Getting ready in the weeks and the night before and the day of the test
Relying on practice tests
Figuring out what to expect on test day
Nailing down important test-taking strategies
Staying calm and relaxed while you take the test
You may never have taken a standardized test before. Or if you have, you may wake up sweating in the middle of the night from nightmares about your past experiences. Whether you’ve experienced the joys or sorrows of standardized tests, to succeed on the GED test, you must know how to perform well on this type of test, which consists mostly of multiple-choice questions.
The good news is, you’ve come to the right spot to find out more about this type of test. This chapter explains some important pointers on how to prepare on the days and nights before the test, what to do on the morning of the test, and what to do during the test to be successful. You also discover some important test-taking strategies to help you feel confident.
Leading Up to Test Time
Doing well on the GED test involves more than walking into the test site and answering the questions. You need to be prepared for the challenges in the test. To ensure that you’re ready to tackle the test head-on, make sure you do the following leading up to the test:
Get enough sleep. We’re sorry if we sound like your parents, but it’s true — you shouldn’t take tests when you’re approaching exhaustion. Plan your time so you can get a good night’s sleep for several days before the test and avoid excess caffeine. If you prepare ahead of time, you’ll be ready, and sleep will come easier.
Eat a good breakfast. A healthy breakfast fuels your mind and body. You have to spend several hours taking the test, and you definitely don’t want to falter during that time. Eat some protein, such as eggs, bacon, or sausage with toast for breakfast. Avoid sugars (donuts, jelly, fruit) because they can cause you to tire easily. You don’t want your empty stomach fighting with your full brain.
Take some deep breaths. During your trip to the testing site, prepare yourself mentally for the test. Clear your head of all distractions, practice deep breathing, and imagine yourself acing the test. Don’t panic.
Start at the beginning, not the end. Remember that the day of the test is the end of a long journey of preparation and not the beginning. It takes time to build mental muscles.
Be on time. Make sure you know what time the test begins and the exact location of your test site. Arrive early. If necessary, take a practice run to make sure you have enough time to get from your home or workplace to the testing center. You don’t need the added pressure of worrying about whether you can make it to the test on time. In fact, this added pressure can create industrial-strength panic in the calmest of people.
Traffic congestion happens. No one can plan for it, but you can leave extra time to make sure it doesn’t ruin your day. Plan your route and practice it. Then leave extra time in case a meteor crashes into the street and the crowd that gathers around it stalls your progress. Even though the GED test is now administered on a computer and not everyone has to start at the same time, test centers are open only for certain hours, and if they close before you finish, you won’t get any sympathy. Check the times the test center is open. Examiners won’t show you a lot of consideration if you show up too late to complete the test or tests because you didn’t check the times. They have even less sympathy if you show up on the wrong date.
Using Practice Tests to Your Advantage
Taking practice GED tests is important for a few reasons, including the following:
They give you an indication of how well you know the material. One or two tests won’t give you a definite answer, because you need to do four or five tests to cover all possible topics, but they do give you an indication of where you stand.
They confirm whether you know how to use the computer to answer the questions. Until you try, you simply won’t know for sure.
They familiarize you with the test format. You can read about test questions, but you can’t actually understand them until you’ve worked through several.
They can ease your stress. A successful run-through on a practice test allows you to feel more comfortable and confident in your own abilities to take the GED test successfully and alleviate your overall anxiety.
You can find a practice test of each section in Parts VI and VII. The practice tests are an important part of any preparation program. They’re the feedback mechanism that you may normally get from a private tutor. As long as you check your answers after the practice test and read the answer explanations, you can benefit from taking practice tests. If possible, take as many practice tests as you can before taking the actual GED test. You can find more practice tests at www.gedtestingservice.com/educators/freepracticetest and a few more sample questions at www.gedtestingservice.com/testers/sample-questions. Use your favorite Internet search engine to find more examples of practice tests online. The GED Testing Service also offers GED Ready tests that you can purchase through authorized outlets.
Finding Out What to Take to the GED Test
The GED test may be the most important exam you ever take. Treat it seriously and come prepared. Make sure you bring the following items with you on test day:
You: The most important thing to bring to the GED test is obviously you. If you enroll to take the test, you have to show up; otherwise, you’ll receive a big fat zero and lose your testing fee. If something unfortunate happens after you enroll, contact the test center and explain your situation to the test administrators. They may reschedule the test without an additional charge.
