED TESTS?
It's a good idea to take the Official
GED Practice Tests
before taking the actual GED Tests. Comparing
your Practice
Test scores with the minimum scores required in
your area will
help you decide whether you are ready to take
the full-length
GED Tests. If your scores are high, you have a
good chance of
passing the GED Tests. If your Practice Test scores
are low,
you will probably need further study in one or
more subject
areas. The Official GED Practice Tests are available
through
your local adult education program. You can also
purchase the
Practice Tests yourself by ordering Form CC of
the Official GED
Practice Tests. See order information on the back
page of this
Bulletin.
HOW CAN I PREPARE FOR THE GED TESTS?
By Attending Classes...
If you need help deciding whether you're
ready to take the
GED Tests or if you want help preparing for the
tests, contact
an adult education program in your community.
Many programs
that are sponsored by local school districts,
colleges, and
community organizations provide GED classes. The
teachers at
these adult education programs can help you decide
whether you
need to study for all of the tests, or whether
you should spend
time brushing up in just a few areas.
To get information regarding a program
in your area,
contact your local high school, adult education
program, or
community college. Look in the yellow pages of
your local
telephone directory under the heading "Schools."
Check the
listings for the high schools and community colleges
in your
area.
Programs offered by schools and colleges
may be listed
under the heading "Adult Education,"
"Continuing Education," or
"GED." You can also call the general
number listed for high
schools, colleges, or your board of education
and ask for
information about GED classes.
If you cannot locate an adult education
program in your
area, call the number listed for your state, province,
or
territory on pages 15 and 16 of this Bulletin.
By Yourself...
After reading this Bulletin and possibly
taking the
Official GED Practice Tests, you may decide that
you want to
study on your own before you take the actual GED
Tests. If you
can't answer some questions in this Bulletin or
on the Official
GED Practice Tests correctly because you have
not studied these
subjects in a long time, you may be able to improve
your skills
by studying on your own. In fact, about 20% of
all GED
test-takers prepare for the GED Tests in this
way. Many study
materials that are available through libraries,
adult education
centers, schools, colleges, and book stores may
help you
improve your skills. There is also a television
series called
"GED on TV" on The Learning Channel
and many public television
stations throughout the country. To find out what
channel in
your area carries the "GED on TV" series,
call 1-800-354-9067.
You may also call The Learning Line at 1-800-232-2775
to find
out about self-study materials that you may purchase.
WHERE CAN I TAKE THE GED TESTS?
You can take the GED Tests at one of more
than 3,000
Official GED Testing Centers in the United States
and Canada.
There is probably an Official GED Testing Center
not far from
your home. Call your nearest adult education program
and ask
for the location and schedule of the testing center
near you.
Or contact your state, territorial, or provincial
department of
education and ask for the location and schedule
of the closest
Official GED Testing Center (see pages 15 and
16 of this
Bulletin).
WHAT ARE THE GED TESTS LIKE?
The GED Tests measure important knowledge
and skills
expected of high school graduates. The five GED
Tests are:
* Writing Skills
* Social Studies
* Science
* Interpreting Literature and the Arts
* Mathematics
These tests contain multiple-choice questions
that test
your ability to understand and use information
or ideas. In
many cases, you are asked to use the information
provided to
solve a problem, find causes and effects, or make
a judgment.
Very few questions ask about narrow definitions
or specific
facts. Instead, the focus of questions is on the
major and
lasting skills and knowledge expected of high
school graduates.
In addition to the multiple-choice questions,
the Writing
Skills Test includes an essay section. In this
section, you are
given 45 minutes to write an essay on the topic
given. The
topics are designed to be very general, so everyone
can think
of something to write. More information about
the essay is
given later in this Bulletin.
The multiple-choice questions on the five
GED Tests are
presented in one of three ways:
* Accompanied by a reading selection that
may be as brief as
one or two sentences or as long as 400 words
* Accompanied by a table, graph, chart,
or illustration
* Stated as a problem to be solved (this
type is most often
used in the Mathematics Test)
Because most material presented in the
GED Tests requires
the ability to understand written text, the skill
of reading
comprehension is very important.
WHAT SUBJECTS ARE ON THE GED TESTS?
The next section of this Bulletin shows
sample questions
from each of the GED Tests, along with explanations
of the
correct answers. Read the sample questions to
become familiar
with the type of material you will find on the
GED Tests.
Do not be discouraged if you feel that
the questions are
too hard. Most people who have been out of high
school for some
time need to prepare for the GED Tests before
taking them.
Adult education programs in your community are
specially
designed to help you improve your skills so that
you can
succeed on the GED Tests.
TEST ONE: WRITING SKILLS
The GED Writing Skills Test has two parts.
Part One
contains multiple-choice questions that require
you to correct
or revise sentences that appear in a writing selection.
Part
Two asks you to write an essay about a subject
or an issue that
is familiar.
