Are you searching for a way to get into university without a high school degree? Are you wondering what the GED test is? Or are you wondering if you should take a GED test?
For anyone who didn’t complete their high school properly or didn’t have enough grades, GED can be a blessing. Many universities worldwide and in the UK accept GED scores on behalf of a high school diploma or degree. As a result, students can still pursue their higher education.
Do you want to know more about GED tests? It is exactly the place where you can learn all about GED, the requirement, process and career goals. Earning a GED can be life-saving and help you to pursue an undergraduate degree. This article will help you through the whole process of the GED test from scratch so that you can prepare for it without any tension.
Table of Contents
What is the GED test?
The GED stands for General Educational Development Test. It is a computer-based test that examines your high school-level knowledge and skills. There are four main subjects of the tests. These are:
1. Reasoning Through Language Arts
2. Mathematical Reasoning
3. Science
4. Social Studies
Upon graduating from high school or attending A level examination in preferable subjects, we receive diploma or certificates. It states what courses you have taken during your high school years and how well you did on them. This certificate or diploma is essential for applying to universities.
However, many of us cannot complete our high school diploma for specific reasons. Luckily, those who couldn’t complete their high school degree still have a chance to apply to certain universities by taking a GED test.
The GED credential helps get jobs even around the world alongside applying for undergrad or colleges.
GED Insight
The GED test was introduced with the belief that every person deserves equal chances to establish their life. So the test came around in the year 1942, right after the Second World war. And it was meant to help the soldiers who came back from the world and only had experience on the battlefield. Many of the soldiers were uneducated and lacked ordinary life skills.
As a result, the test helped soldiers in those days and till now for people who were unable to complete their high school. The GED test helps the pupil to get the necessary grades and also advance in their education and career.
Each year, many students across the US take the GED test as an alternative to a High school diploma. The test is also a substitute for the HiSET and TASC tests. The GED test is also famous in 90 countries now around the world. Many universities in the UK are also accepting GED now. Moreover, international students can also apply to the US and get acceptance with a GED certificate.
What are the Benefits of GED?
The universities and career industries look at our latest educational level along with the skillset and experience. If you haven’t earned a high school degree, a GED can save you. For a better career or a higher degree, the GED is accepted by practically all institutions, businesses, and institutions. Therefore, passing the GED exam will improve your job prospects in the future. When you pass the GED test, you will receive a state high school credential and confirmation that you have completed high school.
Therefore, if you dream of getting a good or higher degree, GED can help you as many places in the UK accept it now. If you haven’t completed high school, passing a GED is a vital professional milestone since it shows companies that you have the same level of education as a high school graduate. You can also use your GED to continue your education by applying to colleges and getting accepted. With high enough GED scores, many UK universities are taking GED credentials.
When you complete your GED, it will help you boost your confidence and give you a sense of accomplishment. You won’t feel you have fallen behind on your education or lack skills.
Moreover, you are not alone in this. There are around 20 million GED graduates around the globe progressing in their careers after taking this test. The GED exam has a reduced unemployment rate, increased 60% college entrance rate, and a 97% acceptance rate by employers and higher education institutions.
Furthermore, you can take the GED exam any time of the year and can expect the result within a day or two.
GED can Give you an Upper Hand
Although there is employment accessible for non-high school graduates, acquiring a degree or equivalent GED can qualify you for more career options than a person who does not have a diploma. In addition, high school grads have a better probability than non-graduates when applying for the same job. Earning a GED will almost certainly result in a large rise in salary and a more upward career path in the long run.
Likewise, while some college programs do not require students to have a high school diploma or GED, having one will allow you to pursue a broader range of educational opportunities. Most colleges with non-diploma programs administer their own assessments to examine students’ skills and intellectual ability.
When students have a high school diploma from an unaccredited high school or have been home-schooled, they may choose to take the examination. These individuals are more likely to be accepted by colleges and jobs if they have an official GED credential.
What are The Requirements for the GED Test?
In order to apply for the GED test, you need to be eligible with some criteria. These criteria are not so complicated, and you can easily fill them up. Firstly, the GED test takes place through a computer system, and you have to complete four subjects. The examinees need to score from 100-200 in each subject. The passing score is 145 in every four subjects. Apart from this, here are the requirements that you need
- The age to apply for a GED test varies in different countries, and it starts from 16 to 18 years old or above that. Check your countries GED age requirement.
- You cannot be enrolled in any high school if you want to apply for GED
- You cannot be a high school graduate.
- Applicant should meet jurisdictional residency, age, and time since high school graduation requirements.
- The applicant has to provide a valid form of ID, such as a current driving licence, state-issued ID, military ID or passport.
- If a student fails the exam for the third time, they must wait about 60 days before taking the exam again. Furthermore, no one is allowed to take part in the test more than three times a year.
What is the Process of the GED Test?
GED registrations are done online, and you can do so on the official GED website. Your country determines your eligibility to take the GED test. You have to give information such as which subject you want to give the test for and when you want to give the test. And then you will be asked to pay the specified sum. If you like, you can pay for each section separately or for the complete test at once. First, you have to fulfil the requirements GED test before you can start preparing for the test. You can follow the following steps.
