GED® Study Guide PDF

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Copyright © 2021, 2018, 2015, 2014 by McGraw Hill. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. ISBN: 978-1-26-425823-9 MHID: 1-26-425823-2 The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: ISBN: 978-1-26-425822-2, MHID: 1-26-425822-4. eBook conversion by codeMantra Version 1.0 All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occurrence of a trademarked name, we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. Where such designations appear in this book, they have been printed with initial caps. McGraw-Hill Education eBooks are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions or for use in corporate training programs. To contact a representative, please visit the Contact Us page at www.mhprofessional.com. GED® is a registered trademark of the American Council on Education (ACE) and administered exclusively by GED Testing Service LLC under license. This content is not endorsed or approved by ACE or GED Testing Service. TERMS OF USE This is a copyrighted work and McGraw-Hill Education and its licensors reserve all rights in and to the work. Use of this work is subject to these terms. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976 and the right to store and retrieve one copy of the work, you may not decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, reproduce, modify, create derivative works based upon, transmit, distribute, disseminate, sell, publish or sublicense the work or any part of it without McGraw-Hill Education’s prior consent. 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Neither McGraw-Hill Education nor its licensors shall be liable to you or anyone else for any inaccuracy, error or omission, regardless of cause, in the work or for any damages resulting therefrom. McGraw-Hill Education has no responsibility for the content of any information accessed through the work. Under no circumstances shall McGraw-Hill Education and/or its licensors be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, punitive, consequential or similar damages that result from the use of or inability to use the work, even if any of them has been advised of the possibility of such damages. This limitation of liability shall apply to any claim or cause whatsoever whether such claim or cause arises in contract, tort or otherwise.  Contents How to Use This Book Introducing the GED® Test About the GED® Test How Do I Register? Question Formats The Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) Test The Mathematical Reasoning Test The Science Test The Social Studies Test More About the Test Interface How the Tests Are Scored General Test-Taking Tips Analyze Documents Read Critically Use the Process of Elimination Watch Out for Extreme Answer Choices Find the Answer in the Passage Use the Answers Estimate Values Essay Tips Time Management Tips Test Day Tips How to Use This Book to Set Up a Study Plan Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) One-Month Study Plan Mathematical Reasoning One-Month Study Plan Science One-Month Study Plan Social Studies One-Month Study Plan PRETESTS How to Use the Pretests Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) Pretest Part 1: Multiple Choice Part 2: Extended Response Part 3: Multiple Choice Answers and Explanations Evaluation Chart Mathematical Reasoning Pretest Mathematics Formula Sheet Part 1, Questions 1–5: No calculator allowed Part 2: Calculator allowed Answers and Explanations Evaluation Chart Science Pretest Answers and Explanations Evaluation Chart Social Studies Pretest Answers and Explanations Evaluation Chart REASONING THROUGH LANGUAGE ARTS (RLA) INTRODUCTION The Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) Test The Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) Review The Top 25 Things You Need to Know for the GED® RLA Test CHAPTER 1 Testing Basic English Usage Standard English “Drop Down” Questions Editing Mechanics  Capitalization Punctuation Sentence Fragments Run-on Sentences Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers Parallel Structure Improving Awkward Sentences Eliminating Informal or Nonstandard Words Subject-Verb Agreement Verb Tenses Pronoun Usage Apostrophes and Possessive Nouns Transitional Words and Expressions Frequently Confused Words Practice: Testing Basic English Usage CHAPTER 2 Testing Reading Comprehension Reading Comprehension on the GED® Test Question Types Multiple-Choice Questions “Drag and Drop” Questions Fill-in-the-Blank Questions Basic Critical Reading Skills Identifying the Main Idea in a Text Finding Details in a Text Analyzing Implicit Main Ideas Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions Identifying Textual Evidence Making Connections Between Ideas Practice: Testing Reading Comprehension CHAPTER 3 Structure and Author’s Choices Sequence of Events Structural Relationships Author’s Language Transitional Words Context Clues Connotation Tone Figurative Language Practice: Structure and Author’s Choices CHAPTER 4 Literary Texts Using Textual Evidence to Analyze Elements of Fiction Theme Plot or Events in a Story Characters Motivation Character Traits Interaction Between Characters Setting Character and Narrator Viewpoint Practice: Literary Texts CHAPTER 5 Informational Texts Foundational Texts Inferring Relationships Between Ideas Cause and Effect Compare and Contrast Parallel Ideas Author’s Viewpoint and Purpose Analyzing Arguments Fact Versus Opinion Source Reliability Evaluating Claims Rhetorical Techniques Author’s Response to Conflicting Viewpoints and Bias Comparing Texts Practice: Informational Texts CHAPTER 6 RLA Extended Response Elements of a Persuasive Essay Opening Statement