Test One, Part One: Multiple-Choice Questions
This section of the Writing Skills Test
contains
paragraphs with numbered sentences followed by
questions based
on those sentences. Each writing selection contains
about 10 to
14 numbered sentences in one or more paragraphs.
Questions in this section cover sentence
structure, usage,
and mechanics. You will be asked to identify and
correct errors
that occur in sentences throughout the selection.
Directions and Sample Questions for Writing
Skills, Part One
Directions: Choose the one best answer
to each item.
Items 1 to 3 refer to the following paragraph.
(1) One of the lifelong memories many of us
share are the
moment we obtained a driver's license. (2) If
we were teenagers
at the time, these licenses signified our passage
to adulthood.
(3) We clearly remember practicing to handle a
car well in heavy
traffic and learning to parallel park. (4) We
also prepared for
the test by studying the driver's booklet, memorizing
rules, and
learning road signs. (5) Because we dreaded possible
disaster,
the road test seemed worse than the written test.
(6) While
conducting these difficult tests, the state driving
inspectors
often seemed stern and unyielding. (7) Therefore,
when all the
tests were finally over, we felt a real sense
of achievement.
(8)Whether or not we have chosen to use our licenses
since then,
they remain of enormous value to us. (9) They
symbolize our
passport both to independence and to the open
road.
1. Sentence 1: One of the lifelong memories
many of us share
are the moment we obtained a driver's license.
What correction should be made to this
sentence?
(1) change the spelling of memories to memorys
(2) insert a comma after memories
(3) change are to is
(4) change driver's to drivers
(5) no correction is necessary
Correct Answer: 3
Difficulty Level: Moderately difficult
About half of the questions in this section
of the test
ask you to find and correct any errors in the
sentence. Because
the subject of this sentence is One (not memorieS),
the main
verb in the sentence, (are) must agree in number.
Thus, the
correct answer is (3) "change are to is."
Options 1, 2, and 4
introduce errors into the sentence, so none of
these is the
best answer. Notice that this item type has an
alternative (5)
"no correction is necessary." Choose
this alternative when
there is no error.
2. Sentence 3: We clearly-remember practicing
to handle a car
well in heavy traffic and learning to parallel
park.
Which of the following is the best way
to write the
underlined portion of this sentence? If you
think the
original is the best way, choose option (1).
(1) traffic and learning
(2) traffic, but learning
(3) traffic, for learning
(4) traffic, so learning
(5) traffic because learning
Correct Answer: 1
Difficulty Level: Moderately difficult
This question asks you to select the best
word to join the
two parts of the sentence. The best answer can
be found by
determining which word makes the most sense. Only
the word and
produces a sentence in which the meaning is clear:
the two
things we remember are practicing to handle a
car well and
learning to parallel park. Since the relationship
between the
two parts of the sentence is one of addition,
and is the best
choice. Note that in this question, the original
wording is the
best of the choices given.
3. Sentence 7: Therefore, when all the tests
were finally
over, we felt a real sense of achievement.
If you rewrote sentence 7 beginning with
Therefore, we felt a real sense of achievement
the next word should be
(1) or
(2) all
(3) when
(4) while
(5) but
Correct Answer: 3
Difficulty Level: Easy
Questions like this one require you to
restate the
original sentence in a particular way, often using
a different
type of sentence structure. The important point
to remember
here is that the new version must retain the meaning
of the
original sentence. In the case of question 3,
the position of
the two parts in the sentence is switched. Only
the word "when"
keeps the same meaning. Every other choice creates
either a
nonsense sentence or one in which the meaning
is different from
the original. In these types of questions, it
is always useful
to try out each of the alternatives in the new
structure. By
reading through the entire revised sentence, you
will be better
able to see the effect of each of the options
on the meaning of
the sentence.
Test One, Part Two: The Essay
This part of the Writing Skills Test measures
your ability
to write an essay about an issue or situation
of general
interest. No special or technical knowledge is
required to
write on any of the topics. All of the topics
used for this
part of the test require you to write an essay
that presents
your opinion or explains your views about the
topic assigned.
How the Essay Section Is Scored
All essays written for the GED Writing
Skills Test are
scored by at least two trained readers who score
the essays on
their overall effectiveness. They will judge how
clearly you
make the main point of your composition, how thoroughly
you
support your ideas, and how clearly and correctly
you write.
That is, all of the elements that make up a piece
of writing
are taken into consideration. The readers do not
count every
spelling and grammar mistake, but a paper with
many errors may
not receive a good score.
Essays must be written "on topic"
to receive a score. Pay
attention to the topic and to the questions you
are asked to
answer about the topic. Plan your essay carefully,
and allow
yourself time to read it and make corrections.
After the readers have scored your paper,
their combined
score is the total essay score that, together
with the score
for the multiple-choice section, is the Writing
Skills Test
composite score.
Sample Topic for the Writing Skills Test, Part
Two
It always strikes me as a terrible shame
to see young
people spending so much of their time staring
at television. If
we unplugged all the television sets, our children
would grow
up to be healthier, better educated, and more
independent human
beings.
Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Write a
composition of about 200 words presenting your
opinion and
supporting it with examples from your own experience
or your
observations of others.
Description and Sample of Essay
The following paper would receive a rating
of 3 (highest
score is 6) based on the scoring guide. This typical
paper has
a single purpose or point to make. The supporting
ideas are
presented in clear sentences so that the reader
understands
what the writer wants to say. The paper would
have been
stronger if the writer had given the names of
specific
television programs that are informational or
entertaining. The
occasional mistakes in the conventions of standard
written
English do not interfere with the reader's being
able to
understand what is written. These mistakes would
have been
corrected by a stronger writer.
Sample Essay
The question of whether or not television
is a positive or
negative factor in grow of our children, can have
its points
both ways. But I feel that the argument, that
all the
televisions sets should be unplugged, so that
our children will
grow up to be healthier, better educated, and
more independent
human beings, is ridiculous there are many informative,
and
educational and fun things to watch on television.
Television offers educational stations,
which have very
informative shows and programs, people can learn
many things
from some of the programs on television. The television
is also
used to translate news and other information to
people, without
the news you would not know about the world around
you,
politics, big events, weather etc. Even the movies
and comedies
provide entertainment and relaxation, and what
better place
than in your own home. I agree that some of the
television
today is none of the above, but the responsibility
of what you
watch is all up to you. Our children can grow
up with
television, but adults should help them learn
how to choose
shows that are going to be good. Television can
be a very
instrumental thing, it can provide fun and entertainment
and
also educational shows, that promote learning.
While the person scoring your essay does
not count
mistakes, these mistakes do influence the reader's
overall
impression of the writing. For this reason, some
of the errors
in the sample essay are identified below for you.
The first sentence of the essay is not
clear because of
the use of grow for growth. The first sentence
of any essay is
the most important one because it states what
the rest of the
paper will say. This sentence should be very clear.
In the
second sentence, there is no reason or rule for
the commas
after "unplugged" and "beings."
If you don't know a rule for
the comma, leave it out. Also in the second sentence,
the use
of "fun things" is too casual or colloquial
compared to the
rest of the words in the essay. Colloquial expressions
may be
misunderstood by a reader, so don't use them.
The next sentence
which starts with "Television offers"
is actually two sentences
or complete ideas joined together by the comma
after
"programs." This mistake shows that
the writer is not sure
about what a sentence really is. Then are other
mistakes like
these in the rest of the essay.
Everyone makes mistakes when they write
quickly. Good
writers take the time to go over what is written
and correct
mistakes. Your writing will show your best skills
if you take
the time to plan what you say and review it to
make any needed
corrections.
If you take the Official GED Practice
Tests on your own,
we recommend that you ask an adult education teacher
to help
you score your essay. The self-scoring answer
sheet for Form CC
of the Official GED Practice Tests has an essay
scoring guide.
See order information on the back page of this
Bulletin.
TEST TWO: SOCIAL STUDIES
The GED Social Studies Test contains multiple-choice
questions drawn from the following content areas.
* History
* Economics
* Political Science
* Geography
* Behavioral Sciences
anthropology
psychology
sociology
(Note that there are different U.S. and
Canadian versions
of the GED Social Studies Test.)
Most of the questions in the Social Studies
Test refer to
information provided. The information may be a
paragraph, or it
may be a chart, table, graph, map, cartoon, or
figure. In every
case, to answer the questions in the Social Studies
Test, you
must understand, use, analyze, or evaluate the
information
provided.
Directions and Sample Questions for Social
Studies
Directions: Choose the one best answer
to each item.
Items 1 and 2 refer to the following information.
Five amendments to the U.S. Constitution
directly affect
voting qualifications.
The Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870,
prohibited
states from using race or color as standards for
determining
the right to vote.
The Nineteenth Amendment, ratified in
1920, prohibited the
states from using gender as a voting qualification.
The Twenty-Third Amendment, ratified in
1961, granted the
residents of Washington, D.C., a voice in the
selection of the
President and Vice President.
The Twenty-Fourth Amendment, ratified
in 1964, outlawed
the state poll tax as a requirement for voting
in national
elections.
The Twenty-Sixth Amendment, ratified in
1971, prohibited
states from denying the vote to anyone 18 years
old or over.
1. The overall effect of the five amendments
was to extend
the vote to
(1) a larger portion of U.S. citizens
(2) a limited number of citizens
(3) tax-paying citizens
(4) citizens qualified by race and gender
(5) those citizens who must pay for the privilege
Correct Answer: 1
Difficulty Level: Easy
To answer question 1 correctly, you must
read and
understand all of the information provided regarding
the five
amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Then you
must decide which
of the options provided best states the overall
effect of the
amendments.
A careful reading of the amendments should
indicate to you
that, in each case, the effect of the amendment
was to extend
voting rights to more citizens. Option (2) is
a correct
statement (citizens under 18 are not able to vote),
but Option
(2) is not the best answer to the question. The
best answer is
Option (1) which describes the overall effect
of the five
amendments. The overall effect of these amendments
was to
provide voting rights to more citizens.
