How to pass the GED: book the right subject first, then follow a plan
Take a timed practice test across all four subjects, book the subject you are closest to passing first, and study the others one at a time. Most people need a few weeks a subject. Before you pay for each test, check it with GED Ready, the official practice test: "Likely to Pass" means 145 or higher is predicted.
- 4
- subjects, passed one at a time
- 145
- needed in each
- 6 weeks
- our sample plan
- 50 min
- a day is enough to start
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Step one: find your weakest subject, free
- 50 questions
- 112 minutes
- Score in seconds
All four GED subjects on their own clocks. No sign-up.
By the LifeScore Editorial Team · Updated · How we check facts · How this is scored
Which GED subject should I take first?
The one you are closest to passing. Take a timed practice test in all four, book your strongest subject first, and leave the weakest, often Math, until you have had time to build it up.
The GED lets you book subjects one at a time and keeps every pass, so the order is yours to choose. Most people do best by banking an early pass. It proves you can do it, it gets you used to the testing software and the rules, and it means you only pay for a subject when you are ready for it.
Language Arts and Social Studies are often the first passes for people who read a lot, because so many of their questions can be answered from the passage or source in front of you. Science is similar, with more tables and graphs. Math usually needs the most study, which is why it pays to start practising it in the background from week one, even if you book it last.
Did one subject score 65% or more on the practice test?
- Yes
- Check it with GED Ready. If it says Likely to Pass, book it this week.
- No
- Go to question 2.
Are all four subjects under 45%?
- Yes
- Start with the subject drills, 20 minutes a day each, and contact an adult-education center for free classes.
- No
- Go to question 3.
Is Math far behind the others?
- Yes
- Book the other three in turn and give Math a short daily drill from day one, so it is ready when they are done.
- No
- Check with the person or company that sent you the link.
What should I study for each GED subject?
Math: percents, equations, slope and geometry with the formula sheet. Language Arts: reading for main idea and evidence, grammar edits and the essay. Science: data and experiments. Social Studies: the Constitution and the branches first.
115 min
Turning words into one calculation; solving linear equations and inequalities; slope; area and volume with the formula sheet; mean, median and probability. Learn percent change, mean and median by heart: they are not on the sheet.
Start with: Percents, equations and the formula sheet
Main idea, inference and the author's purpose; judging which argument is better supported; agreement, sentence boundaries, commas, apostrophes and confused words; a 45-minute essay that compares two arguments.
Start with: Reading for the main idea and evidence
90 min
Independent and dependent variables, controls and conclusions; reading tables and graphs; a handful of core ideas such as density, Punnett squares, energy pyramids and the cause of the seasons.
Start with: Reading data and experiments
70 min
Founding documents, the three branches, checks and balances, federalism and the main amendments (half the test); then U.S. history, supply and demand, and reading maps and charts.
Start with: The Constitution and the branches
Each subject page has a free 12-question drill at the real pace, worked examples, the formulas or rules to know, the traps and a seven-day plan. Work from the drill: it tells you which two or three skills cost you the most, and those skills are where your next hour should go.
A useful habit for every subject: after each drill, write one line for every miss saying the rule you broke, such as "divided by the new price, not the old one" or "chose a true fact the source did not say". Within a week the same few lines start repeating, and those are your study list.
Practice that matches the plan
16 subject drills and 8 full GED-style tests, so every week of the plan has fresh questions.
The GED Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 16 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.
Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The GED Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.
- 8
- timed mocks
- 16
- topic drills
- 1
- score predictor
How long does it take to study for the GED?
It depends on your starting point. For someone who is close in most subjects, six weeks of four to six hours a week is a realistic plan; someone starting further back should plan on a few weeks per subject.
Week 1
3 to 4 hours
Take the full practice test. Rank the four subjects by percent right. Drill the two strongest and book the strongest once GED Ready agrees.
Week 2
4 hours
Sit the first subject. Start Math in parallel with 30 minutes a day: percents, then equations.
Week 3
4 to 5 hours
Second strongest subject: one drill a day, review every miss, GED Ready, then book it.
Week 4
5 hours
Third subject. For Language Arts, write one timed practice essay this week.
Week 5
5 to 6 hours
Math full time: geometry and the formula sheet, slope and functions, data. A full timed math part at the end of the week.
Week 6
5 hours
Math: mixed timed sets, then GED Ready. Book when it says Likely to Pass.
Stretch the plan if your practice scores are lower. The pattern stays the same: measure, bank the closest subject, then move on. Do not wait until all four are ready before booking any of them; momentum matters.
If you have a deadline, such as a job offer, enrolment date or military application, work backwards from it and book the subjects you are surest of first.
What does a good GED study session look like?
Short and frequent beats long and rare. Fifty minutes on most days, built around one timed drill and a review of every miss, moves a score faster than a weekend cram.
| Time | What to do |
|---|---|
| 10 minutes | Review yesterday's misses and write the rule each one broke |
| 20 minutes | One 12-question drill in your weakest subject, on the clock |
| 15 minutes | Fix the two skills the drill exposed, with worked examples |
| 5 minutes | Note tomorrow's focus |
Timing matters on the GED. Math gives you about two and a half minutes a question and the other subjects about two, so practise on the clock from the start. Untimed practice tends to overstate how ready you are.
Free adult-education classes are available in every state and are especially useful for Math and the essay. Many centers can also help with GED Ready vouchers and test fees.
What should I do on GED test day?
Arrive or log in early with your ID, flag hard questions and come back to them, answer every question because there is no penalty for guessing, and keep an eye on the clock at the halfway point.
At a test center you get an on-screen TI-30XS calculator and can bring your own TI-30XS MultiView; online you use the on-screen one. Learn its fraction and exponent keys beforehand. Spend a few minutes with the official formula sheet too, so you know where each formula sits.
In Language Arts, plan the essay for five minutes before you write: say which argument is better supported, give two or three pieces of evidence from the passages, and explain why the other side's evidence is weaker.
What happens if I fail a GED subject?
You keep the subjects you passed and retake only the one you missed. At a test center you get two retakes without waiting, then a 60-day wait; online, one retake before the 60-day wait.
Your score report lists the skills that cost you points. Use it as the plan for the next two weeks: drill those skills, confirm with GED Ready, then rebook. The GED passing score page explains the levels, and the GED test guide covers retake rules, which vary in a few states.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to study for the GED?
Which GED subject should I take first?
Can I pass the GED without studying?
What is the hardest GED subject?
Should I take GED Ready before the real test?
Know which subject is ready before you pay for it
8 full tests and 16 subject drills for a six-week plan, in one payment with no subscription.
The GED Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 16 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.
Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The GED Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.
- 8
- timed mocks
- 16
- topic drills
- 1
- score predictor
Sources
- GED Testing Service, "Test subjects"
- GED Testing Service, "How is the GED test scored?"
- GED Testing Service, "GED Ready, the official practice test"
- GED Testing Service, "Test retakes"
- GED Testing Service, "TI-30XS calculator reference guide" (PDF)
- GED Testing Service, "Assessment guide for educators: Mathematical Reasoning" (PDF)