Supporting Evidence Answering Opposing Arguments Concluding Statement Scoring Rubric Writing a Persuasive Essay Practice: RLA Extended Response Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) Answers and Explanations MATHEMATICAL REASONING INTRODUCTION The Mathematical Reasoning Test The Mathematical Reasoning Review The Top 25 Things You Need to Know for the GED® Mathematical Reasoning Test CHAPTER 1 Whole Numbers and Operations Addition Subtraction Multiplication Division Calculators and the GED® Mathematical Reasoning Test Word Problems Involving Basic Operations CHAPTER 2 Exponents, Roots, and Number Properties Exponents Negative Exponents The Rules of Exponents Rule 1: When Multiplying Two Terms with the Same Base, Add the Exponents Rule 2: When Dividing Two Terms with the Same Base, Subtract the Exponents Rule 3: To Take a Term with an Exponent to a Power, Multiply the Powers Square Roots and Cube Roots Exponents and Roots on the TI-30XS Exponents Roots Order of Operations The Distributive Property CHAPTER 3 Decimal Numbers and Operations Decimals and Place Value Rounding Decimals Comparing Decimals Scientific Notation Scientific Notation on the Calculator Adding and Subtracting Decimals Multiplying Decimals Dividing Decimals Dividing a Decimal by a Whole Number Dividing a Whole Number by a Decimal Dividing a Decimal by a Decimal CHAPTER 4 Fractions and Operations Equivalent Fractions Reducing Fractions to Lowest Terms Reducing Fractions on the Calculator Fractions and Decimals Converting Between Fractions and Decimals on the Calculator Improper Fractions and Mixed Numbers Converting Between Mixed Numbers and Improper Fractions on the Calculator Comparing Fractions Comparing Fractions and Decimals Adding and Subtracting Fractions Multiplying Fractions Dividing Fractions Operations with Fractions, Whole Numbers, and Mixed Numbers Operations with Fractions on the Calculator CHAPTER 5 Ratios, Rates, and Proportions Ratios and Rates Word Problems with Ratios and Rates Proportions Word Problems with Proportions CHAPTER 6 Percents and Applications Converting Between Fractions, Decimals, and Percents Converting a Percent to a Fraction Converting a Percent to a Decimal Converting a Decimal to a Percent Working with Percents Word Problems with Percents Simple Interest CHAPTER 7 The Number Line and Negative Numbers The Number Line Absolute Value Adding and Subtracting Negative Numbers Multiplying and Dividing Negative Numbers Negative Numbers on the Calculator CHAPTER 8 Probability and Counting Basic Probability Compound Probabilities “And” Events “Or” Probabilities Counting CHAPTER 9 Statistics and Data Analysis Analyzing Data Sets The Mean The Median The Mode Weighted Averages The Range Summarizing Data with Pictures Bar Charts Circle Graphs Dot Plots Box Plots Histograms Relationships Between Data Sets Line Graphs Scatter Plots CHAPTER 10 Algebraic Expressions Variables, Terms, and Expressions Evaluating Expressions Combining Like Terms Adding and Subtracting Polynomials Multiplying Polynomials Multiplying Single Terms Multiplying Single Terms and Larger Polynomials Multiplying Two Binomials Multiplying Polynomials with More than Two Terms Factoring Factoring Using the Greatest Common Factor Factoring by Reversing FOIL Difference of Squares Rational Expressions Simplifying Rational Expressions Adding and Subtracting Rational Expressions Multiplying Rational Expressions Dividing Rational Expressions Writing Expressions CHAPTER 11 Solving Equations and Inequalities Linear Equations Two-Step Equations Multiple-Step Equations Inequalities Solving Inequalities Graphing Solutions Writing Linear Equations and Inequalities Word Problems with Equations and Inequalities Systems of Two Equations with Two Unknowns Word Problems and Systems of Equations Solving Quadratic Equations with the Square Root Rule Solving Quadratic Equations by Factoring Solving with the Quadratic Formula Writing Quadratic Equations CHAPTER 12 Graphing Equations Plotting Points Graphing Lines Intercepts Slope Calculating the Slope Parallel and Perpendicular Lines Interpreting Slope Finding the Equation of a Line Graphs and Systems of Equations CHAPTER 13 Functions Evaluating Functions Recognizing Functions Properties of Functions Key Features of Function Graphs Increasing and Decreasing Functions Relative Maximums and Minimums Positive and Negative Values End Behavior and Periodic Functions CHAPTER 14 Geometry Polygons Circles 3-Dimensional Objects Complex Figures The Pythagorean Theorem Mathematical Reasoning Answers and Explanations SCIENCE INTRODUCTION The Science Test The Science Review The Top 25 Things You Need to Know for the GED® Science Test PART 1 Life Science CHAPTER 1 Structures and Functions of Life Cells, Tissues, and Organs Specialized Cells Levels of Organization Cell Functions and Components Cell Components Cell Division Mitosis Meiosis CHAPTER 2 Life Functions and Energy Intake Photosynthesis Respiration Fermentation CHAPTER 3 Heredity DNA and Chromosomes Chromosomes Alleles and Traits Assortment of Alleles Environmental Altering of Traits Expression of Traits Simple Inheritance Probability of Inheriting Traits CHAPTER 4 Evolution Evolutionary Relationships Cladograms Evolution by Natural Selection Requirements for Selection Evolutionary Change Speciation CHAPTER 5 Ecosystems Energy in Ecosystems Flow of Energy Conservation of Energy Matter in Ecosystems Food Chains Food Webs Capacity for Change Limiting Factors Relationships in Ecosystems Predator-Prey Symbiosis Disruption of Ecosystems Extinction CHAPTER 6 The Human Body and Health Body Systems Interaction Between Body Systems Homeostasis Effects of External Environments Nutrition  Nutrition