GED - General Education Development

Greece Central School District GED Program

Official site of the GED Testing service

New York State GED Information

BOCES 2 GED

The GED will get you into college  According to the American Council on Education which administers the GED, about 95 percent of American colleges, universities and employers consider a GED diploma equivalent to a high school diploma. Changes in the GED have reflected shifts in assessment methods, high school curricula, and the economy. The focus on higher-level thinking skills is consistent with the needs and expectations of employers. Prepare for the test online: http://www.gedonline.org/ or http://www.amby.com/GED/ 
The GED TEST  Three forms of the GED test are created each year, so a student can take the test three times in a year, if necessary, without getting the same test twice. GED Test Overview: Maximum possible score is 4,000; minimum passing score is 2,250. Language Arts, Writing (formerly "Writing Skills") -- 75 minutes Part I consists of fifty multiple-choice questions; Part II is a 45-minute essay. Spelling - only homonyms, possessives and contractions will be tested. Passages of 200-300 words will include business communications and "how to" texts. A new essay marking scale will be used and essay organization (ex. transitions, topic sentences, unity/coherence) will be graded. Social Studies  -- 80 minutes Fifty multiple-choice questions in sets and single items; text and visual sources. More history, civics and government content including a practical document such as a voters' guide or tax form and at least one excerpt from the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Federalist Papers, or a landmark Supreme Court case (American test). More graphics and photographs.
More analysis and different content areas tested within same question set. Science -- 80 minutes Fifty multiple-choice questions in sets and single items; text and visual sources. Increased focus on environmental and health topics such as recycling, disease prevention, pollution, etc. Increased emphasis on the relationship between science and everyday life. 20% more graphics. Language Arts, Reading (formerly "Interpreting Literature & the Arts" )  -- 65 minutes Forty questions based on 300-400 word passages; one poem; one piece of drama; no graphics. "Literal comprehension" now called "comprehension" and "Inferential comprehension" now "synthesis." Passages: 75% literary texts and 25% nonfiction texts. Nonfiction will include at least one business document. At least one compare/contrast question. Mathematics  -- 45 minutes. Twenty-five questions on algebra, geometry, number relations & data analysis questions including 25% problem-solving set-up questions. A Casio fx-260 Solar calculator can be used for Part I but not for Part II; examinees can practice using the calculator before the test; more data analysis and statistics; fewer "not sufficient information" type questions.