Welcome to the CCA GED Program

The GED, or the General Educational Development Test, is designed to reflect the educational level of a twelfth grade student who is expected to earn his or her high school diploma. Passing this exam earns you a certificate that the vast majority of colleges, training schools, and employers in the nation recognize to be the equivalent of a high school diploma. Over one million people take the GED every year worldwide, and of these, about 70% pass. The average age of a GED test-taker is over 24 and almost three-fourths of test-takers are over the age 19, proving that it is never too late to receive the recognition and benefits of GED certification. 

The 5 sections of the GED examination:

Language Arts (writing)

This test has two parts.

Part I - You will read parts of real-life documents. These may be emails, resumes, reports, or other things you read in everyday life. As you look at the documents, you will be asked to correct them. This may include fixing grammar mistakes, sentence construction, spelling or other writing problems.

TIME: 75 minutes. There are 50 multiple choice questions.

Part II - You will write a short essay on an assigned topic. The topic will be something familiar to most adults.

TIME: 45 minutes to write your essay.

 Reading

For the reading test you will be asked to read something. It could be a part of a play, essay or story. It might be a review of a movie or TV show. You will then be asked to answer multiple choice questions, and you will need to select the best answer that summarizes what the passage is about.  The test may ask you to give different wording to give details or give the best explanation for part or all of what you have read, give details in a different way or explain what you have read. You could be asked to apply what you have read in a different setting or situation.

TIME: 65 minutes. There are 40 multiple choice questions.

Math

The math test has two parts.

Part I – In this part you can use a special calculator. It is called the Casio FX-260 Solar calculator. You do not have to buy it or bring it to the test. The test center will have one there for you to use.

Part II – You cannot use the calculator for this part of the test. This test identifies how well you know addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Questions that have some geometry, algebra, data analysis, number operations, and problem solving will be included in both parts of the test.

TIME: 90 minutes. There are 50 multiple choice questions and some questions may require you to place the answers on a grid.

Science

In this test you will use critical thinking skills, reading skills, and your ability to interpret visual data (charts and graphs) to answer questions. The topics are Life Science, Earth and Space Science and Physical Science.

TIME: 80 minutes. There are 50 multiple choice questions

Social Studies

In this test you will be asked to show that you understand maps, charts, political cartoons, speeches, articles, and photographs. The test covers Economics, Geography, Civics and Government, and United States and World History.

TIME: 70 minutes. There are 50 multiple choice questions

So Why Choose to Take the GED?

The GED credential is highly regarded by both colleges and employers. In fact, the American Council on Education reports that nearly all employers throughout the nation are prepared to offer the same benefits, wages, and opportunities for advancement to GED graduates as they are to regular high school graduates.

Students and adults choose to take the GED for a variety of reasons and at different stages of their lives. Many people make the decision to take the GED to improve their resumes and consequently the likelihood of obtaining good employment. Others take the test to further their current careers or to apply for college. It is estimated that approximately two-thirds of people who choose to take the GED do so to work towards college, whether they be in health care, business, or technical education.

The questions on the GED are meant to assess your ability to communicate effectively, process information, and to employ critical thinking. There is a marked emphasis on questions that prepare you for entering further education or for entering a new work environment. As a result, a lot of your experience outside the classroom will come in handy in taking the test - informal learning through employment and other forms of training may help you in passing the exam's five different sections.

The  lessons are meant to help you succeed by familiarizing you with the test's basic format and highlighting the essential material that will be tested. In addition, this study guide will introduce you to some simple strategies and test-taking tips that can drastically improve your overall score. These will help you to get through questions, even when you have no idea what the answer should be, show you how to pace yourself, and teach you how to avoid common mistakes that many GED test-takers make. Sample test questions and practice exams are included - it is very important that you utilize these questions in your preparation. Taking practice exams will get you used to the time constraints and the order of the actual exam, and help you to assess how much more preparation you may need. Do your best with these - watch the videos and read through the workbooks, and do your best!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE GED

California Department of Education Answers to frequently asked questions on the GED test.