If you left high school without graduating, the GED Tests
provide a way for you to earn your GED high school diploma.
Getting your GED Diploma can make a big difference in your
life. Read this Information Bulletin and learn:
* What is covered on the GED Tests
* How to prepare for the GED Tests
* Where to get help
READ ON!
WHAT IS THE GED TESTING PROGRAM?
The GED testing program offers you an opportunity to earn
a GED high school diploma. Many people who did not finish high
school have knowledge and skills comparable to people who did
graduate. This idea is the basis of the GED testing program.
The GED Tests ask questions about subjects covered in high
school. The GED Tests are given in all 50 states, the District
of Columbia, the U.S. territories, most Canadian provinces, and
the Canadian territories. Each year, about one-half million
people earn their GED Diplomas.
The GED Tests are available in English, Spanish, and
French. Special large-print, audiocassette, and braille
editions of the GED Tests are also available, and adaptations
to testing conditions are permitted for adults with
disabilities.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A GED DIPLOMA?
Education
The GED program provides an opportunity for adults to
continue their education. Ninety-three percent of colleges and
universities accept GED graduates who meet their other
qualifications for admission.
Employment
A GED Diploma documents that you have high school-level
skills. Approximately 96 percent of employers accept the GED
Diploma as equivalent to a traditional high school diploma.
Self-Esteem
Many GED graduates say they have feelings of increased
self-esteem and self-confidence.
Once you earn your GED Diploma, it’s up to you to pursue
the individual goals you set for yourself.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO TAKE THE GED TESTS?
If you left high school without graduating and your high
school class has graduated, you are probably eligible to take
the GED Tests. Contact your nearest GED Testing Center or the
department of education in your state, territory, or province
for specific eligibility requirements. Information on where to
call is given on pages 15 and 16 of this Bulletin.
HOW CAN I DECIDE IF I AM READY TO TAKE THE GED TESTS?
It’s a good idea to take the Official GED Practice Tests
before taking the actual GED Tests. Comparing your Practice
Test scores with the minimum scores required in your area will
help you decide whether you are ready to take the full-length
GED Tests. If your scores are high, you have a good chance of
passing the GED Tests. If your Practice Test scores are low,
you will probably need further study in one or more subject
areas. The Official GED Practice Tests are available through
your local adult education program. You can also purchase the
Practice Tests yourself by ordering Form CC of the Official GED
Practice Tests. See order information on the back page of this
Bulletin.
HOW CAN I PREPARE FOR THE GED TESTS?
By Attending Classes…
If you need help deciding whether you’re ready to take the
GED Tests or if you want help preparing for the tests, contact
an adult education program in your community. Many programs
that are sponsored by local school districts, colleges, and
community organizations provide GED classes. The teachers at
these adult education programs can help you decide whether you
need to study for all of the tests, or whether you should spend
time brushing up in just a few areas.
To get information regarding a program in your area,
contact your local high school, adult education program, or
community college. Look in the yellow pages of your local
telephone directory under the heading “Schools.” Check the
listings for the high schools and community colleges in your
area.
Programs offered by schools and colleges may be listed
under the heading “Adult Education,” “Continuing Education,” or
“GED.” You can also call the general number listed for high
schools, colleges, or your board of education and ask for
information about GED classes.
If you cannot locate an adult education program in your
area, call the number listed for your state, province, or
territory on pages 15 and 16 of this Bulletin.
By Yourself…
After reading this Bulletin and possibly taking the
Official GED Practice Tests, you may decide that you want to
study on your own before you take the actual GED Tests. If you
can’t answer some questions in this Bulletin or on the Official
GED Practice Tests correctly because you have not studied these
subjects in a long time, you may be able to improve your skills
by studying on your own. In fact, about 20% of all GED
test-takers prepare for the GED Tests in this way. Many study
materials that are available through libraries, adult education
centers, schools, colleges, and book stores may help you
improve your skills. There is also a television series called
“GED on TV” on The Learning Channel and many public television
stations throughout the country. To find out what channel in
your area carries the “GED on TV” series, call 1-800-354-9067.
