The GED consists of four multiple-choice sections covering science, mathematics, social studies and interpretation of literature or language arts. In the first part of the mathematics' section, a test taker can use a calculator. The language arts section is also broken into two sections. The multiple choice section is devoted to reading comprehension and the fifth section is writing an answer to a GED essay question. A person receives a little over one hour for each section. Therefore, the entire GED test takes approximately eight hours.
Eligibility requirements to take the GED such as residency and years out of school vary from state to state. However, universal eligibility requirements include being 16 years or older and not enrolled in high school.
A minimum score to pass the GED of 410 is required for each section---except the essay section. The GED essay minimum score is two or higher. The average standard score of at least 450 or higher is required to pass all sections of the GED. If one or all the sections are failed, what happens next may depend on a person's age. For instance, anyone over 19 years old may retake any or all sections of the test to improve the overall score. However, the person must wait at least 30 days. For those younger than 18 years old, the individual may have to re-qualify to take the test or wait at least 30 days to retake the part of the test he failed.
The GED is the equivalent to the high school diploma because it compares a person's knowledge, skills and performance to graduating high school seniors. Since it is a national standardized test, the American Council of Education has a random sample of high school seniors to take the GED to make sure it meets the standards of what a person learns in high school. According to Pass GED, only 60 percent of graduating high school students can actually pass the GED test.