Concepts Disease and Pathogens Prevention of Disease Effects of Disease on Populations Practice: Life Science PART 2 Physical Science CHAPTER 7 Chemical Interactions Structures of Matter Atomic Particles Ions and Isotopes Molecules, Elements, and Compounds Physical and Chemical Properties States of Matter Chemical Formulas and Equations Conservation of Mass Balancing Chemical Equations Limiting Reactants Types of Chemical Reactions Solutions and Solubility Solubility Saturation Weak and Strong Solutions CHAPTER 8 Energy Types of Energy Energy Transformations Waves Parts of Waves Types of Electromagnetic Radiation Uses and Dangers of Electromagnetic Radiation Heat Heat Transfer Energy in Reactions Endothermic Reactions Exothermic Reactions Sources of Energy CHAPTER 9 Motion and Force Motion Momentum and Collisions Force Newton’s Laws Gravity Mass and Weight Work and Machines Simple Machines Mechanical Advantage and Power Practice: Physical Science PART 3 Earth and Space Science CHAPTER 10 Space Systems The Age of Earth The Solar System Interactions Between Earth and the Solar System The Universe Age and Development of the Universe Age and Development of Stars CHAPTER 11 Earth Systems The Structure of Earth Tectonic Plates Earth’s Atmosphere Atmospheric Gases Effects of Gases on Earth Weathering and Erosion Wind The Oceans Ocean Currents Coral Reefs CHAPTER 12 Interactions Between Earth’s Systems and Living Things Cycles in Nature Nitrogen Cycle Carbon Cycle Oxygen Cycle Water Cycle Natural Hazards Effects of Natural Hazards Hazard Mitigation Natural Resources Sustainability of Resources Practice: Earth and Space Science Science Answers and Explanations SOCIAL STUDIES INTRODUCTION The Social Studies Test The Social Studies Review The Top 25 Things You Need to Know for the GED® Social Studies Test CHAPTER 1 Civics and Government Types of Historical and Modern Governments Basic Principles of American Constitutional Democracy Structure and Design of the U.S. Federal Government The Legislative Branch The Executive Branch The President’s Cabinet The Judicial Branch Amending the Constitution The Bill of Rights Citizens’ Rights and Civic Responsibilities Political Parties Political Campaigns, Elections, and the Electoral Process Contemporary Public Policy Practice: Civics and Government CHAPTER 2 United States History European Exploration of the Americas The English Colony in Virginia English Colonies in New England and Maryland The Thirteen Colonies Take Shape Tensions Rise Between the Colonies and Great Britain The First Continental Congress and the Beginning of the American Revolution The Second Continental Congress and the Declaration of Independence The Revolutionary War From the Articles of Confederation to the U.S. Constitution The War of 1812 The Monroe Doctrine U.S. Policy Toward Native Americans Manifest Destiny Civil War and Reconstruction The United States Becomes a Major Industrial Nation The United States Becomes a World Power World War I The Great Depression World War II Postwar America The Cold War The Civil Rights Movement and the Women’s Movement The Great Society, the Vietnam War, and Watergate Presidencies in the Late 20th and Early 21st Centuries Issues Facing the United States at the Start of the 21st Century Practice: United States History CHAPTER 3 Economics Fundamental Economic Concepts Microeconomics and Macroeconomics Microeconomics Macroeconomics Banking and Credit The Role of Government in the National Economy International Trade Key Economic Events in U.S. History Practice: Economics CHAPTER 4 Geography and the World Ecosystems Geography and the Development of Human Societies Human Changes to the Environment Human Migration Population Trends and Issues Geography Tools and Skills Practice: Geography and the World CHAPTER 5 Focusing Themes What Are Focusing Themes on the Social Studies Test? The Earliest Civilizations Early China Early India Classical Greece Rome The Great Migration and the Middle Ages Feudalism The Middle East and Africa Civilizations in the Americas Renaissance and Reformation in Europe The Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment, and the Industrial Revolution The Age of Exploration Building Empires Revolutions in Britain and France New Political Ideas in the 19th Century Political Developments in 19th-Century Europe World War I and the Russian Revolution The Rise of Fascism World War II The End of European Dominance and the Formation of the European Union The End of the Soviet Union China Today The Arab World Practice: Focusing Themes Social Studies Answers and Explanations POSTTESTS How to Use the Posttests Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) Posttest Part 1: Multiple Choice Part 2: Extended Response Part 3: Multiple Choice Answers and Explanations Evaluation Chart Mathematical Reasoning Posttest Mathematics Formula Sheet Part 1, Questions 1–5: No calculator allowed Part 2: Calculator allowed Answers and Explanations Evaluation Chart Science Posttest Answers and Explanations Evaluation Chart Social Studies Posttest Answers and Explanations Evaluation Chart GLOSSARY Important GED® RLA Terms Important GED® Math Terms Important GED® Science Terms Important GED® Social Studies Terms  How to Use This Book Welcome to McGraw-Hill Education: Preparation for the GED® Test! This book contains practical test-taking information and review sections for each of the test’s four sections. It also contains a pretest and a posttest for every test section. It will give you the information and practice you need to do your best on test day. For best results, follow this five-step plan: 1. Learn about the GED® test. Read “Introducing the GED® Test” beginning on page 1. In this section