You may also call The Learning Line at 1-800-232-2775 to find
out about self-study materials that you may purchase.
WHERE CAN I TAKE THE GED TESTS?
You can take the GED Tests at one of more than 3,000
Official GED Testing Centers in the United States and Canada.
There is probably an Official GED Testing Center not far from
your home. Call your nearest adult education program and ask
for the location and schedule of the testing center near you.
Or contact your state, territorial, or provincial department of
education and ask for the location and schedule of the closest
Official GED Testing Center (see pages 15 and 16 of this
Bulletin).
WHAT ARE THE GED TESTS LIKE?
The GED Tests measure important knowledge and skills
expected of high school graduates. The five GED Tests are:
* Writing Skills
* Social Studies
* Science
* Interpreting Literature and the Arts
* Mathematics
These tests contain multiple-choice questions that test
your ability to understand and use information or ideas. In
many cases, you are asked to use the information provided to
solve a problem, find causes and effects, or make a judgment.
Very few questions ask about narrow definitions or specific
facts. Instead, the focus of questions is on the major and
lasting skills and knowledge expected of high school graduates.
In addition to the multiple-choice questions, the Writing
Skills Test includes an essay section. In this section, you are
given 45 minutes to write an essay on the topic given. The
topics are designed to be very general, so everyone can think
of something to write. More information about the essay is
given later in this Bulletin.
The multiple-choice questions on the five GED Tests are
presented in one of three ways:
* Accompanied by a reading selection that may be as brief as
one or two sentences or as long as 400 words
* Accompanied by a table, graph, chart, or illustration
* Stated as a problem to be solved (this type is most often
used in the Mathematics Test)
Because most material presented in the GED Tests requires
the ability to understand written text, the skill of reading
comprehension is very important.
WHAT SUBJECTS ARE ON THE GED TESTS?
The next section of this Bulletin shows sample questions
from each of the GED Tests, along with explanations of the
correct answers. Read the sample questions to become familiar
with the type of material you will find on the GED Tests.
Do not be discouraged if you feel that the questions are
too hard. Most people who have been out of high school for some
time need to prepare for the GED Tests before taking them.
Adult education programs in your community are specially
designed to help you improve your skills so that you can
succeed on the GED Tests.
TEST ONE: WRITING SKILLS
The GED Writing Skills Test has two parts. Part One
contains multiple-choice questions that require you to correct
or revise sentences that appear in a writing selection. Part
Two asks you to write an essay about a subject or an issue that
is familiar.
Test One, Part One: Multiple-Choice Questions
This section of the Writing Skills Test contains
paragraphs with numbered sentences followed by questions based
on those sentences. Each writing selection contains about 10 to
14 numbered sentences in one or more paragraphs.
Questions in this section cover sentence structure, usage,
and mechanics. You will be asked to identify and correct errors
that occur in sentences throughout the selection.
Directions and Sample Questions for Writing Skills, Part One
Directions: Choose the one best answer to each item.
Items 1 to 3 refer to the following paragraph.
(1) One of the lifelong memories many of us share are the
moment we obtained a driver’s license. (2) If we were teenagers
at the time, these licenses signified our passage to adulthood.
(3) We clearly remember practicing to handle a car well in heavy
traffic and learning to parallel park. (4) We also prepared for
the test by studying the driver’s booklet, memorizing rules, and
learning road signs. (5) Because we dreaded possible disaster,
the road test seemed worse than the written test. (6) While
conducting these difficult tests, the state driving inspectors
often seemed stern and unyielding. (7) Therefore, when all the
tests were finally over, we felt a real sense of achievement.
(8)Whether or not we have chosen to use our licenses since then,
they remain of enormous value to us. (9) They symbolize our
passport both to independence and to the open road.