Correct identification: Before test officials let you into the room to take the test, they want to make sure you’re you. Bring the approved photo ID — your state GED office can tell you what’s an approved form of photo ID. Have your ID in a place where you can reach it easily. And when asked to identify yourself, don’t pull out a mirror and say, “Yep, that’s me.”
Fees you still owe: The same people don’t run all test centers. With some, you may have to pay in advance, when booking the test. If so, bring your receipt to avoid any misunderstandings. Others may allow you to pay at the door. If so, find out whether you can use cash, check, or credit card. The amount of the GED test registration fee also varies from state to state. (Check with your local administrator to confirm when and where the fee has to be paid and how to pay it.) If you don’t pay the fee, you can’t take the exam.
If needed, you may be able to get financial assistance to help with the testing fees. Further, if you do the test one section at a time, which we recommend, you can probably pay for each test section separately. Check with your state or local education authorities.
Registration confirmation: The registration confirmation is your proof that you did register. If you’re taking the test in an area where everybody knows you and everything you do, you may not need the confirmation, but we suggest you take it anyway. It’s light and doesn’t take up much room in your pocket.
Other miscellaneous items: In the instructions you receive after you register for the test, you get a list of what you need to bring with you. Besides yourself and the items we list previously, other items you want to bring or wear include the following:
Comfortable clothes and shoes: When you’re taking the test, you want to be as relaxed as possible. Uncomfortable clothes and shoes may distract you from doing your best. You’re taking the GED test, not modeling the most recent fashions.
A bottle of water or some coffee: Check with the administrators whether drinks are allowed beforehand. Computers and liquids don’t mix, so they may not allow you to take drinks in with you. Mints and gum may be an alternative, but consider taking them in a transparent plastic bag so that no one can question whether you’re carrying written material into the test.
Reading glasses: If you need glasses to read a computer monitor, don’t forget to bring them to the test. Bring a spare pair, if you have one. You can’t do the test if you can’t read the screen.
The rules about what enters the testing room are strict. Don’t take any chances. If something isn’t on the list of acceptable items and isn’t normal clothing, leave it at home. Laptops, cellphones, and other electronic devices will most likely be banned from the testing area. However, you may bring a handheld Texas Instruments TI-30XS calculator, which you may use whenever the calculator icon appears on the screen. But you don’t need to BYOC (bring your own calculator). A calculator icon appears on the screen whenever one is necessary to answer a question. All you have to do is click on the calculator icon, and you have a fully functioning calculator onscreen.
Leave other electronics at home or locked in your car. The last place on earth to discuss whether you can bring something into the test site is at the door on test day. If you have questions, contact the test center in advance. Check out www.gedtestingservice.com to start the registration process and find a list of sites close to your home with their addresses and phone numbers. You can also call 800-62-MYGED to ask your questions to real people.
Whatever you do, be sure not to bring the following with you to the GED testing center:
Books
Notes or scratch paper
MP3 players or tablets
Cellphone (leave it at home or in your car)
Anything valuable, like a laptop computer that you don’t feel comfortable leaving outside the room while you take the test
Making Sure You’re Comfortable before the Test Begins
You usually take the GED test in an examination room with at least one official (sometimes called a proctor or examiner) who’s in charge of the test. (Some locations have smaller test centers that have space for no more than 15 test-takers at a time.) In either case, the test is the same.
As soon as you sit down to take the GED test, take a few moments before the test actually starts to relax and get comfortable. You’re going to be in the chair for quite some time, so hunker down. Keep these few tips in mind before you begin:
Make sure that the screen is at a comfortable height and adjust your chair to a height that suits you. Unlike a pencil-and-paper test, you’ll be working with a monitor and keyboard. Although you can shift the keyboard around and maybe change the angle of the monitor, generally you’re stuck in that position for the duration of the test. If you need to make any adjustments, make them before you start. You want to feel as physically comfortable as possible.
Find out whether you can have something to drink at your computer station. You may depend on that second cup of coffee to keep you upright and thinking. Even a bottle of water may make your life easier.
Go to the bathroom before you start. This may sound like a silly suggestion, but it all goes to being comfortable. You don’t need distractions. Even if bathroom breaks are permitted during the test, you don’t want to take away time from the test.
The proctor reads the test instructions to you and lets you log into the computer to start the test. Listen carefully to these instructions so you know how much time you have to take the test as well as any other important information. Only the Reasoning through Language Arts test has a ten-minute break built into the time. The other tests are 90 minutes (or 115 minutes for the Mathematical Reasoning test) without a break. (Refer to the next section for details of the timing of each test.)