you will learn all about what subjects the test covers, how the test is structured, and how it is scored. You will also see examples of the different question types, including the interactive question formats that appear on the computerized test. This section will also give you valuable test-taking strategies that can raise your score, as well as useful study suggestions and tips for test day. 2. Start with the pretests. The pretests in this book are modeled closely on the real GED® test. They have the same number and types of questions and the same degree of difficulty. Take each pretest as your first step in preparing for each part of the real exam. Use the Answers and Explanations section to score yourself, and complete the Evaluation Chart at the end of the test. The chart will help you pinpoint your areas of strength and weakness in your knowledge base and your skill set. 3. Develop a study plan. Use your results on the pretest to develop a study plan. Prepare to focus particularly on the topics that were difficult for you on the pretest. Set up a study schedule based on the amount of time you have available. The review sections of this book are broken into short, manageable chunks of information, so you can study one topic at a time at your own pace. A sample study plan for each test is included. 4. Prepare for each test section. The four main sections of this book provide a complete review of the subjects you need to master in order to succeed on the GED® test. The Reasoning Through Language Arts  (RLA) and Mathematical Reasoning sections include numerous examples to illustrate key concepts. The Science and Social Studies sections contain helpful charts and other graphics to clarify ideas and make learning easier. The RLA section also includes vital information on how to answer the extended-response (essay) question. Work through these sections at your own pace, paying special attention to topics or question types that were particularly difficult for you on the pretests. Check your understanding by completing the exercises and taking the practice quizzes you’ll find in each section. 5. Take the posttests. When you have completed your review for each test section, take the corresponding posttest you’ll find at the end of the book. Like the pretests, the posttests are closely modeled on the real exam in terms of question types, number of questions, and degree of difficulty. Use the posttests to check your progress, to gain experience with the GED® test format, and to learn to pace yourself to get your highest score. Interactive Practice Tests In addition to the pretests and posttests in this book, you will find two additional, full-length sample tests on the bonus practice test app that accompanies this book. You can use this app on your smartphone or tablet. If you prefer studying with a computer or laptop, you can use the online version of the app found on the companion website, MHE Practice Plus. These interactive practice tests offer a number of features that will help you meet your study goals: You can choose whether to take a test section timed or open-ended, depending on your practice goals. When you finish a section of the test, you will immediately receive a score that shows the percentage of correct answers. Your scores will be saved so you can refer back to them and follow your progress.  Review mode allows you to see your answer and the correct answer together. (We hope they’re the same!) Here you’ll find concise and clear explanations to more challenging questions. Moreover, you’ll be able to see the original question for reference. If you exit a test section before finishing it you can simply return to where you left off at a later time. Accessing the Practice Test App If you take the practice tests on your tablet or smartphone, you will find the practice test app to be the ideal companion to your study plans. Depending on the device you have, go to one of the following: Apple → iTunes Android → Google Play Once you are at the appropriate app store, search “MHE Practice Test App for the GED® Test” and download. Accessing the Practice Tests Online To find the online version of the practice test app visit mhprofessional.com/GEDTest. Below the book’s illustration, open the tab “Downloads & Resources.” Here, click on the link under “Practice Tests” and you will be able to use the sample tests on your laptop or home computer. See page 24 for information on two bonus apps!  Introducing the GED® Test Welcome to McGraw-Hill Education: Preparation for the GED® Test! Congratulations on choosing the preparation guide from America’s leading educational publisher. You probably know us from many of the textbooks you used in school. Now we’re ready to help you take the next step—and get the high school equivalency credential you want. Before you start your study program, this chapter will give you a brief introduction to the exam. In the following pages, you’ll learn: The history of the GED® test and how it took its current shape The structure of each part of the GED® test How the test is scored Some basic test-taking strategies Some dos and don’ts for test day About the GED® Test “GED®” stands for General Educational Development. The GED® test is commonly referred to as a “high school equivalency” test because passing scores on all the test sections are usually accepted as equal to a high school diploma. The GED® program started in 1942 during World War II. Many young people had joined the armed services before completing high school. As a way to help returning veterans reenter civilian life with the equivalent of a high school diploma, which would help them get better jobs or go on to college, the U.S. military asked the American Council on Education (ACE) to develop the GED® test.  