1. Sentence 1: One of the lifelong memories many of us share
are the moment we obtained a driver’s license.
What correction should be made to this sentence?
(1) change the spelling of memories to memorys
(2) insert a comma after memories
(3) change are to is
(4) change driver’s to drivers
(5) no correction is necessary
Correct Answer: 3
Difficulty Level: Moderately difficult
About half of the questions in this section of the test
ask you to find and correct any errors in the sentence. Because
the subject of this sentence is One (not memorieS), the main
verb in the sentence, (are) must agree in number. Thus, the
correct answer is (3) “change are to is.” Options 1, 2, and 4
introduce errors into the sentence, so none of these is the
best answer. Notice that this item type has an alternative (5)
“no correction is necessary.” Choose this alternative when
there is no error.
2. Sentence 3: We clearly-remember practicing to handle a car
well in heavy traffic and learning to parallel park.
Which of the following is the best way to write the
underlined portion of this sentence? If you think the
original is the best way, choose option (1).
(1) traffic and learning
(2) traffic, but learning
(3) traffic, for learning
(4) traffic, so learning
(5) traffic because learning
Correct Answer: 1
Difficulty Level: Moderately difficult
This question asks you to select the best word to join the
two parts of the sentence. The best answer can be found by
determining which word makes the most sense. Only the word and
produces a sentence in which the meaning is clear: the two
things we remember are practicing to handle a car well and
learning to parallel park. Since the relationship between the
two parts of the sentence is one of addition, and is the best
choice. Note that in this question, the original wording is the
best of the choices given.
3. Sentence 7: Therefore, when all the tests were finally
over, we felt a real sense of achievement.
If you rewrote sentence 7 beginning with
Therefore, we felt a real sense of achievement
the next word should be
(1) or
(2) all
(3) when
(4) while
(5) but
Correct Answer: 3
Difficulty Level: Easy
Questions like this one require you to restate the
original sentence in a particular way, often using a different
type of sentence structure. The important point to remember
here is that the new version must retain the meaning of the
original sentence. In the case of question 3, the position of
the two parts in the sentence is switched. Only the word “when”
keeps the same meaning. Every other choice creates either a
nonsense sentence or one in which the meaning is different from
the original. In these types of questions, it is always useful
to try out each of the alternatives in the new structure. By
reading through the entire revised sentence, you will be better
able to see the effect of each of the options on the meaning of
the sentence.
Test One, Part Two: The Essay
This part of the Writing Skills Test measures your ability
to write an essay about an issue or situation of general
interest. No special or technical knowledge is required to
write on any of the topics. All of the topics used for this
part of the test require you to write an essay that presents
your opinion or explains your views about the topic assigned.
How the Essay Section Is Scored
All essays written for the GED Writing Skills Test are
scored by at least two trained readers who score the essays on
their overall effectiveness. They will judge how clearly you
make the main point of your composition, how thoroughly you
support your ideas, and how clearly and correctly you write.
That is, all of the elements that make up a piece of writing
are taken into consideration. The readers do not count every
spelling and grammar mistake, but a paper with many errors may
not receive a good score.
Essays must be written “on topic” to receive a score. Pay
attention to the topic and to the questions you are asked to
answer about the topic. Plan your essay carefully, and allow
yourself time to read it and make corrections.
After the readers have scored your paper, their combined
score is the total essay score that, together with the score
for the multiple-choice section, is the Writing Skills Test
composite score.
Sample Topic for the Writing Skills Test, Part Two
It always strikes me as a terrible shame to see young
people spending so much of their time staring at television. If
we unplugged all the television sets, our children would grow
up to be healthier, better educated, and more independent human
beings.
Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Write a
composition of about 200 words presenting your opinion and
supporting it with examples from your own experience or your
observations of others.
