GED Test Prep

GED® Testing: How to Register

The GED® Tests can be administered to any person who has lived in New York State for at least thirty (30) days prior to the test date and:

Has not graduated from an accredited high school in the United States or its territories
Has not receieved a high school equivalency certificate or diploma in the United States or its territories
Is not currently enrolled in a regular high school program of instruction leading to a high school diploma
Has not previously earned scores on the GED® Tests sufficient to qualify for a high school equivalency diploma/certificate

To register for the GED® you need to fill out an application and prove your identity with a valid driver’s license or another form of applicable identification. NYSED’s main site provides both downloadable applications and detailed identification policies. You must select two testing dates at least eight weeks in advance. Mail in your application or hand deliver it to a local testing facility.

There are several test sites across the state, also accessible through the NYSED’s site. You will receive an admissions notice with specific test information in the mail shortly after. Bring this notice with you on test day along with your ID. You should bring lots of scratch paper and extra pencils.

GED® Applications

http://www.acces.nysed.gov/ged/app_process.html

GED® Testing Sites and Schedules

http://www.acces.nysed.gov/ged/nys_map/counties.html

For More Information on Registering and Eligibility Requirements, Please Reference:

http://www.acces.nysed.gov/ged/

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/testers/ways-to-take-the-test

http://diplomaguide.com/articles/The_New_York_GED.html

GED® Testing and What is on the Test

The GED® exam consists of 5 sub tests in the following subjects:

Social Studies

The Social Studies content area is made up of 50 multiple choice questions from the following content areas:

History (U.S., 25%*, World, 15%)
Geography (15%)
Civics and Government (25%)
Economics (20%)

Time Allotted: 70 Minutes

Science

The Science content area is made up of 50 multiple choice questions from the following content areas:

Physical Science (physics and chemistry, 35%)
Life Science (45%)
Earth and Space Science (20%)

Time Allotted: 80 Minutes

Language Arts-Reading

The language arts, reading content area is made up of 40 multiple choice questions. Fictional Literature constitutes 75% of each test and includes at least one selection from each of the following areas:

Poetry
Drama
Prose Fiction before 1920
Prose Fiction between 1920 and 1960
Prose Fiction after 1960

Nonfiction constitutes 25% of each test and includes two selections of nonfiction prose from any two of the following areas:

Nonfiction Prose
Visual and performing arts review
Workplace and community documents

Time Allotted: 65 Minutes

Language Arts and Writing

The language arts, writing content area is divided into two parts. The scores are combined and reported as a single score.40 multiple choice questions.

Part 1

The first part contains 50 multiple choice questions from the following content areas:

Organization (15%)
Usage (30%)
Sentence Structure (30%)
Mechanics (25%

Part 2

The second part consists of writing an essay about a familiar subject. You will have 45 minutes to plan, write, and revise your essay. The essay topic will require you to present your opinion or explain your views about the assigned topic. Two trained readers will score your essay on the basis of the following features:

Focused Main Points
Clear Organization
Specific Development of Ideas
Sentence Structure control, punctuation, grammer, word choice and spelling.

Each reader will score your essay on a four point scale, and the scores will be averaged to find your final score. If you earn a final score of less than two on the essay, you must retake the language arts, writing, Part I and II.

Time Allotted: 45 Minutes

Mathematics

The Mathematics content area is made up of 50 questions divided into two parts, and focuses on the following content areas:

Number Operations and number sense (20%-30%)
Measurement and Geometry (20%-30%)
Data Analysis, statistics, and probability (20%-30%)
Algebra, fuctions, and patterns (20%-30%)

Alternate Format Questions

The mathematics content area is 80% multiple choice questions and 20% constructed answers. On the constructed answers, you must write answers on either standard or coordinate plane grids, rather than select from five multiple choice answers. Please review the directions for standard grid and coordinate plane grid.

Note: Part I of the mathematics section is calculator active. Calculators are NOT permitted on Part II. The calculator permitted on the test is the CasioFX-260 and it is distributed at the test center.

Time Allotted: 90 Minutes

For futhur information on test sections, please reference:

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/testers/test-sections

http://www.gedalc.org/pages/GED%20Exam%20Info.htm

GED Testing: Scoring

When your finished taking the test, you will have two scores on each of the five content area tests: standard score and percentile rank.

Standard Score

Ranges from 200 to 800 and compares your performance in a subject to the performance of a graduating high school senior. The average standard score should is 500 for each subject.

Percentile Rank

Ranges from 1 to 99 and indicates the percentage of graduating high school seniors who earned scores at or below your test score. A percentile rank of 54 means that 54% of graduating high school seniors earned your score or lower.

In order to pass the GED® exam in New York State, examinees must obtain a minimum score of 410 on each of the five sub tests, and an overall total of 2250 on the exam. In order to do that, a candidate must average 450 on each of the sub tests. Scoring of the GED® is based on a total possible score of 800. In general, if you answer 60% of the questions on each test correctly, you will recieve a passing score on the test.

Retaking the GED®

You can retake a sub-test a total of three times a year. Your scores on the subjects you did pass will be saved, and then combined with the scores you receive when you test again.

For more information on scoring, please reference: