Knowing what comprises the GED test can help you determine how to use the assessment tools more efficiently. The five content areas include language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. The language arts section is divided into two parts. Testing concepts in the first section includes sentence structure, grammar, subject-verb agreement, spelling, punctuation, sequence of tenses and revision of paragraphs. The second section requires you to write an essay where you might be asked to express an opinion or information about a certain topic or issue.
The American Council on Education (ACE) is an accredited organization dedicated to providing educational services to adults and students throughout the United States since 1918. One of the services provided by ACE is the GED training service. It focuses exclusively on the preparation of GED test takers. There are three ways students can take advantage of these resources and assessment tools: at home, online or in a class given at local GED educational centers. Attending a local GED educational center can help assess your writing skills with a tutor and clarify questions you might have in certain sections of the test.
An ideal way of assessing your knowledge and readiness for the GED test is by taking the exam prior to the official date. Through Web resources such as GED Practice, evaluate yourself in specific areas of the test. Additional resources for practice tests, practice activities and self-evaluations can be found through the Kentucky Educational Television (KET), Steck-Vaughn and Paxen Learning (see Resources).
Use the assessment tools as a way of determining the areas in which you need improvement. Monitor your progress by comparing practice test scores and by communicating with your mentor on the writing areas. Using these tools efficiently will allow you to evaluate your readiness for the exam. Knowing the required passing scores will help you set goals on your practice tests and strive to surpass these. A minimum score of 450 is required on all five content areas tests (an overall minimum score of 2250). Each state or territory in the United States might set a higher minimum standard but not lower than a total of 2250 overall score. For questions about the GED test and assessment tools, contact the American Council on Education at (800) 626-9433.