Numbers sense is a fancy way of saying basic math. The GED tests mathematical literacy by measuring an individual's basic understanding of how numbers fit together and relate to one another. Topics covered under this banner include ratios, decimals, fractions and percentages. Online resource Math.com proposes a lesson that covers all of these subjects. Through the lesson, which involves comparing the number of triangles on a piece of paper to the number of squares, GED students can learn to represent ratios as fractions, decimals, percentages and proportions. Advanced numbers sense lessons cover multiplying, dividing, adding and subtracting decimals and fractions, and mathematical conversion.
The algebra, functions and patterns section of the GED examination tests a student's ability to understand basic algebraic concepts, perform algebraic functions (problems) and recognize algebraic patterns. Pre-algebra is also covered in this section. The most basic math lesson for this subject area covers "order of operations," or the order in which the various parts of an algebraic function must be executed to arrive at the correct answer. Further lessons explain solving functions with unknown variables, extracting mathematical equations from word problems, and methods for solving these problems step by step.
Geometry and measurement problems on the GED apply algebraic equations to two- and three-dimensional shapes. Lessons in these areas should be taught once students have a firm understanding of algebra and pre-algebra, as these topics are the building blocks of geometry. GED-prep lessons in geometry cover topics such as perimeter, volume, area and angles in shapes such as squares, cubes, rectangles, hexagons, polyhedrons and more. These lessons also cover formulae for determining circumference, diameter, radius and volume in circles, cylinders and spheres. Pythagorean theorem lessons concern triangles.
Data analysis and statistics stress the study of visual mathematics. Visual mathematics is a skill set emphasizing the ability to extrapolate raw mathematical data and draw conclusions from charts and graphs. Lessons on this area teach students how to read and interpret various types of graphs and charts, and how these visual representations relate directly to numbers. Other GED math lessons in the field of data analysis and statistics cover concepts like mean, median and mode and teach students how to draw analytical conclusions from raw data sets.