Discovering Important Test-Taking Strategies
You can increase your score by mastering a few smart test-taking strategies. To help you do so, we give you some tips in these sections on how to
Plan your time.
Determine the question type.
Figure out how to answer the different types of questions.
Guess intelligently.
Review your work.
Watching the clock: Using your time wisely
When you start the computerized version of the GED test, you may feel pressed for time and have the urge to rush through the questions. We strongly advise that you don’t. You have sufficient time to do the test at a reasonable pace. You have only a certain amount of time for each section in the GED exam, so time management is an important part of succeeding on the test. You need to plan ahead and use your time wisely.
You must complete each section in one sitting, except for the Reasoning through Language Arts test. There, you get a ten-minute break after the Extended Response (also known as the essay).
During the test, the computer keeps you constantly aware of the time with a clock in the upper right-hand corner. Pay attention to the clock. When the test begins, check that time, and be sure to monitor how much time you have left as you work your way through the test. Table 4-1 shows you how much time you have for each test section.
Reasoning through Language Arts, Extended Response
45
Social Studies
70
Science
90
Mathematical Reasoning
115
As you start, quickly scroll through the test and find out how many questions you have to answer. Quickly divide the time by the number of questions. Doing so can give you a rough idea of how much time to spend on each question. For example, on the Mathematical Reasoning test, suppose that you see you have 50 questions to answer. You have 115 minutes to complete the test. Divide the time by the number of questions to find out how much time you have for each item: 115/50 = 2.3 minutes or 2 minutes and 18 seconds per item. As you progress, repeat the calculation to see how you’re doing. Remember, too, that you can do questions in any order, except for the RLA Extended Response. Do the easiest questions first. If you get stuck on a question, leave it and come back to it later, if you have time. Keeping to that schedule and answering as many questions as possible are essential.
As you can see from Table 4-1, if you don’t monitor the time for each question, you won’t have time to answer all the questions on the test. Keep in mind the following general time-management tips to help you complete each exam on time:
Measure the time you have to answer each question without spending more time on timing than answering. Group questions together; for example, use the information in Table 4-1 to calculate how much time you have for each item on each test. Multiply the answer by 5 to give you a time slot for any five test items. Then try to make sure that you answer each group of five items within the time you’ve calculated. Doing so helps you complete all the questions and leaves you several minutes for review.
Keep calm and don’t panic. The time you spend panicking could be better spent answering questions.
Practice using the sample tests in this book. The more you practice timed sample test questions, the easier managing a timed test becomes. You can get used to doing something in a limited amount of time if you practice. Refer to the earlier section, “Using Practice Tests to Your Advantage” for more information.
When time is up, immediately stop and breathe a sigh of relief. When the test ends, the examiner will give you a log-off procedure. Listen for instructions on what to do or where to go next.
Evaluating the different questions
Although you don’t have to know too much about how the test questions, or items, were developed to answer them correctly, you do need some understanding of how they’re constructed. Knowing the types of items you’re dealing with can make answering them easier — and you’ll face fewer surprises.
To evaluate the types of questions that you have to answer, keep these tips in mind:
As soon as the computer signals that the test is running, start by skimming the questions. Don’t spend a lot of time doing so — just enough to spot the questions you absolutely know and the ones you know you’ll need more time to answer.
Rely on the Previous and Next buttons on the bottom of the screen to scroll through the questions. After you finish skimming, answer all the questions you know first; that way, you leave yourself much more time for the difficult questions. Check out the later section “Addressing and answering questions” for tips on how to answer questions.
Answer the easiest ones first. You don’t have to answer questions in order. Nobody except you will ever know, or care, in which order you answer the questions, so do the easiest questions first. You’ll be able to answer them fastest, leaving more time for the other, harder, questions.
Knowing the question type can shape the way you think about the answer. Some questions ask you to analyze a passage or extract from a document, which means the information you need is in the source text. Others ask you to infer from the passage, which means that not all of the information is in the passage. Although none of the tests are labeled with the following titles, the GED test questions assess your skills in these areas.
Analysis
Analysis questions require you to break down information and look at how the information bits are related to one another. Analyzing information in this way is part of reasoning and requires you to
Separate facts from opinions. Unless the text you’re reading gives evidence or “proof” to support statements, treat them as opinion.
Realize that when an assumption isn’t stated that it may not necessarily be true. Assumptions stated in the passage or question help you find the best answer.
