GED guideTesting rules
Failed a GED Subject? Retake Rules and Your Next Study Step
A missed GED subject has its own retake rule, and online rules differ from test-center rules. Then review the skill the report actually flags.
Short answer
If one GED subject is below 145, only that subject has to be retaken. The others stay passed. In-person, GED.com’s FAQ allows two retests with no waiting period, then a 60-day wait after the third and later unsuccessful retests, unless your state is stricter. Online, the national FAQ says two unsuccessful attempts are followed by a 60-day wait, and your state page can be tighter. Study the skill your report names. There is no single reason people miss.
The rule depends on where and how you tested
Read the line that matches your last attempt. Then open your state page, because GED.com says additional state requirements may apply.
In person, national FAQ. You can take two subsequent retests with no restrictions between them. If you do not pass the third or a later retest, you wait 60 days. Washington’s policy page matches that shape: no wait for the first two retakes, then 60 days after a subject has been taken three times. Texas’s education agency page says the computer-based 60-day wait also starts after the first three attempts and resets every January 1. Those are two states, not a national calendar.
Online. GED.com’s online FAQ says you are not allowed as many immediate attempts as in person. If you do not pass after two attempts, you wait 60 days. Washington’s page is one step tighter: one online retake, then 60 days after the subject has been taken twice. Texas lists the same two-attempt online threshold. If you are in another state, use that state’s retake tab.
A green GED Ready score can also expire. Online scheduling still wants a green result in the last 60 days for that subject. A retake date and a GED Ready date are two clocks. The GED Ready guide explains the bands.
Money, briefly
The discounted in-person retake is for a subject you did not pass. The national FAQ limits that discount to two retests within 12 months of the full-price attempt. Passing a subject and wanting a higher score is a different path: most states allow it only after you email help@ged.com and are approved, and the discount does not apply. Fees are on the cost page.
What to study before the next date
Start from the skill areas on your score report. If the report is not in front of you, do not invent a cause. Work a few original items in that subject and sort the misses: a reading that was not used, a setup that was skipped, or a rush. Review original items in the subject you missed when you want that practice. Passy does not know your official score and does not schedule the retake.
Give the open subject the longer block. A subject that is already at or above 145 does not need the same hours unless you are in the approved higher-score path. The study guide shows one week built that way.
Trust the source
Official sources
Exam policies can change. Use these primary sources for the most current details.