Verify that you are at least 17 years old and within 60 days of your 18th birthday. You can use a birth certificate, a driver's license or passport to prove your age.
Visit the official GED testing facility in your area. Register for the test, and fill out all of the GED paperwork, by providing your name, address, birth date, high school name and year. Pay for your test after you are finished filling out your application. As of February 2011, the test will cost around $100.
Visit your local book store and search for study guides from companies such as, Kaplan, McGraw-Hill and Barron. Each book will have information about the GED, examples for each section and practice tests. If you purchase the study guides from the book store, rather than online, you can skim through first and choose the prep book is right for you.
Study your materials and make sure that you are ready for the exam. The GED is broken down into five sections: Writing, Social Studies, Science, Reading and Mathematics, respectively. Focus on areas that are foreign or difficult to you. For example, if you were in an AP Literature and Language Arts courses in your senior year, then you might want to skim through reading and writing chapters and thoroughly study the other three sections. The writing and mathematics sections have two consecutive parts.
Attend a GED preparation class. If the study materials are not helping you fully learn the concepts in Step 4. You can find a local GED preparation class by visiting ACEnet.edu and typing in your zip code. The course, which is usually 40 non-consecutive hours, should be free.
Appear at your designated testing center on the day of your test. Make sure to have valid ID, a calculator, scrap paper and three or four pencils. In order to pass the test, you must earn at least 410 points on each section. The grading scale is from 200 to 800 points.