Identify a cause-and-effect relationship. For example, you have to eat an ice-cream cone quickly in hot weather. The cause is the hot weather and the effect is that the ice cream melts quickly.
Infer. You may be asked to reach a conclusion based on evidence presented in the question. Inferring is a fancy way of saying that you’ll reach a conclusion. In the preceding example, you can infer that you should stay in an air-conditioned space to eat your ice cream or eat it very quickly.
Compare. If you consider the similarities between ideas or objects, you’re comparing them. For example, the world is like a basketball because both are round.
Contrast. If you consider the differences between ideas or objects, you’re contrasting them. For example, the world isn’t like a basketball because it’s so much larger and has an irregular surface.
Relating to other people in social situations exposes most people to these skills. For example, in most sports-related conversations between friends (or rivals), you quickly figure out how to separate fact from opinion and how to infer, compare, contrast, and identify cause-and-effect relationships. In other social situations, you come to realize when an assumption isn’t stated. For example, you likely assume that your best friend or significant other is going to join you for a late coffee the night before an important test, but, in reality, your friend may be planning to go to bed early. Unstated assumptions you make can get you into trouble, both in life and on the GED test.
Application
Application questions require you to use the information presented to you in one situation to help you in a different situation. You’ve been applying information left and right for most of your life, but you probably don’t realize it. For example, when you use the information from the morning newspaper to make a point in an argument in the afternoon, you use your application skills.
Comprehension
A comprehension question asks whether you understand written material. The GED test-makers expect you to be able to state the info on the test in your own words, develop a summary of the ideas presented, discuss the implications of those ideas, and draw conclusions from those implications. You need to develop these comprehension skills to understand what the questions are asking you and to answer the questions quickly and accurately.
The best way to increase your comprehension is to read extensively and to ask another person to ask you questions about what you read. You can also use commercial books that specifically help you with your comprehension by presenting you with written material and asking you questions about it. One of those books is in your hands. All the other For Dummies test-preparation books as well as AP English Literature & Composition For Dummies, by Geraldine Woods (Wiley), have reading comprehension as a major focus, too. Feel free to check out these books to improve your comprehension if you still have difficulty after using this book.
Synthesis
Synthesis questions require you to take apart blocks of information presented to you and put the pieces back together to form a hypothesis, theory, or story. Doing so gives you a new understanding or twist on the information that you didn’t have before. Have you ever discussed something that happened, giving it your own twist and explanation to create a brand new narrative? If so, you’ve already put your synthesis skills to use.
Evaluation
Any time someone presents you with information or opinion, you judge it to make sure it rings true in your mind. This evaluation helps you make decisions about the information presented before you decide to use it. If the clerk behind the ice-cream counter suggests that you get a raspberry cone rather than the flavor you wanted because everyone knows that raspberry melts slower than all the other flavors, you may be a bit suspicious. If you notice that the clerk also has four containers of raspberry ice cream and only one of each other flavor, you may evaluate his comment as biased or even incorrect.
Cognitive skills
Mental skills that you use to get knowledge are called cognitive skills and include reasoning, perception, and intuition. They’re particularly important in reading for understanding, which is what you’re asked to do on the GED test. You can increase your knowledge and comprehension by reading books, researching on the web, or watching documentaries. After you read or watch something new, discuss it with others to make sure you understand it and can use the information in conversation.
Addressing and answering questions
When you start the test, you want to have a game plan in place for how to answer the questions. Keep the following tips in mind to help you address each question:
Whenever you read a question, ask yourself, “What am I being asked?” Doing so helps you stay focused on what you need to find out to answer the question. You may even want to decide quickly what skills are required to answer the question (see the preceding section for more on these skills). Then try to answer it.
Try to eliminate some answers. Even if you don’t really know the answer, guessing can help. When you’re offered four answer choices, some will be obviously wrong. Eliminate those choices, and you have already improved your odds of guessing a correct answer.
Don’t overthink. Because all the questions are straightforward, don’t look for hidden or sneaky questions. The questions ask for an answer based on the information given. If you don’t have enough information to answer the question, one of the answer choices will say so.
Find the best answer and quickly verify that it answers the question. If it does, click on that choice, and move on. If it doesn’t, leave it and come back to it after you answer all the other questions, if you have time. Remember: You need to pick the most correct answer from the choices offered. It may not be the perfect answer, but it is what is required.
