How Is The GED Scored? [2025 Updated]

When preparing to take the GED, one of the most important steps for a beginner is to become acquainted with the basic structure of each section. The following blog of Get-TestPrep contains all of the information you need to know about “How is the GED scored.” Each RLA, Mathematical Reasoning, Social Studies, and Science Test on the GED is scored separately on a scale of 100 to 200.

What Is GED? 

In original, GED was an acronym for Test of General Educational Development, but now we have only used the term GED since 2011. The GED test consists of four subject tests that a student can take to prove their high school academic knowledge. Receiving a GED diploma from your state is equivalent to a United States high school diploma, therefore any students select to take this certification exam if they are unable to complete a traditional high school program.

What Are The Benefits Of The GED?

Earning a high school diploma is not always an option, but an equivalent can be obtained. When it comes to getting a GED or not getting a diploma at all, a GED is almost always the better option. While a GED diploma may not offer as many benefits compared with a high school diploma, it also brings employment and educational changes that would not be available without a diploma. To be more specific: 

Firstly, you will have more work chances: If you complete your GED, you will have more job prospects than a candidate without a high school diploma. Construction, maintenance, office and administrative support, occupational and/or physical therapy aid, pharmaceutical technology, and a variety of other disciplines are all possible. Bypassing your GED exam and completing one year of practical employment training, you will be eligible to work in a wide range of fields.

Secondly, getting your GED increases your prospects of pursuing your education. If you want to pursue a college degree, receiving your GED increases your chances of acceptance into a program, which can lead to higher financial earnings. Those with a GED or a high school diploma may expect to earn more each year than those without either, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Thirdly, you will feel more confident knowing that you have finished the phases of your future investment. Although the GED is not an easy exam, consider the sense of accomplishment you will experience if you pass it. Midwest Institute recognizes the GED and looks forward to meeting your educational requirements and assisting you in successfully completing and passing your exam!

To help you get 100% ready for your exam, we offer thousands of free practice questions, our GED practice tests 2025 as well as comprehensive GED study guides for all 4 sections on this website. Let’s start learning for your test now!

What Is Covered On The GED Test?

Reasoning Through Language Arts is an integrated test of art and reasoning in English. This test concentrates on three important skill sets including a close reading of complex texts; writing clearly (especially argumentative writing) and editing, understanding, and using standard written English in context. 

Test items are based on texts that reflect a variety of levels of complexity, involving the career- and college-readiness text. Informational texts (including non-fiction books drawn from the fields of scientific and sociological content as well as a wide range of texts from workplace contexts) account for 75% of the source material while the rest is drawn from literary texts. This emphasis on informational text reflects the vital of reading and understanding these types of documents in the workplace and in post-secondary education.

Mathematical Reasoning concentrates on two main content areas: quantitative problem-solving and algebraic problem-solving. Its purpose is to strike a balance between assessing entrants in the understanding of the concept deeper, procedural skills and fluency with calculus and math, and the ability to apply these fundamentals in real-life situations.

This content area also integrates the assessment of the content described above with the assessment of the following math practices: fluent in math, abstract problems, developing solution roadmaps and lines of reasoning, longer lines of reasoning, and reasoning evaluation and solution path.

Science concentrates on applying scientific reasoning skills. These skills include understanding scientific presentations, surveying design (experimental and observational), reasoning from data, evaluating conclusions with evidence, working with the findings, displaying scientific information, working with scientific theories, and applying the concepts of probability and statistics in a scientific context.

These scientific practices are assessed in the context of three core science content areas: life sciences, physical sciences, and earth and space sciences. Stimulating material reflects both academic and workplace contexts.

Social Studies concentrates on applying reasoning skills in the context of the social sciences. These skills include drawing conclusions and inferences; identifying central ideas, hypotheses, and conclusions; analyzing facts and ideas; explaining the meaning of symbols, words, and phrases; analyzing purpose and opinion; integrating content presented in different ways; evaluating arguments and evidence; analyzing of relationships between texts; writing analytical responses to source texts; reading and interpreting graphs, charts, and other data representations; and measuring the center of a statistical data set.

These social research practices are assessed in the context of four core social research content areas: citizenship and government, U.S. history, economics, geography, and the world. The stimulus literature is mainly drawn from a variety of primary and secondary sources.

Read more >> Can You Join The Military With A GED?

How Is The GED Scored?

Here are a few points concerning GED scoring:

• Scoring is dependent on the number of points a test-taker obtains in each segment rather than the number of correct questions.
• The point values for various questions vary. Questions in which a test taker is required to fill in two blanks or select alternatives from two drop-down menus, for example, are worth two points.
• The number of questions a test-taker will see on test day may differ depending on the form of the test.

Each exam has the following total amount of points available:

•  65 raw points for Language Arts reasoning:
• 49 raw points for mathematical reasoning
• 44 raw points in social studies
• 40 raw points in science

Reading and writing are both included in the RLA section. You’ll get a score between 100 and 200 on each exam. To pass and receive your GED credential, you must score 145 on each exam. The GED exam includes three levels of passing scores. A GED passing score is between 145 and 164. At this level, you will receive your GED. A GED College Ready Score ranges between 165 and 174. This score demonstrates that you are prepared to pursue college courses. It might assist you in gaining admission to college or training programs. A GED College Ready + Credit score ranges between 175 and 200. Based on this result, you may be eligible for up to three free credits per subject area at your college.

Contestants should sign up at the official GED website.

Please keep in mind that the computer-based GED® test is only available at Pearson Vue Test Centers. Except for ged.com, any Internet-based test that claims to be a GED Test is not an actual test. You can use our website to access study materials, take practice tests, and schedule exams.

What Is A Passing Score On The GED?

Each GED subject test is graded on a scale of 100-200 points. You must score at least 145 points on each of the four subjects to pass the GED, for a total score of at least 580 (out of a possible 800). You have to pass each subject test individually, so 580 is only good enough if you get 145 points for each section. If you fail one subject test but do well on another to bring your total to 580, that’s still not a pass.

GED is more than just pass/fail. Actual GED scores are classified into four types of scores, each representing a range of possible scores. The scale below shows the score for each subtest that will give you each designation.

Not Passing: 

This implies that you scored lower than 145 on any one of the four tests. You need to answer at least 60-65% of a section’s questions correctly as a general rule to pass the test. Practice until you are confident that you will be able to pass the exam. If you do not pass, you may reschedule up to twice a year to retake any or all of the tests.

GED Passing Score/High School Equivalency: 

This indicates that you have reached or higher than the minimum score (145 for each test) required to demonstrate high school-level skills and knowledge.

Scores from one test are not transferred to other tests; that is, if you get 190 points on one and 100 on the other, that’s not equivalent to getting 145 points on both. You need to score 145 on each of the four individual tests.

GED College Ready:

This shows that you have scored between 165-175, demonstrating your college readiness. A College Readiness Score can tell a college that you may not need a placement test or correction before starting a college degree program.

GED College Ready + Credit:

Scores at the top range indicate that you already have some of the knowledge and skills that will be taught during your first year of college. At some colleges, this can translate to credit which can allow you to skip certain classes, saving you time and money. Not all colleges accept credits earned through the GED program, so check with the schools that you want to find out.

What Is A Good GED Score? 

If you’re thinking about taking the GED exam, you’re probably wondering how it’s graded. So what is a good GED score? The answer to that depends on what you hope to achieve with your GED diploma. For example, people who plan to go to college later may want to achieve higher grades than those who are just looking for a high school degree. Read on for detailed information about the GED scoring system and what grading might mean for you.

The good news is that you don’t have to take all four at once or even pass all four at once. If you don’t pass all the subject tests the first time, you can retake the ones you failed without having to retake the ones you passed. Your best scores from each attempt will be added together to get your total score to qualify for your GED certificate.

Read more>>> How To Get A GED 

That’s all about How is the GED scored! 

FAQs

Final Words

In conclusion, understanding “How is the GED scored?“ is crucial for anyone preparing to take the test. By familiarizing yourself with the scoring process, you can better gauge your performance and develop effective study strategies. The GED scoring system assesses your knowledge and skills in each subject area, providing you with a comprehensive evaluation of your abilities. Remember that the GED is not a pass-or-fail exam; instead, it measures your readiness for higher education and the workforce. By focusing on key subject areas and utilizing study materials and practice tests, you can improve your chances of achieving a successful score. Ultimately, with dedication, preparation, and a clear understanding of how the GED is scored, you can confidently approach the exam and take a significant step toward your educational and career goals.