GED^® Practice Test

Free GED Practice Test 2026 | 241 Questions

Welcome to the GED^® practice test page!

Click the “Start Test” button above to begin our free GED practice test! These practice questions will give you a better idea of what to study for your exam.

Continue reading to find out more about the GED test, and click below for more test prep resources.

GED Question of the Day

GED Practice Tests by Subject

If you need some extra practice in a specific subject, click one of the subjects below to get started on a subject-specific GED practice test.

Test Outline

There are four sections on the GED test:

• Reasoning Through Language Arts
• Math
• Science
• Social Studies

Questions are presented in several formats: multiple-choice, hot spot, fill-in-the-blank, drop-down, drag-and-drop, and extended response.

Social Studies

The GED Social Studies test measures your ability to understand and analyze information about civics and government, US history, economics, and geography. Approximately 50% of the test focuses on civics and government, 20% on US history, 15% on economics, and 15% on geography and the world.

Rather than testing your ability to memorize names and dates, the test emphasizes reading for meaning, analyzing historical events and arguments, and interpreting numbers, graphs, maps, and other sources. Some questions are based on a shared passage or graphic, while others are standalone questions.

Math

The GED Mathematical Reasoning test covers basic math, geometry, basic algebra, and graphs and functions. Approximately 45% of the test focuses on quantitative problem-solving, while 55% focuses on algebraic problem-solving.

The test measures both mathematical procedures and your ability to apply math in academic, workplace, and real-world situations. A formula sheet and an on-screen TI-30XS scientific calculator are available for most questions. Calculator use begins in Part 2, and test takers at a testing center may use their own handheld TI-30XS calculator.

Science

The GED Science test measures your ability to understand scientific information, interpret data and graphics, evaluate experiments, and solve problems using scientific evidence. Approximately 40% of the test focuses on life science, 40% on physical science, and 20% on Earth and space science.

About half of the questions are grouped into scenarios in which two or three questions relate to the same passage, graph, diagram, or other stimulus. The remaining questions are standalone. Although you need a basic understanding of scientific concepts, the test emphasizes reasoning and applying information rather than memorizing large amounts of scientific facts.

Language Arts

The Reasoning Through Language Arts test measures reading comprehension, argument analysis, grammar, language use, and writing. Approximately 75% of the texts are informational and 25% are literary. Reading passages generally range from 400 to 900 words and may include workplace materials, science and social studies texts, literature, and documents related to US history and civic life.

The test includes three sections and one 45-minute written essay, known as the extended response. For the extended response, you will read two source texts, analyze their arguments, determine which argument is better supported, and explain your conclusion using evidence from the texts.

The extended response is scored on three areas: your analysis and use of evidence, the development and organization of your ideas, and your command of standard written English. The remaining questions measure skills such as identifying main ideas and supporting details, making inferences, understanding vocabulary in context, evaluating arguments, and correcting grammar and usage errors.

Top 5 Most Challenging GED Questions

Now that you know more about the exam, try your hand at some targeted practice!

Over the last year, we’ve compiled the data from about 6,000 test-takers who tried their hand at the practice test at the top of this page. According to the data, around 80% of people answered these five questions incorrectly.

Answer each question and read through the answer explanation, whether you got the answer right or wrong. This will help you ensure you’ve got the topic mastered.

Whether you struggled with these questions or aced them on your first try, be sure to take the full practice test to get a better idea of how prepared you really are!

1. Read the poem below before answering the question:

Read Passage

Because I could not stop for Death —
He kindly stopped for me —
The Carriage held but just Ourselves —
And Immortality.

We slowly drove — He knew no haste
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For His Civility —

We passed the School, where Children strove
At Recess — in the Ring —
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain —
We passed the Setting Sun —

Or rather — He passed Us —
The Dews drew quivering and chill —
For only Gossamer, my Gown —
My Tippet — only Tulle —

We paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the Ground —
The Roof was scarcely visible —
The Cornice — in the Ground —

Since then — ’tis Centuries — and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses’ Heads
Were toward Eternity —

Which of the following best describes the tone of this poem?

A. Serious, grave, and portentously dark B.  Detached and alienated, with a numb, despairing feeling C.  Lighthearted, humorous, and gently ironic D.  Frantic and agitated, with a frenzy of fear Submit

While the topic of this poem is death, the tone is lighthearted, and the poem finds humor in death with a gentle kind of irony, so choice C is correct. The diction, word choice, rhythms, and conclusion do not convey gravity or darkness (A). The descriptive details of the journey to eternity, slow yet seemingly over within a day in retrospect, do not convey detachment, alienation, or numbness (B). Rather, the persona in the poem seems to go on a pleasant journey with death and quietly observes Death’s “kindly” character and “Civility”—examples of the gentle irony that the poet uses here. The deliberate, placid narrative has no frantic, agitated, frenzied, or fearful (D) qualities.

