The GED is made up of five subjects: reading, writing, social studies, science and mathematics. The subjects cover the spectrum of a high school education. Students are expected to demonstrate how use information and ideas in a concrete situation, analyze, synthesize and evaluate information. The tests are taken at an official GED testing center and are scored between 200 and 800. To receive a diploma, a student must average 450 on each test.
There are a variety of prep courses for those taking the GED. The majority are available online for free. The online course covers the key points of the GED test. Tips and strategies on how to prepare for the tests are available, as well as practice tests. Some free online courses include GEDforfree.com and ACE Free GED Classes. Online courses require a student to be self-motivated. Students who need extra attention for preparation should find a local class with face-to-face tutoring.
Adult education courses are subsidized by the federal and state governments. Some courses have a small fee while others are free, depending on the state and the income of the student. The course is taught by a certified teacher with a mixture of structured classroom environment and distance learning. These courses offer students the benefit of talking to a teacher face-to-face about specific problem areas of the test. Students can also find free study material at their local libraries to compliment their classroom material. States like New York and Maryland offer free adult GED course information on their websites.
For those who have money to spend on GED preparation, there are a few online courses that can be taken for a fee, such as Kaplan. They offer GED preparation through coursework, one-on-one tutorials and practice tests. Programs like Kaplan's tend to offer more structure than a free online course. Material can be downloaded from the websites in English and Spanish. Some companies pre-test a student when they sign up. This allows them to create an individual learning program to focus on specific subjects in order for the student to graduate with a GED.