About the GED
The GED Test, or General Educational Development Test, is made up of four tests. These tests are designed to measure your proficiency in standard high-school subjects for anyone 16 or older not enrolled in high school. Rather than testing your memorization of specific facts, dates, or terms, the GED Test requires you to demonstrate applied knowledge and skills related to specific situations. By passing the GED Test, you will earn a high-school equivalency diploma.
What is on the GED?
The GED subtests—which take about seven hours total—cover the four primary high-school subjects. Tests are delivered on computer (not online). Paper testing is only available as an accommodation. Check with the GED testing center in your area to learn about their specific testing procedures.
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GED Section |
Time |
Format |
What’s Tested |
Free Practice Questions |
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Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) |
150 minutes |
Section 1 (27 minutes*) *The time allotted for sections 1 and 3 may vary slightly, but the total test time will always be 150 minutes. |
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|
Mathematical Reasoning |
115 minutes |
Part 1 (first 5 test questions) - calculator not allowed As of Friday, February 21, 2014, the standard time allowance on the GED® test - Mathematical Reasoning was increased by 25 minutes. The time allowance for GED Ready® - Mathematical Reasoning was also increased by 13 minutes. |
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Science |
90 minutes |
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Social Studies |
70 minutes |
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How to Register for the GED Test
First, create an account on GED.com. Then, select a Test Center near you. There are more than 3,000 testing centers across the United States. Some are operated by community colleges, local school boards, and adult-education centers. Call 1-877-392-6433 (1-877-EXAM-GED) or go to GED.com, and click on Locate a Test Center (at the bottom of the page) to find a local testing center.
If you live outside the United States, you may be able to take the GED Tests at a testing facility operated by Pearson VUE. Visit GED.com or call 1-877-392-6433 (1-877-EXAM-GED) for specifics about testing locations and procedures.
GED registration fees vary according by location. GED customer service can provide more details at 1-877-392-6433 (1-877-EXAM-GED).
WHO SHOULD TAKE THE GEDWhat is a good GED score?
Scoring is based on the number of points a test-taker earns in each section rather than on the number of questions the test-taker gets correct. Different questions have different point values. For example, questions in which a test-taker is asked to fill in two blanks or choose options from two drop-down menus are worth two points. The number of questions a test-taker will see on test day may vary from one form of the test to another. What remains the same across different test forms is the number of points on each test.The total score for each of the four individual GED tests is then totaled and converted to a standard score, which ranges from 100 to 200.
Your final GED transcript will include your standard scores and your percentile ranking, or how your score compares to high-school students who are graduating. To receive an equivalency diploma, you must get an overall score that’s 60% or higher than the scores of graduating high-school seniors.
Though the above guidelines apply to most test takers, different jurisdictions (states, territories, and Canadian provinces) can require even higher minimum scores. Contact your local Department of Education for more specifics.
LEARN MORE: GED SCORING