Life can be hard if you don’t have a high school diploma. One of those difficulties is not being able to find a good paying job or not being able to further your education to get one.
Fortunately, you can earn the equivalent of a diploma by taking and passing a set of tests called the General Educational Development (GED). If you’ve been out of school for a while, don’t have a high school diploma, and want to pursue vocational training, it’s important to take and pass the GED.
What to Expect on the GED
The GED consists of four sections: Reasoning through Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies and will take a day to complete. Question types range from multiple choice to short answers to long-form responses. 1
1. Use Free Resources – classes and practice tests
Doing an online search can connect you to free resources for GED prep classes and practice tests through libraries, community colleges, the state education department and online resources. Check with local city, county and state sites.
2. Identify and Work on Weak Areas
You have to show a broad range of skills for the GED. The test covers Reasoning Through Language Arts, Mathematical Reasoning, Science, and Social Studies. Taking a practice test will help identify areas you need to concentrate your test preparation time. 2
3. Understand the Math Formulas
You will be given a sheet of formulas that you can use on a specified section of the math portion of the test. While you won’t have to memorize the formulas, you do have to remember how to use them. Having familiarity will great improve your chances of passing this section. Review these subjects and the corresponding formulas you’ll need to solve these problems. 3 Practice the problems from this section with your formula sheet.
4. Ability to Analyze Content
All sections of the GED test your ability to analyze content. Reasoning Through Language Arts section, your ability to draw inferences about the author’s arguments and the types of evidence he or she supplies. Practice reading editorials in the newspapers to pick out the arguments and evidence. 4 This could help you with the Reasoning Through Language Arts section, as well as questions with extended written responses.
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You Can Pass the GED!
Preparing for the GED can be challenging, and you should take advantages of the available resources and adopt a positive attitude and dedicating the time to study, Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Consider this an important step towards the career and life you want, and stick with it. Remember, passing the GED is a huge milestone worth working towards, and can greatly improve your opportunities in vocational school and beyond. Good luck!
Additional Sources
1 – https://ged.com/about-the-test
2 – https://ged.com/about-the-test
3 – http://www.gedtestingservice.com/uploads/files/e4ef18cbb577b185107bb4847c193573.pdf
4 – http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/ged-test-prep-tips-for-reasoning-through-language-.html
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