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GED Study Guide: Where to Start and What to Study
Start with the four separate GED subjects, a short skill check, and one worked week. The schedule is an example, not a promise.
Short answer
Start with the subject you still need, not with all four at once if some are already passed. The GED test is four separate subjects, and you need 145 on each one. A stronger score does not replace a subject below 145. Use a short original check to see whether the miss is reading, a setup step, or the clock, then build one week you can actually finish.
Four tests, one credential
The GED test is not one sitting you have to finish in a single day. GED Testing Service lists four subjects you can space out: Mathematical Reasoning, Reasoning Through Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies. The credential requires 145 or higher on all four. If you already have a passing subject, leave it alone until you decide you want a higher score. That choice has its own approval step, described on the retake page.
The hub explains what the exam is. This page is the first study sequence.
A starting check that takes less than an hour
Do this before you buy a stack of books.
- Write the subjects you still need. If you do not know, write “not sure” instead of guessing a pass.
- For one open subject, work three original items slowly. The free GED practice set is enough for this check. It is not GED Ready and it is not a score.
- Sort each miss into one bucket: the reading, the setup, or the clock. A miss can sit in more than one bucket. Do not turn the bucket into a story about why people fail.
If the reading bucket is full, the next session is a short passage or a graph, not a new formula list. If the setup bucket is full in math, the next session is writing the equation before calculating. If only the clock is the problem, accuracy comes first.
What to study, by subject
Mathematical Reasoning covers basic math, geometry, basic algebra, and graphs and functions. The test gives a formula sheet. You still have to choose the right relationship. The math study guide is the skill map. Word problems are a separate page because translating a sentence into a calculation is its own job.
Reasoning Through Language Arts covers reading for meaning, arguments, and grammar, plus a 45-minute extended response inside the 150-minute test. Study reading and grammar here, and use the essay guide for the response. Do not try to memorize an essay template on day one.
Science is reading, experiments, and graphics, in 90 minutes. Social studies is reading, historical arguments, and graphs, in 70 minutes. Neither page on GED.com describes the test as a memorized list of dates or capitals. The science and social studies guides show how to read a setup and a source.
One worked week
These hours are an illustration. They assume five study days, 45 minutes each, and that only math and language arts are still open. That is 225 minutes. It is not a promise that two subjects will be ready in seven days.
| Day | 45 minutes | Why this block |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Math ratios and percents, untimed | Setup before speed |
| Tuesday | One short reading plus a grammar correction | Evidence, then the sentence |
| Wednesday | Math word problem, then check units | Catch a setup error |
| Thursday | Language arts argument: which side has evidence | Not a personal opinion |
| Friday | Mixed 6 items from the two open subjects | See what repeats |
Saturday and Sunday are unscheduled on purpose. If a shift or a family obligation takes Wednesday, move Wednesday to Saturday. Do not add a second 45 minutes to “catch up” if that makes Thursday collapse.
If all four subjects are open, do not split 45 minutes into four tiny pieces. Give four days to the weakest subject and one day to a rotation. Build that outline from the hours you actually have. The web plan stays on this site. It does not transfer into the app, and it does not tell you that you will pass.
What this week does not decide
A finished week does not earn eligibility, a green GED Ready score, or the credential. State rules still decide age, residency, fees, and whether online testing is offered. Those rules belong on the cost and online pages, not inside a study block.
Trust the source
Official sources
Exam policies can change. Use these primary sources for the most current details.