2. Which statement about the five amendments
appears to be
the best summary?
(1) They affirm the right of women to vote.
(2) They limit the right of U.S. citizens
to vote according to
where they live.
(3) They prohibit the use of certain requirements
as voting
qualifications.
(4) They prohibit some citizens from voting.
(5) They permit certain qualifications to
be used in voting.
Correct Answer: 3
Difficulty Level: Difficult
The key word in question 2 is summary.
This is important
to recognize, because several of the options present
correct
and accurate statements, but only one presents
the best
summary.
Remember that an effective summary statement
must provide
the main points made by the information. In this
case, the
summary statement must address all five of the
amendments. Only
option (3) does this by referring to the prohibition
of
"certain requirements as voting qualifications."
Item 3 refers to the following information.
3. Which statement is supported by information
in the graph?
(1) Most parents are employed.
(2) Most parents are satisfied with their
child-care
arrangements.
(3) A group center is the most common arrangement
used by
employed parents.
(4) Most employed parents arrange for child
care either in
their own home or in someone else's home.
(5) About a quarter of all employed parents
use child-care
facilities at their place of work.
Correct Answer: 4
Difficulty Level: Moderately difficult
About one out of every three or four questions
in the
Social Studies Test will refer to a map, figure,
chart, or
graph.
This question requires you to evaluate
each of the
statements to determine which one can be supported
by
information in the graph. To do this, you must
first understand
what information is being provided in the graph.
Finding the correct answer is then a matter
of testing
each of the statements against the graph to see
if it can be
supported. In questions like this one, it is most
important
that you select your answer only on the basis
of the
information provided, not on the basis of opinions
or prior
knowledge.
In this case, the statement in option
(4) is supported by
the fact that the sections of the graph that relate
to the
child's own home or another home add up to 70.8%,
which
accounts for most parents.
TEST THREE: SCIENCE
The GED Science Test contains multiple-choice
questions
drawn from the following content areas:
* Biology
* Earth Science
* Physics
* Chemistry
All questions in the Science Test require
you to use
information provided in the test question or learned
through
life experience. The information may be a paragraph,
or it may
be a chart, table, graph, map, or figure. In every
case, to
answer the questions in the Science Test, you
must understand
the information provided or use the information
to solve a
problem or make a judgment.
Directions and Sample Questions for Science
Choose the one best answer to each item.
Item 1 is based on the following figure.
1. A large fiberglass tank was placed in
a pit as shown in
the diagram above. Before pipes could be
attached and the
tank filled with gasoline, the workers were
asked to move
the tank to another location.
Which of the following suggestions would
be the best way
to raise the tank off the bottom of the pit
so cables
could be placed under the tank?
(1) Fill the tank with gasoline.
(2) Fill the tank with water.
(3) Fill the pit with water.
(4) Fill the pit with water and the tank with
gasoline.
(5) Fill both the pit and the tank with water.
Correct Answer: 3
Difficulty Level: Easy
Typical of most questions in the Science
Test, this
physics question presents a practical problem
that must be
solved. To answer the question correctly, you
must be able to
understand the key features of the figure and
understand the
physical reaction that will result from each of
the proposed
solutions.
Option (3) is the best answer because
the method it
proposes is most likely to cause the tank to float
off the
bottom of the pit. By filling the pit with water
and leaving
the tank filled only with air, the tank becomes
buoyant and is
likely to rise off the bottom of the pit so that
cables can be
placed under the tank.
2. An electric current releases heat to the
wire in which it
is traveling.
Which of the following electric appliances
would best
illustrate an application of the above statement?
(1) mixer
(2) clock
(3) vacuum
(4) toaster
(5) fan
Correct Answer: 4
Difficulty Level: Easy
Many of the questions in the Science Test,
like this one,
provide a scientific principle, followed by a
question or
problem regarding its application. Only one of
the appliances
named in the options--the toaster--uses heat produced
by the
electric current in the wire. In this sense, the
toaster best
illustrates an application of the principle. All
of the
appliances named in the other options contain
wires which
undoubtedly release heat, but the heat is a by-product
and not
central to the intended purpose of the appliance.
Item 3 refers to the following graph.
3. According to the graph above, which of
the following
colors of light is absorbed the least by
a plant?
(1) red
(2) yellow
(3) green
(4) blue
(5) violet
Correct Answer: 3
Difficulty Level: Difficult
To answer this biology question correctly,
you must first
read and correctly interpret the graph that is
provided. First,
note that the question calls for you to identify
the color
absorbed the least. Next, notice the labels that
identify the
vertical and horizontal axes of the graph. You
must recognize
that the label on the vertical axis, "Percentage
of Light
Absorbed," is a measure of the quantity of
light absorbed.
Following the line graph to its lowest point,
you can see that
that point is closest to the label "green"
on the horizontal
axis.
