17 Interesting GED Test Tips for All 4 GED Sections

You intend to take the GED exam in order to obtain a high school diploma equivalency or to obtain a higher-paying job. You may be concerned about how to pass it, but the GED exam is usually not difficult if you study and prepare well for it. Although there is a lot of information to learn before the test, you can still pass the GED exam and get a better score by following some helpful tips. This blog post will provide you with some useful GED Test tips as well as a free GED practice test resource for each section to help you pass the test more easily.

GED Test Tips For Mathematical Reasoning

Math probably is the toughest subject on the GED exam. You can learn the knowledge and skills needed by enrolling in a local class or taking online courses. Spending time practicing Math tests each day will help you a lot. Below are some useful GED test tips that you can apply to prepare for the GED Math test:

Simplicity is best

Usually, there are many ways you can use to solve a problem even when a function is given. A function is used to solve a problem. Should you see another way to solve a problem, use it to check your answer. When it comes to combined figures, don’t be complicated. You can find the answer by solving it as easily as you can. No matter how you break the figure down, the answer will be the same. 

Keep your forms consistent

In applicable problems, you should first look through all the answer choices to know whether they are in fraction, percent, or ratio form. Then, decide how to do your calculation based on the answer form. Finally, make sure that fractions are reduced to their lowest terms as that’s how to answer choice will be written.

Choose what to memorize

You don’t need to memorize any formulas for the Mathematical Reasoning Test as the test provides you with a formula sheet. Therefore, you can save time memorizing some of the common formulas such as the area of a circle and rectangle, slope, the surface area of prisms, and so on. However, to avoid being too reliant on a calculator, you still should memorize some prime numbers, and the squares of numbers 1 through 15.

Work backward

If you’re not sure your answer is correct, you can work backward to check it. For example, if a price has decreased by 30%, the new price should be 70% of the original price, since 30% + 70% = 100%. You also can apply this method when you don’t know how to answer the questions. For example, when you deal with a multiple-choice algebra problem, but you’re unsure about which choice is correct, you can substitute each of them for the variable in the equation. You probably solve it quickly using a calculator.

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Tips For GED RLA Test

To perform well on the Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) section of the GED exam, you should spend time reading articles on major news sites as it will help you get used to absorbing information quickly. On average, each article has about 500 to 700 words. Typically, it takes less than a minute to read 100 words, so you just need a few minutes to read an article. 

Another skill you will be tested on in the GED Reasoning Through Language Arts exam is writing. Although writing is the activity you do every day such as texting your friend or posting on social media, it’s different when it comes to writing essays on the GED test.  The RLA will require you to write long-form essays that are more academic, and more formal, so finding a virtual writing tutor who is the leading expert in this field to help you is the best. They can guide you on how to organize thoughts, make the content flow, catch spelling errors, and clear up grammar confusion. 

However, your RLA score is still heavily influenced by how well you perform on the test. The following are some useful GED test tips that you can use on exam day.

Read the passage completely

You may jump to incorrect conclusions if you don’t read a passage completely in a passage-based question. When you’re reading a passage, pause occasionally to check your understanding. That means you must be able to restate and summarize what you’re reading. In addition, skimming the questions before you read the passage without intending to answer them yet is really an effective method as it lets you know what information you are looking for when you read. Especially, when you have to answer two selection questions, this tip will be really helpful.

Read objectively

Reading objectively means don’t let your subjective opinion influence your choice. For example, when you deal with questions related to two selections with opposing viewpoints, you need to carefully analyze each writer’s arguments. Don’t be too focused on whether you agree with them or not; instead, consider if the writer adequately and validly supports the argument. 

Know your commas

On the language skills portion of the Reasoning Through Language Arts Test, knowing the rules surrounding commas will help you a lot, though this probably is an oddly specific tip. Below are a few specific comma tips you need to know. 

• Make sure you put a comma after the transition words that appear at the beginning of a sentence. 
• Make sure you base your decision on a comma rule before inserting a comma. To see whether or not you hear a pause in a sentence, read it out loud. 
• Use a comma to separate a modifying phrase that is placed at the beginning of a sentence from the rest of the sentence. 
• Read a run-on sentence or comma splice out loud to see where you would pause, then put a comma there. It would be the correct place. 