Step 1: Prepare for the Course
You have to start preparing for your GED at least 4 months before you take the test. Many places country’s GED test systems look at the hours of preparation the student took. There are a lot of resources available to help the students prepare for their GED.
You can take your GED preparation online with John Academy. The GED Test System course can help you with all kind of GED preparation you need. You will get all the comprehensive information about the GED test and subject details, and you can also appear for the mock test. Furthermore, you will get to learn from the tutorial of videos/materials from the industry-leading experts.
You can also get lots of study materials and tip from the GED official site, which will help you get ready for the tests in no time. There are plenty of books available to prepare you for your GED.
Step 2: Online Registration
In order to take the GED examination, you have to do registration online on the GED website. You need to go to the website, sign up and create an account for yourself by including your personal information. After creating an account, you can sign in, choose the subjects you want to take, and select the nearest testing centre in your area.
Step 3: Taking the GED Test
To complete all four subjects of the GED test takes around 7.5 hours. According to the current system, you can sit for as many subjects as you want in a day. You can sit for one test subject at a time or four subjects in a day. It is up to you how many tests you want to tackle in a day. The language arts test takes the highest time, 150 minutes, then the mathematics test with 115 minutes, followed by science and social studies, which can take 90 minutes and 70 minutes respectively.
Essentially, GED examination gives special kind of accommodations for students with handicaps, vision impairment and specific learning disabilities. You can find more details on this on the GED website, and you can request them to include extra time, paper-based tests and specialised screen-reading software.
Step 4: Get Your Scores
In order to successfully complete your GED test, you need to at least score around 150 in each of the four subjects. Students who earn 170 or higher gets an honour designation on their GED certificate. You can get the test results within 3 – 24 hours after your exam. When you pass the test, you can use the result to go further in your education and career.
However, if you fail any subject test, you can retake that subject. You do not have to retake all the subject in this case. You can just appear for the exam that you failed. There are discounts available upon retake in many countries. Your country policy will determine the time you need to wait before you sit for the exam again. The GED test service itself makes it compulsory to wait 60 days before you retake the test for the third time.
What can You Expect in the GED Test?
The GED test closely resembles the curriculum offered in typical high school courses. It also aims to prepare the student for a real-world academic experience found in university settings and beyond. Every question you come across will be relevant to either education or the workplace. To prepare for the exam, make sure you go over a lot of GED sample test questions. You can also take a free sample test directly on the GED website.
You won’t be able to get your GED until you pass all of the four subjects. Rather than taking the entire test at once, most people take each section separately. In this way, the examination is less stressful.
In each of the subject, you’ll find at least one sort of question out of several varieties available. For example, you can definitely expect to get one of the following:
1. Fill-in-the-blank,
2. Multiple-choice,
3. Hot spot,
4. Drag-and-drop, and
5. Short answer.
On the day of your exam, you will get materials, including a personal whiteboard for notes and scratch work. Cell phones, as well as any of your other things other than basic test-taking materials, are not permitted in the testing room. There should be some available storage space, but it will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
Moreover, students who arrive more than 15 minutes late to the testing location risk not taking the test and will not be refunded their test fees. You should be conscious of your test’s time and place and arrive as early as possible. To allow for check-in processes, arrive half an hour before your scheduled testing time.
GED Test System
This practical training course is designed to equip you with the knowledge to pass your high school equivalency diploma by providing a complete overview of the GED Test System.
GED Test System
This practical training course is designed to equip you with the knowledge to pass your high school equivalency diploma by providing a complete overview of the GED Test System.
What are the GED Subjects and Scores?
You have already come to know the subjects you need to pass to get the GED certificate. However, once again, let’s recall the subjects which are Reasoning Through Language Arts, Mathematical Reasoning, Science and Social Studies.
Passing the GED means you have to score 145 out of 200 in each of the individual subjects. If you do not get the minimum score for any one of the subject or more, you can retake the subject. You can again appear for the exam, the one that you failed. You do not need to retake the one that you passed in this case. iN The final score, the students get categorised into one of the three categories.
- 145-164 score: This is a satisfactory score that shows the student has demonstrated high-school level knowledge and capabilities.
- 165-174 score: This indicates that the student is college-ready and does not require any extra preparation before enrolling in a college program.
- 175-200 score: This results in the student having similar knowledge and skills as a student in the first year of college. Some schools offer credits to those with a GED of more than 175. You can also skip certain courses.
Now that we have understood the importance of the scores let’s look at the individual course.
Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) Test
The reasoning through language arts is a 150 minutes exam which also includes 10 minutes break. This test divides into two sections: writing and reading. The test includes multiple-choice questions, drop-down, and a variety of technology-enhanced items. Here are all the things that the RLA test comprises according to the GED official guideline:
- Passages are 75% informational and 25% literary
- The passages are from 400 to 900 words long. They might differ in difficulty, including text at the college and career readiness level
- Vocabulary concentrates on words that often occur in a wide range of disciplines.