TEST FOUR: INTERPRETING LITERATURE AND THE
ARTS
The GED Interpreting Literature and the
Arts Test contains
multiple-choice questions drawn from three content
areas:
* Popular Literature
* Classical Literature
* Commentary
The questions measure your ability to
understand and
analyze what you read.
While most literature selections are drawn
from American
authors, English and Canadian authors are also
represented, as
are translations of important works from throughout
the world.
Popular and classical literature selections include
fiction,
prose nonfiction, poetry, and drama. Materials
in the
Commentary section include prose excerpts about
literature and
the arts.
Directions and Sample Questions for Interpreting
Literature and
the Arts
Direction: Choose the one best answer
to each item.
Items 1 to 3 refer to the following excerpt
from an essay.
WHAT WAS THE AMERICAN SMALL TOWN LIKE?
I'm glad I was born soon enough to have
seen the American
small town, if not at its height, at least in
the early days of
decline into its present forlorn status as a conduit
for cars
and people, all headed for some Big City over
the horizon. The
small town was not always a stultifying trap for
bright young
people to escape from; in the years before wartime
travel
("How're you gonna keep'em down on the farm/After
they've seen
Paree?") and the scorn of the Menckens and
Sinclair Lewises
made the cities a magnet for farm boys and girls,
the town of
five to twenty thousand was a selfsufficient little
city-state
of its own.
The main street of those Midwestern towns
I remember from
the thirties varied little from one place to another:
there
were always a number of brick Victorian buildings,
labeled
"Richard's Block" or "Denman Block,"
which housed, downstairs,
the chief emporia of the town--the stores which
made it a shire
town for the surrounding farmlands. Each of these
stores was
run according to a very exact idea of the rules
of its
particular game. A hardware store, for instance,
had to be
densely hung inside with edged tools--scythes,
sickles,
saws--of all descriptions. It had to smell of
oil, like metal,
and often like the sacks of fertilizer stacked
in the back
room. It had to have unstained wood floors, sometimes
sprinkled
with sawdust, and high cabinets of small drawers
containing
bolts, screws, nails, and small plumbing accessories.
It had to
be owned and run by a middle-aged man in a blue
apron, assisted
by one up-and-coming young man and one part-time
boy in his
middle teens. It had to sell for cash on the barrelhead,
and it
did.
The drugstore was a horse of a different
color (and
order), but it was circumscribed by equally strict
rules. Here
you would ask the white-coated and (often rimless-spectacles)
druggist for aspirin or Four-Way Cold Tablets
or Bromo-Seltzer,
or perhaps for paramedical advice, which he was
glad to give....
These towns are by and large gone in 1974,
their old
stores shut up with dusty windows, or combined,
two or three at
a time, to make a superette, a W.T. Grant store,
or a
sub-and-pizza parlor. The business has moved to
the big
shopping center on the Interstate or on to the
city over the
horizon, and the depopulated old towns drift along
toward
oblivion, centers of nothing in the middle of
nowhere.
From "Int'l Jet Set Hits Watkins
Glen" by L.E. Sissman in
Selections From 119 Years of the Atlantic.
Copyright
* 1974. Used by permission.
1. According to the essay, what is the major
reason for the
decline of the American small town?
(1) Cars made people more mobile.
(2) Lack of variation from one town to another
drove people
away.
(3) Big cities drew people away from the towns.
(4) Their main streets were all the same.
(5) Writers criticized small town life.
Correct Answer: 3
Difficulty Level: Easy
Many of the questions on the Interpreting
Literature and
the Arts Test are like this one: they require
you show that you
understand an important idea contained in the
selection. The
idea may or may not be directly stated in the
selection.
The information needed to answer this
question is
contained mainly in the first paragraph of the
selection, where
the author comments briefly on what drew people
away from the
small towns. It is here in the first paragraph
that the author
refers to the way the cities lured people away
from the small
towns.
As stated in option (3), big cities drew
people away from
the towns for many reasons; the way small towns
were referred
to in writings of the time was only one of the
reasons. Option
(3) is the best answer because only this answer
offers the
major reason.
2. How does the author feel about the American
small town?
(1) angry
(2) nostalgic
(3) spiteful
(4) embarrassed
(5) relieved
Correct Answer: 2
Difficulty Level: Moderately difficult
The writer's attitude toward the subject,
or the way he or
she feels about it, is another area about which
questions are
asked in the Interpreting Literature and the Arts
Test. Rarely
does an author directly state his or her feelings
about this
subject. Instead, you must detect or infer those
feelings from
the way the author writes about the subject. Answering
questions like this one requires an understanding
of the total
selection.
The writer's attitude comes through clearly
throughout the
selection. In stating that he was happy to have
seen the small
town "at its height," the author is
making clear his positive
attitude toward the subject. In addition, the
use of the term
"forlorn" in the first sentence suggests
a sadness regarding
something wonderful that has passed by. Only option
(2),
nostalgic, expresses this attitude towards the
subject.
3. Given the descriptions of the small town
stores, the
author would most likely view modern shopping
malls as
places
(1) catering to small town people
(2) taking over the role of small farm stores
(3) lacking the friendliness of small town
stores
(4) providing variety and sophistication to
small town clients
(5) carrying on the tradition of small town
stores
Correct Answer: 3
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Several questions in the Interpreting
Literature and the
Arts Test ask you to use your understanding of
the reading
selection to predict how the author or a character
will act in
a different situation. The detailed descriptions
of small town
stores provided in the second and third paragraphs
of the
selection emphasize their neighborliness and emphasis
on
personal service. Since the author views the decline
of the
small town as a source of regret, it is most likely
that he
would view modern shopping malls as places that
lack the
features that characterize small town stores.
Option (3)
expresses this idea best.
TEST FIVE: MATHEMATICS
The GED Mathematics Test measures the
ability to
solve--or find the best method to solve--mathematics
problems
typical of those studied in high school mathematics
courses.
Subject matter for the GED Mathematics Test questions
is drawn
from three areas:
* Arithmetic
measurement
numeration
data analysis
* Algebra
* Geometry
Directions and Sample Questions for Mathematics
Choose the one best answer to each item.
1. If 10% of a town's population of 10,000
people moved away,
how many people remained in the town?
(1) 100
(2) 900
(3) 1000
(4) 9000
(5) 9900
Correct Answer:. 4
Difficulty Level: Moderately Difficult
This is an example of a question involving
computations
with percentages. Like most of the questions in
the Mathematics
Test, solving the problem involves more than one
step.
Here is one method you could use to solve
this problem.
First, you must compute 10% of 10,000. You can
probably do this
mentally; if not, you could divide 10,000 by 10
or multiply
10,000 by. 10.
Now you know that 1000 people moved, but
notice that the
question asks for the number that remained in
the town. So, you
must subtract 1000 from the total population of
10,000 to find
the correct answer of 9000 (option 4).
Item 2 is based on the following graph.
2. The figure above shows how the tax dollar
was spent in a
given year. According to the figure, what
percent of the
tax dollar was left after direct payment
to individuals
and national defense expenses?
(1) 3%
(2) 11%
(3) 33%
(4) 67%
(5) 114%
Correct Answer: 3
Difficulty Level: Easy
About one-third of the questions in the
Mathematics Test
will refer to charts, tables, or graphic materials
like this
one. This question requires, first, that you understand
the
information presented in the pie graph and recognize
that the
five categories of spending described in the graph
equal 100%.
Next, the phrase "was left" in the question
should indicate to
you that the problem requires subtraction. The
sum of the 42%
indicated as "Direct Benefit Payments to
Individuals" and the
25% indicated as "National Defense,"
is 67%. Subtracting 67%
from 100% yields a result of 33%. Thus, option
(3) is the
correct answer.
3. A part-time job pays $6.75 per hour. Which
of the
following expressions best represents an
employee's total
earnings if the employee works 2 hours on
Monday, 3 hours
on Tuesday, 4 hours on Wednesday, 5 hours
on Thursday, and
6 hours on Friday?
(1) 2+3+4+5+6
(2) 10 + 6.75
(3) 10(6.75)
(4) 20 + 6.75
(5) 20(6.75)
Correct Answer: 5
Difficulty Level: Easy
Some questions in the Mathematics Test,
like this one, do
not ask for a numerical solution to the problem.
Instead, they
ask you to select the best method for setting
up the problem to
arrive at a correct solution.
The first step here is to identify exactly
what answer is
required. In this case, it is the underlined phrase
total
earnings. Next, you must understand that total
earnings will be
the product (multiplication) of the hourly rate
of $6.75 times
the number of hours worked.
Understanding how total earnings is computed
Will make
clear to you that the solution to the problem
must include the
number 6.75 multiplied by some other number. The
other number
is the sum of 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 (the number of
hours worked),
or 20. So, option (5) is the correct answer.
Options (1), (2), and (4) do not indicate
multiplication
as a function, while option (3) uses an incorrect
number of
hours as a multiplier of the hourly rate.
HOW ARE GED SCORES REPORTED?
Separate scores are reported for each
of the five GED
Tests. GED Test results are reported on a standard
score scale
ranging from 20 (lowest possible score) to 80
(highest possible
score). Your score on the GED Tests is not the
number of
correct answers or the percent correct. The Writing
Skills Test
score is a statistical combination of the number
of questions
answered correctly on the multiple-choice section
with the
score on the essay section (see "How the
Essay Section Is
Scored" on page 6). The score for all other
tests in the GED
battery is based only on the number of multiple-choice
questions answered correctly.
WHAT SCORE DO I NEED TO PASS?
Passing scores for the GED Tests are established
by the
states, provinces, and territories that administer
the GED
Testing Program. In general, if you answer 60
percent of the
questions correctly on each test, you will earn
a passing
score. Your local GED Testing Center or adult
education program
can tell you what the minimum required standard
scores are for
your area. Most current requirements are set so
that GED
examinees must earn scores higher than those of
about 30
percent of today's high school graduates to earn
a GED Diploma.
Though the score requirements vary from
one jurisdiction
to another, most requirements are stated in terms
of a minimum
score for each test and/or a minimum average score
for all five
tests. For example, a common passing standard
score required in
any state, province, or territory is 35 on any
one test and an
average of 45 on all five tests. If this were
the score
requirement in your area, you would need to achieve
a standard
score of at least 35 on each of the five tests
and a total of
at least 225 for all five tests to achieve an
average of 45.
HOW SHOULD I INTERPRET MY SCORES?
Your GED Test score is an estimate of
your knowledge and
skills in the areas tested as compared to the
knowledge and
skills of recent high school graduates. As with
any test, the
scores are not intended to be a complete and perfect
measure of
all you know and can do. Rather, the GED Tests
provide an
estimate of your educational achievements, as
compared to those
of high school graduates. In fact, if you take
a different form
of the test covering the same content areas with
slightly
different questions, it is likely that your score
will be
slightly different.
If you take the GED Tests and do not achieve
the minimum
passing score required by your state, province,
or territory,
contact your local adult education center for
assistance in
interpreting your scores so that you can improve
your
performance in the future.
If you are taking the GED Tests for college
or university
admission, check with the institution you plan
to attend to
find out the minimum scores required for admission.
WHAT CAN I DO BEFORE TAKING THE TESTS?
Familiarize yourself with the content
of the tests. You
can do this in two ways. First, review the content
descriptions
and sample test questions in this Bulletin. The
questions
included here are typical of the type and difficulty
of
questions you will find in the actual GED Tests.
Second, take
the Official GED Practice Tests, either through
your local
adult education program or by yourself. When you
take the
Practice Tests, be sure to follow the time limits
given in the
directions. In this way, you will be able to get
an accurate
sense of what taking the actual GED Tests will
be like, what
the questions will look like, and how much time
you'll have to
work on the questions. While working on the Official
GED
Practice Tests, try out some of the strategies
suggested in
this Bulletin.
* Spend time reading newspapers and news
magazines. Many of
the articles in these publications are similar
to those
used in the GED Tests.
* Don't worry too much. A little test anxiety
is normal and
may be a good thing, because it makes you
more alert and
motivates you to do your best. To keep anxiety
from
getting out of hand:
-- Become familiar with the content of
the tests.
-- Prepare for the tests as fully as you
can. When you have
done all you can, relax; if you have prepared
well, you
will do well.
-- Remember that there are no "trick"
questions on the
tests so you don't have to worry about
being "fooled" by
the questions.
-- Remember that you don't have to answer
every question
correctly to pass.
* Come to the testing session physically
and mentally alert.
The GED Tests are designed to measure skills
acquired over
a long period of time. "Cramming"
the night before will
probably not help.
WHAT CAN I DO WHILE TAKING THE TESTS?
Try using some of the following strategies
to help you do
your best while you are taking the GED Tests.
Test-Taking Strategies
* Answer every question. Scores are based
only on the number
of questions answered correctly; there is
no penalty for
guessing.
* Read the test directions carefully for
each section of the
test.
* Be sure you know what the question asks
for before
selecting an answer. Pay particular attention
to any
portions of the question that may be underlined
or printed
in capital letters.
* Briefly scan the text or figure that accompanies
the
question; then read the questions and options
to see what
information you will need. Next, return to
the text or
figure for a more careful reading.
* Draw figures or charts--or list key facts--on
scratch
paper.
* Use your time wisely. Budget your time
so that you are
able to finish the test within the time permitted.
Skip
difficult questions and return to them near
the end of the
testing period.
* Remember that you are looking for the
one best answer.
* For the Essay Section of the Writing Skills
Test:
-- Organize your essay as a direct answer
to the topic
assigned. Your essay should state your
answer and then
explain why you answered the way you did.
-- Be sure your explanation supports your
answer. For
example, if you were writing on the topic
on page 6 in
this Bulletin and your essay included
the statement that
too much television is bad for children,
you should
provide reasons and examples that show
how television
harms children.
-- Use details and examples that show
the reader what, why,
and how. The more convincing your essay
is, the more
effective it is. Whatever the specific
subject of the
essay question may be, think of your essay
as an attempt
to convince the reader of the correctness
of your
answer.
* For the Mathematics Test:
-- Look over the answer choices before
beginning to figure
out the answer. See how exact you need
to be. For
example, instead of an answer carried
to three decimal
places, the options may simply present
whole numbers.
This will save you time in arriving at
a solution.
-- Check your answer to see if it "makes
sense" in the
context of the problem. For example, if
your computation
indicates that a one-pound bag of carrots
will cost $25,
you should recognize that you've made
an error because
the figure of $25 for a bag of carrots
does not make
sense.
-- Use the formulas page provided in the
front of the
Mathematics Test. You will need to determine
which, if
any, of the formulas to use to solve a
problem, but you
do not have to memorize the formulas.
-- Use your personal experience to help
solve the problems.
