How hard is the GED?
The GED is moderately hard. It tests high school skills, not college material, but you need at least 145 out of 200 on each of its four subjects, and math is where most people struggle. GED.com put the pass rate at 80% in 2018. With a practice test first and focused weeks on your weakest subject, it is a very passable exam.
The GED has four subjects: Mathematical Reasoning, Reasoning Through Language Arts, Science and Social Studies. Each is scored from 100 to 200. You pass with 145 on every subject. A score of 165 to 174 counts as GED College Ready, and 175 to 200 is College Ready plus Credit, which can be worth up to 10 college credit hours. You can take the subjects one at a time, in any order.
What makes it hard is the format more than the facts. The questions test reasoning: reading a chart, finding the main point of a passage, setting up a word problem. Math is the subject people most often call the hardest, often because they have been out of school for years. Language Arts includes a 45-minute essay where you judge which of two arguments is better supported. Science and Social Studies feel easier to many, because the facts you need are in the passage.
| Subject | Time | What makes it hard |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematical Reasoning | 115 minutes | Algebra, geometry and word problems; the first part has no calculator |
| Reasoning Through Language Arts | 150 minutes | Long reading passages, grammar and a 45-minute essay |
| Science | 90 minutes | Reading experiments, charts and data |
| Social Studies | 70 minutes | Reading maps, graphs and civics texts |
- 1Check your state's GED rules and price on GED.com, and whether you can test online or only at a test center.
- 2Take the official GED Ready practice test for one subject. It tells you whether you are likely to pass.
- 3Choose an order. Many people start with their strongest subject for a quick win and give math the most weeks.
- 4Study in short daily sessions. Thirty to sixty minutes of practice questions a day beats one long weekend.
- 5Review every wrong answer and write down why it was wrong, not only the right answer.
- 6Book the real test when your practice scores sit clearly in the passing range, then repeat for the next subject.