The GED exam contains 4 subjects, broken into separate exams: Reasoning Through Language Arts, Mathematical Reasoning, Science, and Social Studies. You don't have to take all four exams simultaneously; you can space them out and take them at your convenience.
You'll learn about all related things to the GED writing portion of the test in this article. Take our free GED Writing Practice Test to get a personalized assessment of where you stand now and what you need to learn.
GED reasoning through language arts test
Your writing skills are assessed on the Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) test, based on communication, which you've probably done a lot of.
You will take the GED Reasoning Through Language Arts test all at once as it's a one writing and reading writing test. There will be one 10-minute break.
- Take the RLA test at a testing center on a computer.
- The test lasts 150 minutes, or 2 hours and 30 minutes.
- The test contains about 50 questions and one essay.
- It is scored on a scale of 100 to 200 points.
- To pass the test, you will need a score of 145. (In New Jersey, 150 is required.)
Part I: Reading, Writing, and Essay
- Have 3 minutes to read the instructions.
- The first part is 72 minutes long.
- Part I will contain a set of questions and an essay or extended answer.
- You’ll have a 10-minute break after Part I.
Part II: Reading and Writing
- Part II is 65 minutes long.
- In Part II, you will answer most of the multiple-choice, drop-down, and drag-and-drop questions.
Let’s get started with our free GED language arts writing practice test to pass the exam on the first attempt.
GED writing test
Ged writing practice testThere are four subtests in the GED, however, there is no separate GED writing test. Reasoning through Language Arts (RLA) test is used to assess your writing and reading abilities.
- Expect about ten language editing questions and two passages to edit.
- You'll choose the best way to complete the sentence in most questions, which will be a drop-down in a sentence.
- Part I or Part II could have editing questions.
- Part I has one essay question. You'll need to read and compare two passages.
- The essay is called the extended response.
The GED writing test makes up around 20% of the test and includes the following topics:
- Grammar and Language
- Can you edit to correct commonly confused words?
- Can you correct grammatical errors such as the wrong verb form or pronoun?
- Can you make the language clear or fix it if it's confusing?
- Can you correct the capitalization?
- Can you correct run-on sentences, fragments, or connecting words?
- Can you correctly use apostrophes?
- Can you correctly punctuate your sentences?
- One Essay Question
- This essay question tests your reading and writing abilities.
- Two passages should be read.
- Compare the two arguments in an essay. Which side has more evidence? Why?
Several writing parts of the GED exam are used to assess your writing abilities, but your 5-paragraph essay on the GED Language Arts Test is particularly important.
As a result, the GED® exam's other subtests assess your writing abilities as well. The four GED subtests are Reasoning through Language Arts (RLA), Mathematical Reasoning, Social Studies, and Science.
Your GED Language Arts Essay is also referred to as the Extended Response. You have 45 minutes to write an argumentative essay based on the prompt and stimulus provided.
Don’t forget to take our free GED grammar practice test to get your highest possible score.
Stimulus and prompt
The GED essay stimulus is a passage providing two opposing views or opinions on a current subject or event. You will be told what to do by the prompt.
Keep in mind that you are not allowed to express your personal opinion in your essay. But that doesn’t matter.
You'll have to decide which point of view in the passage is stronger, and you'll have to demonstrate that with arguments from the text.
You will need to explain why which argument is better after reading the provided stimulus with two different points of view or arguments on the topic.
Remember that you are writing about the two positions the author gives you, and you will need to explain why one of the arguments presented in the stimulus is better or stronger.
Once again, and we say it again since so many GED test participants make this error, you are not required to present your own reasoning or examples.
High impact indicators
You need to understand how your GED Essay or Extended Response is graded in order to achieve the greatest possible score on your essay. Then your GED Language Arts exam won't be as difficult to pass.
For the GED Reasoning through Language Arts subtest, your essay is worth 20% of your entire score.
Let's take a deeper look at some of the so-called High Impact Indicators that are crucial for achieving the highest possible score.
Literary texts
- Make sure you understand what the text is about (what it means) and that you can order the events in the text in the correct order.
- You must be able to reorder the passage's non-chronological events into chronological order.
- If you understand the passage, you should be able to explain how one event in the passage leads to the next (e.g. cause-and-effect, and so on).
Word meaning
You must be able to determine and identify the meaning of words and phrases in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings that are relevant to the context of both literary and informative texts.