The GED® test was revised several times over the years, but many things remained constant. There were five separate test sections: Language Arts―Reading, Language Arts―Writing, Social Studies, Science, and Mathematics. These were standard “paper and pencil” tests that featured mostly multiple-choice questions. In 2002 a computerized version of the test was introduced. It did not differ much from the paper-and-pencil version. ACE, a nonprofit organization, administered the GED® program until 2011. In that year, ACE formed a new partnership with Pearson, a major educational publisher, to create the GED® Testing Service. The first major goal of the new joint venture was to overhaul the old GED® test series and create a new series of tests that use modern computer technology to measure career and college readiness. The 2014 version of the GED® test was a major departure from the 2002 and earlier versions. Some key differences are: There is no paper-and-pencil version of the test. Only a computer version is available. There are four, not five, test sections: Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA), Mathematical Reasoning, Science, and Social Studies. The test uses new question formats that may be unfamiliar to test- takers. (But don’t worry—we will get you up to speed!) Multiple-choice questions have four, not five, answer options. There are some other major differences that are more important to test designers and teachers than to test-takers like you, but in case you are interested, here they are: Instead of using Benjamin Bloom’s Taxonomy for measuring the difficulty of questions, the tests now use Norman Webb’s Depth of Knowledge measurements. Questions are aligned to the Common Core Standards rather than to standards generated by various boards or groups of educators, as they were in the past. Again, these are not changes you need to be concerned about. These changes tell the test designers what to test and how difficult to make each item. In February of 2014, a few additional changes were made to the test. The Mathematical Reasoning test was expanded from 90 minutes to 115 minutes. The Social Studies Extended Response question was removed, which makes the total time for the Social Studies Test now 70 minutes. Test-takers are now allowed to bring their own TI-30XS Multiview Scientific Calculator (this is the only calculator allowed). The score report now includes four different scoring level descriptions to help test-takers better interpret their test results. In 2020, some additional changes were made to the test. These changes focus on critical-thinking skills and reasoning ability. There are more reading passage―based questions on the tests for Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA), Science, and Social Studies. These questions may ask you to make reasonable inferences, draw conclusions, make comparisons, or strengthen or weaken a position. The current format of the GED® is as follows: How Do I Register? In 2017, more than 300,000 people took at least one of the GED® test sections. That makes it one of the most widely administered tests in the world. Luckily, that means you will probably have a lot of options about where to take the test. The quickest way to register is to do so online at:  ged.com Visit this website and follow the step-by-step instructions for registering and scheduling your test. You can also locate an official GED® testing location by signing in on the site and clicking “Locate a test center” at the bottom of the page. Be sure to check the website often for any updates on testing procedures. You must register and schedule your test times in advance, and the times tests are offered vary from center to center. Each of the GED® tests is scheduled separately. Test-taking accommodations are available for those who need them, but test-takers must get approval in advance for these accommodations. Accommodations include: An audio or Braille version of the test A private testing area Extended testing periods Additional break times Font-size options You must get the appropriate approval form filled out and approved. You can find the forms here: http://www.gedtestingservice.com/testers/accommodations-for- disability#Accommodations4 In general, you will need documentation from your doctor or your school that proves testing accommodations are recommended and necessary. It will take 30 days for the GED® testing service to review your application, so make sure you leave plenty of time for the approval process. Question Formats Do not worry too much about the question formats. The majority of the current version of the GED® test is made up of multiple-choice questions, which almost everyone has experienced at one point or another. There are also some technology-enhanced question types that may take some getting used to. Here is what to expect: Drag and drop: Drag-and-drop questions can look a variety of different ways, but what they ask you to do is use the computer mouse to select an object (it could be a word, a shape, a set of numbers, or another object) and “drag” it into a correct position in some kind of diagram. If you use a computer, you are probably familiar with the concept of “dragging” and “dropping.” It is exactly what you do when you move the icon for a document from one folder to another. Look at the simple question that follows: Drag and drop the words below into the correct location on the chart. In this case, it is clear you should drag hot, yellow, and large into the “Words That Describe the Sun” column and green, extinct, and freezing into the “Words That Do Not Describe the Sun” column. Your correct answer would look like