Read the prompt before you read the passages

You will be given two texts and a prompt on the Extended Response portion of the Reasoning Through Language Arts Test. You should read the prompt first as it will help you focus your reading to select key details and evidence. Then, you can use key details and information to support your position.

Cite examples from the text

This tip will help you get a good score on the Extended Response portion of the RLA subtest. Citing evidence from the reading passage(s) is called an “evidence-based” writing activity. This is because you are expected to base your response on evidence from the texts. There are some phrases that you can use when applying this tip such as “One example from the text is… “, “In the text…”, “The passage stated…”, and so on.

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GED Test Tips For Social Studies

Social Studies included many visuals such as graphs, maps, and charts, so it may be more interesting than other subtests of the GED exam. Through imagery, you also can understand trends and gather clues easier. Moreover, unlike the other subtests of the GED exam that require you to answer every question based on text only because you feel pressured, the Social Studies subtest is not. In addition, the Social Studies test is mostly about how you apply the concepts that you know and interpret information presented in the test, so you don’t have to memorize a lot for this subtest. However, to achieve the best score, you should still utilize the following GED test tips.

Pay attention to the author’s viewpoint

To better understand the text and answer more questions correctly, you need to pay attention to the author’s viewpoint. The GED Social Studies may give you a newspaper, an online blog commentary, or a speech. Once you read it, you should first ask yourself  “What is the author’s viewpoint? How are facts and evidence organized to be convincing? How are words chosen to have an impact?”. This step is really necessary as it helps you recognize the author’s viewpoint.

Don’t worry about names or dates

If you’re nervous about memorizing a lot of names and dates, don’t be worried as the GED Social Studies just wants to test your familiarity with major topics in world history. Therefore, focusing on understanding the causes and effects of historical events will help you more. 

Read the newspaper

The GED Social Studies test will ask you not only about historical events but also about current events. Some of the important current topics such as the development and conservation of resources will be given in some questions. Therefore, to be more familiar with many of these issues and find out the relations between them, you should spend time reading the newspaper or other periodicals regularly. 

Don’t let charts or graphics throw you

When it comes to understanding a graphic, you should read the title, all labels, and keys carefully. This aims to make sure that you correctly interpret the main idea and the type of information being displayed. Read the questions that require you to understand the text that accompanies a graphic carefully. This is because they probably ask about the text or the graphic individually or ask you to combine information from both sources.

GED Science Tips

Formulas and analytical thinking are used on the GED Science subtest. This subtest requires very little memorization as it will provide you with reference sheets during the test. And, the great way to stay sharp for science is to practice questions. Below are some useful GED test tips for Science that may be helpful for you on the test day.

Manage your time carefully

Because short-answer and multiple-choice questions are not divided into separate sections on the science test, being aware of how much time you have is very significant. Look at the top of the computer screen, you will see the Time Remaining clock in the toolbar that will help you manage your time better.

Cite examples from the text

It is worth up to 3 points for each short-answer response on the Science test. Therefore, try to use two or three specific facts, details, or pieces of evidence from the passage in your response to improve your score. 

Don’t let charts and graphics throw you

Reading the titles and all of the other information on all graphics is very significant as most of the Science test questions are based on diagrams and graphics. Before answering questions that are based on graphics, make sure you interpret graphics. Remember that there is more information given than you need, so you should weed out unnecessary information before choosing an option. 

Know your physical science

Physical science topics account for approximately 40% of the questions on the Science Test, so practice them now.

My final piece of advice is to control your attitude. When it comes to preparing for and passing your GED exam, you must maintain a positive attitude. Be upbeat and confident, and believe that you can succeed on the exam. If you come across difficult questions, simply skip them and return to them later. Don’t be alarmed! To prepare and study for the test, visit our website or download mobile apps from the Appstore & GooglePlay, which contain numerous practice tests.

On the Science Test, approximately 40% of the questions are about physical science topics, so you take time to practice it right now.

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