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2. Read the poem below before answering the question:

Read Passage

Because I could not stop for Death —
He kindly stopped for me —
The Carriage held but just Ourselves —
And Immortality.

We slowly drove — He knew no haste
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For His Civility —

We passed the School, where Children strove
At Recess — in the Ring —
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain —
We passed the Setting Sun —

Or rather — He passed Us —
The Dews drew quivering and chill —
For only Gossamer, my Gown —
My Tippet — only Tulle —

We paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the Ground —
The Roof was scarcely visible —
The Cornice — in the Ground —

Since then — ’tis Centuries — and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses’ Heads
Were toward Eternity —

This poem is an example of a

A. sonnet B.  prose poem C.  free verse D.  lyric poem Submit

This is an example of a lyric poem. A lyric poem is a short poem that expresses personal feelings, which may or may not be set to music. Prose poetry is a form of poetry that does not have a meter. This poem has a clear structure of six stanzas with four lines each. A sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines following a set rhyme scheme and logical structure. Often, poets use iambic pentameter when writing sonnets. A free verse poem is written without using strict meter or rhyme.

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4. Read the passage below before answering the question:

Read Passage

Jermaine performs an experiment using chromatography. He hypothesizes that the black ink used in markers is a solution and not a pure substance. He uses a pencil to draw a line 1 cm from the end of each of three pieces of chromatography paper. He then draws a line along the pencil line on the first piece of chromatography paper with a permanent black marker. He draws a line along the pencil line on the second piece of chromatography paper with a non-permanent black marker. He draws a line along the pencil line on the third piece of chromatography paper with a different non-permanent black marker.

Jermaine then adds 2 cm of water to a clean beaker. He hangs the three pieces of chromatography paper so that the paper touches the water, but the ink does not. The water moves up and soaks into the paper. After 20 minutes, he records the results. The permanent marker ink has not changed or spread. The non-permanent marker on the second paper has separated into the colors blue and brown, which have moved up the paper. The non-permanent marker on the third paper has separated into the colors purple and blue, which have moved up the paper.

Which of the following is the best conclusion that can be drawn based on Jermaine’s results?

A. All non-permanent black marker ink is made up of a solution. B.  The ink of permanent black markers is a pure substance. C.  Further testing is needed on a larger sample size. D.  Most non-permanent black marker ink includes the color blue. Submit

Only two non-permanent markers were tested, and even though those separated into individual components, the sample size is not large enough to conclude that no black marker inks are pure substances. The two markers tested included the color blue, but other colors may appear if more markers—a larger sample size—are tested. If the permanent marker ink spread when the water reached it, but the ink remained black, it might be a pure substance. However, since it did not spread, the color might be a solution that just did not spread because the ink is permanent.

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5. Read the passage below before answering the question:

Read Passage

Joseph wants to test the efficacy of a new blood pressure medication. He hypothesizes that the new medication will lower patients’ blood pressure more effectively than the medication he is comparing it to. Sixty patients between the ages of 50 and 60 volunteer for the study. The volunteers are assigned randomly to one of two groups. One group receives a placebo, while the other group receives the medication. All participants get a baseline blood pressure reading. They take another reading after taking the medication (or placebo) for six weeks, and another after 12 weeks. Joseph records the blood pressure data and checks to see whether the data supports his hypothesis. The blood pressure readings of the group that receives the placebo, who are not aware that they did not receive the medication, are mostly unchanged throughout the study. The blood pressure readings of the group that receives the medication go down during the 12 weeks of the study.

How could Joseph improve the design of his study?

A. Give the first group the medication he is comparing the new medication to rather than a placebo. B.  Wait until the end of the study to take blood pressure readings. C.  Inform the participants about whether they are taking the medication or placebo. D.  Test a smaller group of participants. Submit

Since Joseph’s hypothesis is comparing a new blood pressure medication with an old medication, his study would be stronger if he gave the first group the old medication rather than a placebo. Without comparing the two, it will be difficult to tell how the new medication’s performance compares to that of the old medication.

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GED vs. High School Diploma vs. HiSET

The GED, a high school diploma, and the HiSET are all credentials widely accepted by colleges and employers, but there are some notable differences among them.

Take a look at the details of each here:

How to Register for the GED Test Online

GED registrations take place online and are accessed through registration with the official GED website. The qualifications to take the GED test are determined by your state. During the process, you will be asked when you want to take your test and which subject you want to take, then pay the designated amount. You have the option to pay for each section separately if you choose, or the entire test at once. If the test happens to be unavailable in your home state, you can travel to a nearby state if it allows people who are not official residents to test there.

GED Test Scores

Each GED subject test is scored on a scale of 100 to 200. You must earn at least 145 on each of the four subject tests to pass.

• 145–164: Passing — You have demonstrated high school–level knowledge and skills.
• 165–174: GED College Ready — You may qualify to bypass placement testing or developmental courses at participating colleges.
• 175–200: GED College Ready + Credit — You may qualify for up to 10 college credit hours, depending on the policies of the college you attend.

Scores are generally available the same day in the My Scores section of your GED account. After you pass all four subject tests, the process for receiving your diploma and transcript depends on the state or jurisdiction where you tested.

If you do not pass a subject test, you can take that subject again. Retake waiting periods, fees, discounts, and attempt limits vary by location and testing format, so check the official GED policies for your state before scheduling another attempt.

GED Online Prep Course

If you want to be fully prepared, Mometrix offers an online GED prep course designed to give you everything you need to succeed!

Here’s what you’ll find in the GED course:

Everyone learns differently, so we’ve tailored the GED online prep course to ensure every learner has what they need to prepare for the GED exam.

Click below to check it out!

Study Tips

Start with a GED Practice Test

Before creating your study schedule, take a GED practice test to establish a starting point. You don’t need to wait until you have reviewed every topic. At this stage, the goal is to identify where your preparation time will have the greatest effect.

Review your results by section and content area:

• Mathematical Reasoning: Are you comfortable with basic math, algebra, geometry, graphs, functions, and applying math skills to word problems?
• Reasoning Through Language Arts: Can you understand written passages, evaluate arguments and evidence, apply grammar rules, and develop a clear written response?
• Science: Can you interpret experiments, identify relationships between variables, and draw conclusions from scientific passages, tables, and graphs?
• Social Studies: Can you analyze historical information and arguments, interpret primary and secondary sources, and use information from charts and graphs?

Identifying those specific weaknesses will show you where to devote more attention during your study time.

Review Difficult Questions

After each practice session, review every question you answered incorrectly AND every question you guessed on or answered with low confidence. Guessing correctly does not necessarily mean that you have mastered the skill.

For each difficult question, determine which of the following caused the problem:

• You didn’t know the topic or concept.
• You misread a passage, graph, table, or set of instructions.
• You knew the information but could not apply it to the question.
• You made a calculation or calculator-entry error.
• You overlooked evidence that supported the correct answer.
• You struggled with the question format.
• You spent too long trying to determine the answer.
• You had difficulty organizing or supporting your written response.

Then, outline a specific plan for improvement based on what you discovered. In other words, don’t just say, “I need to study math more.” Note that you need to practice solving linear equations, interpreting graphs, or translating word problems into calculations.

Similarly, replace “study science” with a more useful goal, like practicing how to identify experimental variables or draw conclusions from data.

Utilize Answer Explanations

Answer explanations are an underutilized studying resource. To take full advantage of them, read the explanation for every question you found difficult, including questions you answered correctly.

For each one, make sure you can confidently explain:

1. Why the correct answer is correct
2. Why each incorrect option is wrong
3. What rule, concept, or skill is being tested
4. How the same skill might appear in a different question

For Mathematical Reasoning questions, make sure you understand each step and can complete similar problems using the calculator and formula sheet available on the test.

For Reasoning Through Language Arts questions, identify the exact sentence, detail, graph, or piece of evidence that supports the answer. Don’t choose an answer simply because it sounds reasonable or matches something you already know.

Study Concepts, Not Individual Questions

Memorizing the answer to a GED practice question will not prepare you for a new question testing the same skill with a different passage, equation, graph, or set of numbers. Your goal should be to recognize and apply the underlying skill to any question that asks you to use it.

For example, do not memorize the steps used in one algebra problem. Make sure you can solve the same type of equation when it is presented as a graph, table, or word problem.

For social studies, learning historical background can be helpful, but the test is not primarily about memorizing dates and names. You must be able to understand sources, evaluate arguments, and interpret numerical information.

The exact questions on your test will be different from the ones you encounter during practice. If you can explain a skill without looking at your notes and then apply it correctly to a new question, that is a good indication that you have mastered it.

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By Eric Richter

Eric is the Product Development Manager responsible for developing and updating the Mometrix Teacher Certification and K-12 products. Eric has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a master’s of education in Teaching ESOL.

Edited by Aaron Lanni

Aaron is the content manager and lead editor for Mometrix Academy. He regularly produces, updates, proofreads, and edits content to ensure it meets Mometrix’s quality and accessibility standards.

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