this: This is the basic idea of a drag-and-drop question. You will find many more examples in the practice tests and instructional chapters of this book. Hot spot: Hot spot items appear mostly in the Mathematical Reasoning test. They require you to plot points on a graph, alter a chart, or complete a similar task. Here is an example: Click on the grid below to plot the point indicated by the ordered pair (1, – 3). To answer this question, you have to “click” with your mouse on the correct point on the graph. In this case, you would move one place over along the x-axis to 1, and then move down the y-axis to –3. Your correct answer would look like this:  Fill in the blank: This is a question type that is familiar to most people. On the GED® tests, you will simply type in the correct answer. For example, look at this item: Do not forget to take (you) ______________ umbrella. This question is testing whether you know when to use apostrophes, so your correct answer would look like this: Do not forget to take your umbrella. In this case no apostrophe is required because your is an adjective describing umbrella. Drop-down: In a drop-down item, you will see a blank space, usually in a reading passage. At the start of the space, you will see the word “Select...” with an arrow. If you “click” on the arrow with your mouse, you will see a drop-down menu showing several answer options that could fill the blank space. This concept will be familiar to you if you often use the Internet. Many Web pages have “menus,” and if you use your mouse to click on them, multiple options appear. Here is a simple example:  It is raining out, so you should probably take your with you to work today. If you “click” on the arrow, here is what you will see: It is raining out, so you should probably take your with you to work today. In this case, you should select umbrella as the best answer option. Extended response: This is, simply, an essay question. There is one extended response question on the Reasoning Through Language Arts test. You will be asked to analyze a pair of nonfiction texts and write a persuasive essay explaining which text you find more logically sound and why. The Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) Test This test measures both your reading and your writing skills. You will be tested on your ability to read carefully, write clearly, and understand and use Standard English grammar. You will see multiple reading passages on this test. About 75% of these passages will be nonfiction. The rest will be literature. There will be no poetry selections. These items test your reading comprehension. Your writing abilities will be assessed through the extended-response question. Various question formats will test your understanding of Standard English grammar. You will have 150 minutes to complete the test, which is broken into three sections as follows: The time allowed for Parts 1 and 3 may vary slightly from what is shown above, but the total time for the RLA test will always be 150 minutes. The exact number of questions on Parts 1 and 3 varies. The Mathematical Reasoning Test The Mathematical Reasoning test is 115 minutes long and features items in a variety of question formats. There is a short section of 5―7 questions on which a calculator is not allowed, but for the bulk of the test, a calculator is allowed. The calculator is available on the computer screen. You may bring a calculator from home if you prefer, but it must be the TI-30XS Multiview Scientific Calculator. This is the only model of calculator allowed. You will be given a Formula Sheet that has formulas for perimeter, area, surface area, volume, and some formulas you will need for algebra questions. The Mathematical Reasoning test is broken into two sections as follows: The total number of questions varies. About half of the test (45%) focuses on quantitative problem solving, and about half (55%) focuses on basic algebraic problem solving. There are some geometry questions as well. The test measures skills both with straightforward math problems and with hypothetical real-world situations that require you to decide how to use your problem-solving skills to arrive at the correct answer. The Science Test You will have 90 minutes to complete the Science test. About 40% of the test focuses on life science, about 40% focuses on physical science, and the remaining 20% focuses on Earth and space science. The total number of questions varies. The Science test features a range of question formats. You may use a calculator on the Science test. The Social Studies Test The Social Studies test is 70 minutes long. Half of the test focuses on civics and government, so get ready to brush up on your knowledge of state and federal government and the duties of citizens. The rest of the test focuses on U.S. history (20%), geography and the world (15%), and economics (15%). The total number of questions varies. You may use a calculator on the Social Studies test. More About the Test Interface Taking a test on a computer understandably makes many people nervous. Test-taking features you may be familiar with, such as the ability to mark skipped questions with a pencil so that you can return to them later, are not available. Scratch paper is not allowed. However, the test has many features and functions that can improve the test-taking experience. Built-in clock: Keeping track of the time is easy because the test has a built-in clock that appears in the upper-right-hand corner of the screen. Erasable note boards: You cannot use scratch paper, but the test offers erasable note boards that work just as well. You will be given a pack of three erasable note boards and an erasable marker to use, and you will deliver the note boards to the test administrator after completing your test.  