The settings used for the problems in
the Mathematics
Test are usually realistic. For example,
in a problem
that requires you to compute weekly earnings,
ask
yourself, "how would I figure my
weekly earnings?"
WHERE TO CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION
UNITED STATES
Alabama
(800) 392-8086 or (205) 242-8182
Alaska
(907) 465-4685
Arizona
(800) 352-4558
Arkansas
(501) 682-1978
California
(916) 657-3346
Colorado
(303) 866-6613 [testing]
(303) 894-0555 [classes-in Denver]
(800) 367-5555 [classes-outside Denver]
Connecticut
(203) 638-4027
Delaware
(800) 464-4357
District of Columbia
(202) 576-6308
Florida
(800) 237-5113 or (904) 487-1619
Georgia
(800) 433-4288
(404) 656-6632 [testing]
(404) 651-6450 [classes]
Hawaii
(808) 395-9451
Idaho
(208) 334-2165 [testing]
(208) 385-3681 [classes]
Illinois
(800) 321-951
Indiana
(800) 624-7585 or (317) 232-0522
Iowa
(515) 281-3636
Kansas
(913) 296-3192
Kentucky
(800) 228-3382 or (502) 564-5117
Louisiana
(504) 342-3510
Maine
(800) 322-5455
Maryland
(410) 333-2280
Massachusetts
(800) 447-8844
Michigan
(517) 373-8439
Minnesota
(800) 222-1990 or (612) 645-3723
Mississippi
(601) 982-6338 or (601) 359-3464
Missouri
(314) 751-3504 [testing]
(800) 521-7323 [classes]
Montana
(406) 444-4438 [testing]
(406) 444-4443 [classes]
Nebraska
(402) 471-2475 [testing]
(402) 471-4830 [classes]
Nevada
(702) 687-3133
New Hampshire
(603) 271-2249 [testing]
(603) 271-2247 [classes]
New Jersey
(609) 777-1050 [testing]
(609) 777-0577, ext. 5 [classes]
New Mexico
(505) 827-6616 [testing]
(505) 827-6675 [classes]
New York
(518) 474-5906 [testing]
(800) 331-0931 (classes-outside of New York City)
North Carolina
(919) 733-7051, ext. 302
North Dakota
(800) 544-8898 or (701) 224-2393
Ohio
(800) 334-6679
Oklahoma
(405) 521-3321
Oregon
(503) 378-4325 or (503) 378-8585
Pennsylvania
(717) 787-6747 [testing]
(717) 787-5532 [classes]
Rhode Island
(800) 443-1771
South Carolina
(803) 734-8347 or
(800) 922-1109
South Dakota
(605) 773-4463
Tennessee
(800) 531-1515 or (615) 741-7054
Texas
(512) 463-9292 [testing]
(512) 463-9447 [classes]
Utah
(800) 451-9500 or (801) 538-7726
Vermont
(800) 322-4004 or (802) 828-3131
Virginia
(800) 237-0178
Washington
(206) 753-6748
West Virginia
(800) 642-2670 or (304) 558-6315
Wisconsin
(608) 267-9448 [testing]
(608) 266-3497 [classes]
Wyoming
(307) 777-6220 [testing]
(307) 777-6228 [classes]
CANADA
Alberta
(403) 427-0010
British Columbia
(604) 356-7269
Manitoba
(800) 465-9915
New Brunswick
(506) 453-8251 [English]
(506) 453-8238 [French]
Newfoundland (709) 729-2405
Northwest Territories
(403) 920-6218 [testing]
(403) 920-3030 [classes]
Nova Scotia
(902) 424-5805
Prince Edward Island
(902) 368-4693 [testing]
(902) 566-9500 [classes]
Saskatchewan
(306) 787-5597
Yukon
(403) 668-8740
U.S. TERRITORIES and OTHERS
American Samoa
(684) 633-5772 [testing]
(684) 699-9155 [classes]
Guam
(671) 734-4311, ext. 419
Mariana Islands
(670) 234-5224
Marshall Islands
(692) 625-3862
Micronesia
(691) 320-2647
Panama
(507) 52-3107
Puerto Rico
(809) 754-7660
Virgin Islands
(809) 774-0100, ext. 3060-St. Thomas
(809) 773-5488-St. Croix
Take the Official GED Practice Tests at Home!
Now you can take the Official GED Practice
Tests at home.
The self-scoring answer sheet will help you decide
if you are
ready for the GED Tests or if you need to review
certain
subjects.
To order the Official GED Practice Tests
developed by the
American Council on Education, send this order
form with a
check or money order to:
The Learning Line
P.O. Box 81826
Lincoln, NE 68501 - 1826
* Please send me the Official GED Practice
Test form CC
(U.S. edition)--$10.00.
* Please send me the Official GED Practice
Test form AA
(Canadian edition)--$11.00 U.S. Dollars.
* Please send me the Official GED Practice
Test form AA
(Spanish-language edition)--$ 11.00.
To order, please complete this information:
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