The test helps assess the potential of a student to:
- Read properly, write clearly, edit and understand written English.
- Comprehend, interpret and answer text-based questions.
- To support an argument, by using evidence.
- Comprehension of basic English skills at a college or job level.
Mathematical Reasoning Test
The GED maths section also divides into two parts: algebra and mathematical quantities. It is 115 minutes long. Furthermore, your ability to reason is essential in this test. The questions will not go beyond basic mathematical principles, as this is what current institutions look for in incoming students. But you are expected to know the fundamentals completely. Here is what the test consists of:
- Algebra covers 55% of the test, and quantitative problem-solving covers 45%.
- You are not to use the calculator in the first section
- Students can use a TI-30XS calculator or the built-in virtual calculator for the remaining questions.
- Includes multiple-choice, drop-down, and a variety of technology-enhanced
- Includes multiple-choice, drop-down, and a variety of technology-enhanced
- A calculator guide and a maths formula sheet are provided in the testing centre and on the computer screen.
Science Test
The science test takes 90 minutes and doesn’t have any break. The science section of the GED exam is designed to assess your understanding of scientific ideas. Each question on this section of the examination relates to one of three scientific disciplines: Earth and space science, physics, and biology. Here is more about the science test:
- It includes multiple-choice, drop-down, and a variety of technology-enhanced items.
- Here also students may use a TI-30XS calculator or the built-in virtual calculator. International students have to use the virtual calculator.
The test measures the student’s scientific reasoning skills in three areas
- Reading and writing in science (30%)
- Science concepts (40%)
- Mathematical reasoning in science (30%)
These skills apply to real-world situations in the context of the three science content topics.
Social Studies Test
The social studies test takes 70 minutes and includes 50 questions. The GED social studies test assesses your ability to understand basic social studies concepts and your ability to utilise them in the real world.
Moreover, each question is dedicated to one of four topics: economics, civics, geography, or history. Economic topics account for 15% of the text, civics for 50%, geography for 15%, and history for 20%. In addition to the many types of questions, you may have to justify several of your responses using reading passages provided to you.
- The test includes multiple-choice, drop-down, and a variety of technology-enhanced items.
- Students need to use the TI-30XS calculator or the built-in virtual calculator.
The Social Studies test measures the student’s reasoning skills in three areas:
- Reading and writing in Social Studies (33%)
- Social Studies concepts (33%)
- Mathematical reasoning in Social Studies (33%)
What are The Career Opportunities for GED Students?
First of all, GED is equivalent to a high school diploma. So you definitely can advance your education in many subjects from university and community college. These will automatically open for you a wide range of career path. Furthermore, you can apply for different jobs with your GED diploma. You can get excess to a variety of career options. If you have other skills to put on your resume, the GED certification will be your plus point.
Your Career Choice
Here are some major career paths that you can choose with GED. You can apply for an entry-level position for many of the jobs and work hard to go up the career ladder.
1. Administrative Office Support:
Administrative assistants or secretaries, bill collectors, customer service representatives, financial clerks information clerks, and receptionists.
2. Arts:
Creative artist can pursue work on crafts, fine art, or floral design.
3. Healthcare and Personal Care:
Childcare worker, Nurse or healthcare assistant, Aide in home health, occupational or physical therapy, personal care, or psychiatric settings
4. Legal:
You can also work in the legal industry with a GED, just like a title abstractor, title examiner or title searcher.
5. Management:
There is a good deal of management option available for you with GED. Like, food service, agriculture or ranching, real estate, property management or lodging
6. Building and Grounds Cleaning:
You can choose jobs like grounds maintenance, cleaning and janitorial roles, and pest control.
7. Community and Social Services:
Community health worker, social service assistant and Counsellor (in some areas)
8. Construction, Installation, and Repair:
There many options available in these lines such as carpenter, ironworker, woodworker, machinist, masonry worker and electrician and so on
9. Food Service and Preparation:
You can easily get jobs like bartender, baker, Cook, food prep worker or waiter.
10. Protection:
You can apply for Bailiff, correctional officer, private detective, security guard, surveillance officer, a police officer (in some locations)
11. Sales:
GED can get you a position as an insurance salesperson, manufacturing or wholesale salesperson, retail sales representative, or cashier.
12. Transportation:
Aircraft cargo handling supervisor, bus driver, delivery truck driver, taxi driver, Chauffeur, Marine oiler or sailor.
Are you Ready for GED?
Here you go, you know some good details about giving GED by now. For those who thought their future education is halted because of an incomplete high school degree. You do not have to despair anymore. Giving a GED exam can help you build a career and take advanced education in many parts of the world. Please don’t forget to grab a look at our GED Test System course. It can have a huge impact on your GED success journey.
GED Test System
This practical training course is designed to equip you with the knowledge to pass your high school equivalency diploma by providing a complete overview of the GED Test System.
GED Test System
This practical training course is designed to equip you with the knowledge to pass your high school equivalency diploma by providing a complete overview of the GED Test System.
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