Marking skipped items: In the past, when the GED® test was a paper- and-pencil exam, test-takers often marked skipped items on their answer sheets and returned to them as time allowed. The computerized GED® test allows you to either click “Flag for Review” at the upper right of the question screen or just skip questions without marking them, and it provides a Question Review Screen at the end of the test that lists all of the question numbers and indicates whether each one is answered or unanswered and shows a filled-in flag icon next to the questions you flagged for review. You can then click any question number to return to that question to review or answer it if desired. You can also click “Review All,” “Review Unanswered,” or “Review Flagged” at the bottom of the Question Review Screen to select which questions you wish to review. Highlighting: You can select a section of text and click the “Highlight” button to highlight that text. This may be of particular use on passages where you want to remember certain parts. Test customization: The GED® test has some features that allow you to customize your test-taking experience. You have a choice of 11 different background and text color combinations to make the computer screen easier to read. You can change the size of the font by using the “Custom Font” button. You can also zoom in on text to improve visibility. No separate answer sheets: One of the problems with conventional bubble-in answer sheets is that accidentally skipping one row on the answer sheet can throw off a test-taker’s entire score. On the computerized GED® test, you are presented with one question on the screen at a time, and you answer directly on that screen before moving on, so there is no chance of “bubbling in” on the wrong line of an answer sheet. How the Tests Are Scored Scores on the computerized GED® tests are determined based on the number of correctly answered questions. However, all questions are not weighted equally. Because of the new question types, some questions are worth more than others. The number of different question types will vary from one version of a test to another. This is one of the reasons why there is no way to know ahead of time how many questions you must answer correctly in order to pass. When you complete each test section, the GED® Testing Service uses a statistical method to convert your raw scores (the number of points earned for answering questions correctly) into scaled scores. Scaled scores are used so that test-takers’ results on different versions of the test can be compared fairly. For example, you might take a version of a test that is hard while another person takes a version of the test that is a bit easier. You might both have the same raw score. But since you were taking the hard version of the test, your raw score would show a better mastery of the subject than the raw score of the person taking the easier test. Your scaled score would therefore be higher than the other person’s scaled score. This is another reason why we cannot know in advance how many questions must be answered correctly to pass a test: raw scores on different tests might show different levels of performance. For each of the four test sections, the scaled scores can range from 100 to 200 points. The GED® Testing Service considers a scaled score of 145 on each test section to be the “Passing Standard.” To earn your high school equivalency credential, you must earn a scaled score of at least 145 points on each of the four test sections. Your score may be further interpreted according to the following score levels: Below Passing: 100―144 GED® Passing Score: 145―164 GED® College Ready: 165―174 GED® College Ready + Credit: 175―200 The Passing Score designation on a test means that you have demonstrated skills in that subject area that are equivalent to those of high school graduates. This gives you a high school equivalency credential.  The College Ready designation on a test means that you are ready for college-level work in that subject area, or are ready to begin a career. In addition to earning a high school equivalency credential, you may also be eligible to enroll directly in credit-bearing courses in a college or university, subject to the policies of the institution to which you apply. The College Ready + Credit designation on a test means that you have demonstrated some of the skills that are taught in college-level courses in that subject area. This may make you eligible for up to 10 semester-hours of related college credit, subject to the policies of the institution to which you apply. The tests are scored in their entirety by an automated scoring engine— even short-response and extended-response items are scored by computer. Scores are reported within three hours of the completion of the test. General Test-Taking Tips Analyze Documents You will be asked to analyze all sorts of documents on the GED® test. The Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) test includes both fiction and nonfiction passages. The Social Studies test includes excerpts from historical documents, transcripts of speeches, maps, political cartoons, photographs, charts, and graphs. The Science test includes passages, charts, and graphs. Most of the skills you will need to analyze these items are the same. Specifically, you will need to be able to: Draw conclusions from a text. You will need to look at details supplied in a text and be able to use those details to make claims about its meaning. Identify the key features of a text. When you read a document, you need to be able to identify its main idea, the key arguments made, and the conclusions drawn by the author. When you analyze a chart or graph, you need to be able to identify what information is shown and what trends appear in the data. Be sure to read all labels on a chart or graph.  