Description and Sample of Essay
The following paper would receive a rating of 3 (highest
score is 6) based on the scoring guide. This typical paper has
a single purpose or point to make. The supporting ideas are
presented in clear sentences so that the reader understands
what the writer wants to say. The paper would have been
stronger if the writer had given the names of specific
television programs that are informational or entertaining. The
occasional mistakes in the conventions of standard written
English do not interfere with the reader’s being able to
understand what is written. These mistakes would have been
corrected by a stronger writer.
Sample Essay
The question of whether or not television is a positive or
negative factor in grow of our children, can have its points
both ways. But I feel that the argument, that all the
televisions sets should be unplugged, so that our children will
grow up to be healthier, better educated, and more independent
human beings, is ridiculous there are many informative, and
educational and fun things to watch on television.
Television offers educational stations, which have very
informative shows and programs, people can learn many things
from some of the programs on television. The television is also
used to translate news and other information to people, without
the news you would not know about the world around you,
politics, big events, weather etc. Even the movies and comedies
provide entertainment and relaxation, and what better place
than in your own home. I agree that some of the television
today is none of the above, but the responsibility of what you
watch is all up to you. Our children can grow up with
television, but adults should help them learn how to choose
shows that are going to be good. Television can be a very
instrumental thing, it can provide fun and entertainment and
also educational shows, that promote learning.
While the person scoring your essay does not count
mistakes, these mistakes do influence the reader’s overall
impression of the writing. For this reason, some of the errors
in the sample essay are identified below for you.
The first sentence of the essay is not clear because of
the use of grow for growth. The first sentence of any essay is
the most important one because it states what the rest of the
paper will say. This sentence should be very clear. In the
second sentence, there is no reason or rule for the commas
after “unplugged” and “beings.” If you don’t know a rule for
the comma, leave it out. Also in the second sentence, the use
of “fun things” is too casual or colloquial compared to the
rest of the words in the essay. Colloquial expressions may be
misunderstood by a reader, so don’t use them. The next sentence
which starts with “Television offers” is actually two sentences
or complete ideas joined together by the comma after
“programs.” This mistake shows that the writer is not sure
about what a sentence really is. Then are other mistakes like
these in the rest of the essay.
Everyone makes mistakes when they write quickly. Good
writers take the time to go over what is written and correct
mistakes. Your writing will show your best skills if you take
the time to plan what you say and review it to make any needed
corrections.
If you take the Official GED Practice Tests on your own,
we recommend that you ask an adult education teacher to help
you score your essay. The self-scoring answer sheet for Form CC
of the Official GED Practice Tests has an essay scoring guide.
See order information on the back page of this Bulletin.
TEST TWO: SOCIAL STUDIES
The GED Social Studies Test contains multiple-choice
questions drawn from the following content areas.
* History
* Economics
* Political Science
* Geography
* Behavioral Sciences
anthropology
psychology
sociology
(Note that there are different U.S. and Canadian versions
of the GED Social Studies Test.)
Most of the questions in the Social Studies Test refer to
information provided. The information may be a paragraph, or it
may be a chart, table, graph, map, cartoon, or figure. In every
case, to answer the questions in the Social Studies Test, you
must understand, use, analyze, or evaluate the information
provided.
Directions and Sample Questions for Social Studies
Directions: Choose the one best answer to each item.
Items 1 and 2 refer to the following information.
Five amendments to the U.S. Constitution directly affect
voting qualifications.
The Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870, prohibited
states from using race or color as standards for determining
the right to vote.
The Nineteenth Amendment, ratified in 1920, prohibited the
states from using gender as a voting qualification.
The Twenty-Third Amendment, ratified in 1961, granted the
residents of Washington, D.C., a voice in the selection of the
President and Vice President.
The Twenty-Fourth Amendment, ratified in 1964, outlawed
the state poll tax as a requirement for voting in national
elections.
The Twenty-Sixth Amendment, ratified in 1971, prohibited
states from denying the vote to anyone 18 years old or over.
Wake Technical Community College offer Ged preparation services Individualized Learning Center
Garner NC Online Classifieds Ads And Free Business Directory