Guess for success: Using intelligent guessing
The multiple-choice questions, regardless of the on-screen format, provide you with four possible answers. You get between one and three points for every correct answer. Nothing is subtracted for incorrect answers. That means you can guess on the items you don’t know for sure without fear that you’ll lose points. Make educated guesses by eliminating as many obviously wrong choices as possible and choosing from just one or two remaining choices.
When the question gives you four possible answers and you randomly choose one, you have a 25 percent chance of guessing the correct answer without even reading the question. Of course, we don’t recommend using this method during the test.
If you know that one of the answers is definitely wrong, you now have just three answers to choose from and have a 33 percent chance (1 in 3) of choosing the correct answer. If you know that two of the answers are wrong, you leave yourself only two possible answers to choose from, giving you a 50 percent (1 in 2) chance of guessing right — much better than 25 percent! Removing two or three choices you know are wrong makes choosing the correct answer much easier.
If you don’t know the answer to a particular question, try to spot the wrong choices by following these tips:
Make sure your answer really answers the question at hand. Wrong choices usually don’t answer the question — that is, they may sound good, but they answer a different question than the one the test asks.
When two answers seem very close, consider both answers carefully because they both can’t be right — but they both can be wrong. Some answer choices may be very close, and all seem correct, but there’s a fine line between completely correct and nearly correct. Be careful. These answer choices are sometimes given to see whether you really understand the material.
Look for opposite answers in the hopes that you can eliminate one. If two answers contradict each other, both can’t be right, but both can be wrong.
Trust your instincts. Some wrong choices may just strike you as wrong when you first read them. If you spend time preparing for these exams, you probably know more than you think.
Leaving time for review
Having a few minutes at the end of a test to check your work is a great way to set your mind at ease. These few minutes give you a chance to look at any questions that may be troubling. If you’ve chosen an answer for every question, enjoy the last few minutes before time is called — without any panic. Keep the following tips in mind as you review your answers:
After you know how much time you have per item, try to answer each item in a little less than that time. The extra seconds you don’t use the first time through the test add up to time at the end of the test for review. Some questions require more thought and decision making than others. Use your extra seconds to answer those questions.
Don’t try to change a lot of answers at the last minute. Second-guessing yourself can lead to trouble. Often, second-guessing leads you to changing correct answers to incorrect ones. If you have prepared well and worked numerous sample questions, then you’re likely to get the correct answers the first time. Ignoring all your preparation and knowledge to play a hunch isn’t a good idea, either at the race track or on a test.
On tests where you’re required to write an essay or short response, use any extra time to reread and review your final essay. You may have written a good essay, but you always need to check for typos and grammar mistakes. The essay is evaluated both for style, content, and proper English. That includes spelling and grammar.
Keeping Your Head in the Game
To succeed in taking the GED test, you need to be prepared. In addition to studying the content and skills needed for the four test sections, you also want to be mentally prepared. Although you may be nervous, you can’t let your nerves get the best of you. Stay calm and take a deep breath. Here are a few pointers to help you stay focused on the task at hand:
Take time to relax. Passing the GED test is an important milestone in life. Make sure you leave a bit of time to relax, both while you prepare for the test sections and just before you take them. Relaxing has a place in preparing as long as it doesn’t become your main activity.
Make sure you know the rules of the room before you begin. If you have questions about using the bathroom during the test or what to do if you finish early, ask the proctor before you begin. If you don’t want to ask these questions in public, call the GED office in your area before test day, and ask your questions over the telephone. For general GED questions, call 800-62-MYGED or check out www.gedtestingservice.com. This site has many pages, but the FAQ page is always a good place to start.
Keep your eyes on your monitor. Everybody knows not to look at other people’s work during the test, but, to be on the safe side, don’t stretch, roll your eyes, or do anything else that may be mistaken for looking at another test. Most of the tests will be different on the various computers, so looking around is futile, but doing so can get you into a lot of trouble.
Stay calm. Your nerves can use up a lot of energy needed for the test. Concentrate on the job at hand. You can always be nervous or panicky some other time.
Because taking standardized tests probably isn’t a usual situation for you, you may feel nervous. This is perfectly normal. Just try to focus on answering one question at a time, and push any other thoughts to the back of your mind. Sometimes taking a few deep breaths can clear your mind; just don’t spend a lot of time focusing on your breath. After all, your main job is to pass the GED test.
Getting ready in the weeks and the night before and the day of the test
You can find a practice test of each section in 
Whatever you do, be sure not to bring the following with you to the GED testing center: