The GED test must be taken at one of the American Council on Education's official testing centers. Currently, it is not possible to take the GED exam online or at home. The ACE has over 3,400 approved testing locations throughout the world.
There are five sections in the GED test battery. These subjects are Language Arts--Reading; Language Arts--Writing; Mathematics; Science; and Social Studies. The entire exam takes about seven hours to complete. The specific testing schedule will depend on the individual center where the test is administered. The GED exam may be taken over the course of more than one day.
Most people will find it beneficial to take a practice test before attempting to complete the official GED exam. A number of websites offer GED practice tests for free. The results of the practice test give a person a better understanding of his readiness to take the actual exam. If he is not ready, he should take GED preparation classes at his local adult education center or online.
Test-takers must earn a score of at least 410 on each of the individual test subjects as well as a minimum total score of 2250 for the entire exam battery. If a person fails any portion of the GED exam, he can retake that portion of the test at another scheduled time. Any section of the test an individual has already passed will not have to be taken again in order to obtain the GED.