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Whats the latest exam pattern of the GED Examination?

Certification: Test Prep GED - General Education Development

The American Council on Education coined the term GED that stands for General Educational Development. Sometimes, people wrongly refer to GED as General Educational Diploma or the General equivalent Diploma. GED is the process of earning the equivalent of your high school diploma. When applying for a job without high school credential, you may realize that you may not get hired, and if hired you get paid at a lower rate than a person who has high school credentials.

The latest exam pattern of the GED examination covers five major areas in mathematics, science, reading, social studies and writing. It requires seven hours to complete the test.

The Social Studies Section of GED Test

The test consists of 50 multiple-choice questions, which test one's knowledge in the area of geography, history, civic and government, and economics. GED social studies examination is always 70 minutes long for an individual to complete answering all the 50 multiple-choice questions. Content of the test includes:

  • 15 percent geography
  • 15 percent world
  • 20 percent Economics
  • 25 percent United State (or Canada) History and
  • 25 percent civics and government

Since GED exams are available in Canada also, Canadian Version Social Studies Test also exists. For both United State and the Canadians uses the same version in relation to the world History, Economics and Geography but for Canadian it includes Canadian specific government, history and civics questions.  To be up to date on the political issues, you should not memorize dozens of political speeches; this helps you during the examination as you will access reading material relating to the test, and you should think critically about the text and answer test questions.

The New GED Test Science

The GED Science exam assesses your knowledge of physical science, life science, and Earth and space science. Questions are just similar to those asked from science learned in grades nine through 12, where 60 percent of those science questions designed to measure your understanding, concepts, vocabulary associated with physical science, principles, life science, and also the Earth and space science. The GED science exam is 80 minutes long, and it contains 50 multiple-choice questions coming from the following areas:

  • 20 percent is on Earth and Space Science
  • 35 percent on Physical Science (physics and chemistry) and
  • 45 percent is on Life Science

New GED Science Examinations includes those questions based on science related passages, tables, charts, graphs and diagrams. You are likely to find that more than half of the test includes visuals, which means that you will have to spend more of your time studying a chart or graphs when reading.

New GED Test Reading

New GED Test Reading is all on GED Language Arts Reading content, and it contains 40 multiple-choice questions. Where Fictional literature comprises the 75 percent of the test and includes at least one section from the following areas:

  • Drama
  • Poetry
  • Prose fiction between year 1920 and 1960
  • Prose fiction before 1920 and
  • Prose fiction after the year 1960

In addition, nonfiction sections which comprise of 25 percent of the test, which will include two selections of nonfiction prose from any two of the following areas:

  • Workplace and community document
  • Nonfiction prose and
  • Visual and performing arts reviews

Before you get to read each passage, you will always see “purpose question” –a question designed to focus your attention to a specific purpose so that you will be prepared to answer the questions at the end of the passage. Each passage will feature a beginning, middle, and end since GED test takers all ages from different backgrounds, so as to allow all walks of life be in a position to relate and understand the passage chosen. There will be 4 to eight questions per given passage.

With the GED Language Arts Reading Test, four different things are examinable. These are:

  • Comprehension – Under these, you are supposed to be in a position to identify basic meaning and purpose in the passage.
  • Synthesis –where you are to use information from the passage and make points about the overall tone, point of view or purpose.
  • Application –tests whether you can take concepts from passage and use them in a different context.
  • Analysis- can you break down specific part of the passage, draw conclusions and make other observations.

New GED Test Math

The GED Math Test consists of two parts, which assess your ability in solving mathematical problems and interpreting tables, charts and graphs. Test is 90 minutes long each part taking 45 minutes and features 80 percent multiple-choice questions and 20 percent constructed answers.

Breakdown of GED Math Test

  • 20-30 account for algebra patterns and functions.
  • 20 -30 account for data analysis, probability, and statistics.
  • 20 -30 percent account for measurement and geometry.
  • 20 -30 percent Number operations and number sense.

New GED Test Writing

The test is a GED Language Arts where writing test consists of two parts though the scores add up so that you will receive a single score.

PART I

Part one gives you a chance to demonstrate your ability to revise and edit grammar, spelling and other mechanical errors.  It is 75 minutes long and contains 50 multiple choice questions from each of the following areas:

  • Mechanics accounts for 25 percent
  • Organization accounts for 15 percent
  • Usage accounts for 30 percent and
  • Sentence structure accounts for 30 percent as well.

PART II

Part 11 consists of writing an essay within 45 minutes. The essay topic requires you to present your opinion or explain your views about assigned topic and two readers will score your essay on the following basis:

  • Clear organization
  • Focused main points
  • Sentence structure control, grammar, punctuation, word choice and spelling and also
  • Specific development of ideas