Getting your GED

Didn’t get your high school diploma? Have you ever thought about getting your GED? GED stands for “General Educational Development”. There are five subject test which when passed certify that the taker has high school equivalent academic skills. The GED is also referred to as a General Education Diploma, General Equivalency Diploma, or Graduate Equivalency Degree. Once you pass the five subject tests, you have the equivalent of a high school diploma that can be used to further your career, or get you into college or other forms of higher education.
So what is the GED like? The GED test consists of five different subject tests: Reading, Writing, Social Studies, Science, and Mathematics. The following is a breakdown of each of those categories.
1. Language Arts, Writing: This section includes two parts; a multiple choice part involving the areas of organization, sentence structure, usage, and mechanics; and then a written essay portion.
2. Language Arts, Reading: This section involves being able to read and comprehend texts in the areas of poetry, drama, fiction, non-fiction, and workplace documents.
3. Social Studies: This section involves testing your knowledge in the areas of history, geography, civics and government, and economics.
4. Science: This section will test what you know in the areas of physical science, life science, and earth and space science.
5. Mathematics: This section will test many mathematical concepts including number operations and number sense, measurement and geometry, data analysis, statistics, and probability, and algebra, functions, and patterns.
Each of the five GED tests has a maximum score of 800. That means the highest possible score for all five tests is 4000 points (5 x 800). The average high school graduate scores 500 on each test, or a total of 2,500 points. The GED test is scored based on this average. You must pass each test with a minimum score of 450.
If you did not get your high school diploma then this is really a great option. With the economy the way it is, jobs are scarce and they there is fierce competition for the jobs that are out there. Not having a high school diploma really hinders ones ability to secure a job. Not only will a GED make you more attractive to employers. But it will also allow you to continue your education if you so choose and go to college. Again, any advancement you can make in your education give you that much more advantage in this competitive job market.
There are lots of resources for you out there to help you study. There are many websites online that you can use. There have been tons of books published to help you practice and study for the GED. Usually communities have an adult education program or continuing education program that can also help you with your GED endeavors. There really is no excuse to not get it and the advantages that it will give you are limitless because of the doors it can open for you. So what are you waiting for, passing the GED test and being awarded a GED certificate can be as much a reason to celebrate as high school graduation, and it opens as many doors.