Eligibility
• You cannot be enrolled in high school.
• Age and other eligibility criteria vary by state.
Cost
• Varies by state.
• Some GED prep centers will help you defray the cost.
• GED Works: Some companies provide employees with free GED preparation and testing.
Registration/Preparation
• Sign up for the GED.
• Enroll at a GED prep center.
• Use study materials.
• Study. Study. Study.
• Stick with it. Stick with it. Stick with it.
• Take GED Ready practice tests to see how ready you are to pass the real thing.
• Check for and clear any alerts in your account.
• Schedule the real thing.
• Try to set aside time for a lunch break when taking more than one test on the same day.
• Get accommodations for disabilities (as needed).
• Arrange to take the test in Spanish (as needed).
• Bring a non-expired, government-issued photo ID.
• Bring a handheld TI-30XS MultiView Scientific Calculator.
• Do not bring other personal items, including cellphones, into the testing room.
• Arrive at least 15 minutes before the test.
• Check in when you arrive.
• Make sure you are given a wipe-off board and marker for math, social studies, and science.
• You can take the GED online rather than in-person, but the setup is more complicated.
• The GED is available in over 85 countries and is accepted internationally.
• The GED is available in correctional facilities.
Tests/Subjects
Reasoning Through Language Arts (150 minutes for approximately 45 to 50 questions)
Section I
• 35 minutes
• content: reading and language
Section II
• 45 minutes
• content: extended response (essay)
Break
• 10 minutes
Section III
• 60 minutes
• content: reading and language
Mathematical Reasoning (115 minutes)
Part I
• 5 questions
• 12 minutes
• content: basic math
• calculator not allowed
• “scratch paper” in the form of a marker with a wipe-off board provided
Break
• 3 minutes
Part II
• approximately 41 questions
• 100 minutes
• content: basic math, algebra, geometry, graphs/functions
• calculator allowed
• “scratch paper” in the form of a marker with a wipe-off board provided
Science (90 minutes)
• approximately 34 questions
• 90 minutes
• no break
• content: reading comprehension, scientific experiments, numbers/graphics
• calculator allowed
• “scratch paper” in the form of a marker with a wipe-off board provided
Social Studies (70 minutes)
• approximately 35 questions
• 70 minutes
• no break
• content: reading comprehension, historical events, numbers/graphs
• calculator allowed
• “scratch paper” in the form of a marker with a wipe-off board provided
Scores
• Log in to get scores from your GED account.
• Get score explanations.
– Below Passing: <145
– Pass/High School Equivalency: ≥145
– Pass/College Ready: ≥165
– Pass/College Ready + College Credit: ≥175
• Be careful with score explanations; they don’t account for your motivation and goals.
• Request your transcript.
Time Frame
• No minimum time frame in which you must pass all four tests.
• If you don’t pass a test after three tries, you must wait 60 days before trying again.