- You must be able to tell the difference between denotative, figurative, and connotative meanings of words or phrases.
- Understanding how the context may shape or lend different meanings to phrases and words is critical.
Analyze transitional language and signal words
In both literary and informational texts, there are various words that indicate a structural relationship and clarify the meaning of words, reinforce the author's intent, or emphasize specific ideas. Words like "otherwise," "nevertheless," and "consequently" fall into this category.
- You must be capable to determine transitional phrases and words in the given passage and understand the function.
- It is crucial that you comprehend why and how transitional language was used to convey the meaning of the phrases or words in the passage.
- You must comprehend how the passage's structural cues serve to express the author's purpose.
Evaluation of offered evidence
It's crucial that you indicate that you've read and comprehended the evidence and supporting details related to the presented claims.
- You must be able to explain how the evidence presented is relevant to the author's point of view or argument, as well as if it is sufficient to justify the author's overall message or singular point.
- You must demonstrate that you can distinguish between relevant and irrelevant evidence, as well as between ideas with sufficient support and those without.
- It's crucial that you know the difference between reasoning and explanation, as well as given evidence. This will assist you in making an informed decision based on relevant and sufficient evidence. Remember that taking multiple practice tests will significantly improve your results!
Identifying underlying assumptions and premises
You need to be able to identify premises and/or assumptions in the arguments or viewpoints. It is crucial that you are able to recognize and evaluate the evidence and logical support offered.
- You must be able to indicate explicit and/or implicit assumptions and premises in a passage's argument.
- Based on details in the passage, you must demonstrate an understanding of the author's assumptions and biases.
- You must show evidence that you indicate whether the author made any judgments based on implicit assumptions and/or premises and whether they are supported or justified (partially or totally) by expressly provided information in the passage.
Benefits of taking GED language arts writing practice test
Once you feel you have a solid grasp on the fundamentals of what you will need to pass the GED writing section, you should go over your materials again and take the many free GED English writing practice tests available on our website.
It's a great idea to start with a solid practice test! You can learn about the different types of questions on the GED exam and what you should study. You can take a free online practice test for the GED writing practice test.
Practice makes perfect. As a result, you should take as many practice tests as possible to prepare for the GED writing section, as this will also familiarize you with the GED testing format.
You will become familiar with this section of the GED Reasoning's key concepts by taking the Language Arts subtest. Taking a lot of practice tests can help you learn all of the concepts that will be tested.
Understanding, identifying, and summarizing the text's main idea, as well as recognizing the supporting aspects, are all key concepts.
You must show that you can make proper inferences from the provided details and recognize the details that support the passage's subject or main concept. You must also demonstrate that you can draw assumptions and/or generalizations based on the passage's details.
You'll also need to understand how a passage is formed, how paragraphs, sentences, and the entire text are linked, and how they all contribute to the development of the section's main idea.
Read more>>> GED Language Arts Study Guide
FREE GED writing practice tests
Our free GED practice test has questions that are categorized based on the actual GED test framework as stated above, and the quiz is graded immediately at the end. We're always working to improve the quality and quantity of our GED practice test questions so that they're as near to the real thing as possible.
After you've finished the quiz, you'll receive a score report that includes a detailed explanation and justification for each question you answered incorrectly, allowing you to better grasp the root causes of problems and pass the test the first time! We're happy to report that our free GED Writing practice test 2022, which is one of the best platforms for practicing, has helped many people pass the test with flying colors!
Conclusion
Again, your essay should not be about your personal feelings regarding the subject! Simply analyze the points offered and show which opinion is better supported in the passage.
You should not express your opinion or state which side of the argument you support. As a result, refrain from expressing your subjective opinion. This means that phrases and statements like "I think that," "in my opinion," "I disagree because," and even "I" should be avoided.
You must be able to analyze which of the stimulus-presented arguments or points of view is better, and you must also explain why that argument or viewpoint is superior based on evidence provided in the passage to receive the best results on your GED Essay (Extended Response).
Make sure your reasoning is based on the passage you've been given! You should avoid presenting your own evidence, viewpoints, or examples. Make sure you stick with what’s presented in the passage.
This article brings you beneficial information and we hope that you can enhance your skill by taking our free GED Writing practice test to pass your exam with a high score the first time.