GED Math Guide: What’s Tested and How to Pass

You have 115 minutes, split into two parts with a 3-minute break between them. Part 1 is no-calculator, so expect basics like fractions, exponents, and order of operations. In Part 2 you get the on-screen TI-30XS calculator, and at a test center you're allowed to bring your own TI-30XS.

A formula sheet is provided at the test center and on screen, along with a calculator reference sheet. Question formats include multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, drop-down, drag-and-drop, and select an area, where you click a point on a graph or number line.

GED.com lists four topic areas: basic math, geometry, basic algebra, and graphs and functions. Our practice test groups them the way GED's content framework does, into two broad areas:

Algebra, graphs, and functions make up a big share of the test, so don't let them slide because arithmetic feels more comfortable. If you can handle everything in that table, you're covering the test.

You get the formula sheet at the test center and on screen, so you don't need to memorize the formulas it covers. It includes the formulas that are easy to forget, such as:

• Area of a parallelogram and a trapezoid
• Surface area and volume of rectangular prisms, cylinders, pyramids, cones, and spheres
• Slope, slope-intercept form, and point-slope form
• The quadratic formula
• The Pythagorean theorem
• Simple interest (I = prt) and distance (d = rt)

Know the everyday basics well enough that you never have to hunt for them: perimeter and area of rectangles and triangles, area and circumference of a circle, and how to find a percent of a number. Then practice with the official sheet from GED.com every time you study so you know exactly where everything is on test day.

• Use the negative key, not the minus key. The (−) key makes a number negative; the subtraction key subtracts. Mixing them up causes errors.
• Put negatives in parentheses before squaring. Enter (−3)² with parentheses to get 9. Without them, the calculator squares 3 first and then applies the negative, giving −9.
• Use the fraction key. The n/d key lets you enter fractions directly, and the toggle key switches an answer between fraction and decimal form.
• Square root is a second function. Press 2nd, then the x² key.
• Estimate before you calculate. A quick estimate catches typos and tells you when a choice is way off.
• Practice on the same model. The on-screen calculator is a TI-30XS, and you can bring your own TI-30XS to a test center. Use the calculator reference sheet from GED.com while you practice so the keys feel familiar.

Example 1: Percent change (Quantitative)

A phone plan went from $45 to $54 per month. By what percent did the price increase?

Change = 54 − 45 = 9. Divide by the original price: 9 ÷ 45 = 0.20, so the increase is 20%. The trap answer is about 16.7%, which divides by the new price (9 ÷ 54).

Example 2: Writing and solving an equation (Algebraic)

A plumber charges a $60 call fee plus $85 per hour. A bill came to $357.50. How many hours did the plumber work?

Set it up: 60 + 85h = 357.50. Subtract 60: 85h = 297.50. Divide by 85: h = 3.5 hours. Check: 60 + 85(3.5) = 60 + 297.50 = 357.50. ✓

Example 3: Equation of a line (Algebraic)

Which equation describes the line through (2, 1) and (6, 11)?

Slope = (11 − 1) ÷ (6 − 2) = 10 ÷ 4 = 2.5. Plug in (2, 1): 1 = 2.5(2) + b, so b = −4. The line is y = 2.5x − 4. Check the other point: 2.5(6) − 4 = 11. ✓ On the test, a question like this can show up as a drop-down item where you pick the slope and the intercept separately.

Example 4: No-calculator fractions

What is 3/4 × 2/9 + 1/6?

Multiply first: 3/4 × 2/9 = 6/36 = 1/6. Then add: 1/6 + 1/6 = 2/6 = 1/3.

• Write the equation before you touch the calculator. Most wrong answers come from a bad setup, not bad arithmetic.
• Plug in the answer choices. On multiple-choice equation questions, testing each choice in the original equation is often faster than solving.
• Pick your own numbers. When choices are expressions, substitute a simple value like x = 2 into the question and each choice, and see which ones match.
• Answer the question that was asked. If you solved for x but the question asks for 2x + 1, you're not done.
• Don't get stuck. If a question is eating several minutes, make your best guess and move on. One hard question isn't worth three easy ones you run out of time for.
• Use Part 1 wisely. You can't use a calculator there, so do the arithmetic carefully and double-check signs and fractions before you move on.

• Percent change from the wrong base. Always divide the change by the original amount.
• Radius vs. diameter. Formulas use the radius. If you're given a diameter, halve it first.
• Mean vs. median. The median is the middle of the sorted list; with an even count, average the two middle values.
• Negative signs. −4(x − 2) is −4x + 8, and a negative number squared is positive.
• Rounding that ignores the situation. If a budget allows 8.79 months, the answer is 8. If a bus holds 40 people and 130 need seats, you need 4 buses, not 3.25.
• Order of operations on the no-calculator part. Multiply and divide before you add and subtract, even when the addition comes first when you read left to right.

Four weeks assumes you're refreshing skills. If fractions and negatives feel shaky, repeat Week 1 before moving on; everything else builds on it. Start with Math Test 1 in our free GED practice tests (46 questions, timed like the real thing) to see where you stand, and save Math Test 2 for the end of Week 4. Check the GED overview for scoring and registration.