Analyze events and ideas. You may be asked to compare different documents or sets of information and understand the relationships between them. For example, you might need to understand cause and effect, meaning you need to be able to see how one event or action relates to another. You will also be tested on your ability to understand how different points of view are reflected in different texts or sets of information. Use context clues. There may be words or phrases in the passages and charts you read on the test that you do not know. You should be able to use what you do know in combination with the information in the passage to figure out what an unfamiliar term means. Analyze the author’s purpose and influences on the author. Social Studies and RLA texts each have a purpose. The purpose may be simply to inform. The purpose might be to persuade. Sometimes the purpose is obvious, but sometimes the author attempts to hide the real purpose of a text. It is your job as the reader to figure out what the author is trying to do by understanding the historical context of the passage and looking at the kinds of arguments the author makes. You will need to be aware of bias, which means a prejudice in favor of a certain position on an issue. Bias is clear when the purpose of a text is to persuade, but it can be present in texts that are meant to be informational. When reading a text, you should think about who the author is and what concerns he or she might have that would color the text. Distinguish fact from opinion and supported claims from unsupported claims. When reading a text, notice how the argument is built. Is the author relying on hard evidence from reliable sources, or is she stating her own opinion? If the author makes a claim or draws a conclusion, is it well supported by either logic or evidence? Is there not enough evidence or is the evidence too weak? Analyze and understand content from different sources. Texts are not the only documents you will need to understand and interpret. There will also be graphs, charts, maps, photographs, artwork, cartoons, and other material. Some of what you see will be primary sources, which means they are directly a result of the event they deal  with. For example, the text of a short story by Kurt Vonnegut is a primary source document. A photograph of a U.S. Civil War battle is also a primary source. A secondary source is a source of information about an event that is produced after the fact. History textbooks are good examples of secondary sources. You will need to understand how these different types of sources relate to each other. Read Critically Read carefully. Focus on the main idea, the structure of the passage, and the author’s tone. Use your erasable notepad to take notes about what you are reading. Draw conclusions. What will happen next? If you had to choose a title for the passage, what would it be? Why did the author write this text? Who is the audience meant to be? Think like a scientist. Be analytical and not just on the Science test. For any passage, what is the author’s hypothesis? What are the dependent and independent variables? Are there any possible sources of errors in the argument or plan? How can errors be minimized? Identify trends in data. This is easier to do with a graph, but you will need to be able to do it with a chart as well. What is the largest data point? What is the smallest? Are there any intersections between different data sets? Analyze arguments. Does the author adequately support his or her position? What questions would you have if you could ask the author anything? What would strengthen the argument? Use the Process of Elimination The best path to a good score on the GED® tests is simply knowing the material. However, no matter how hard you study, there will probably be some questions that throw you for a loop. In those cases, you need to have some test-taking strategies ready. Certain test-taking strategies have been proven to help test-takers, particularly in solving multiple-choice questions. The GED® test still relies mainly on multiple-choice questions, so keep the following in mind: The correct answer is staring you in the face. Remember, the great thing about multiple-choice questions is that the correct answer is right in front of you. You just have to identify it. You do not have to retrieve it from your memory or come up with it on your own. Use this fact to your advantage. Use the process of elimination. On the GED® test, there is no penalty for wrong answers, so if you don’t know the answer to a question, you have nothing to lose by guessing. And if you must guess, you can improve your chances of guessing correctly by using the “process of elimination,” or POE. Think about it this way: on the GED® test, multiple-choice items have four answer choices. If you just guess randomly, you still have a one-in- four chance of being correct. What if you know that one of the answer choices is definitely wrong? Go ahead and eliminate that option. Now you have a one-in-three chance of guessing correctly. Your odds have just improved considerably. If you can eliminate two options, you are up to a 50% chance of selecting the correct answer. That’s even better. Here is an example of how this works: Use the passage for Item 1. Texas is now ours... Her star and her stripe may already be said to have taken their place in the glorious blazon of our common nationality; and the sweep of our eagle’s wing already includes within its circuit the wide extent of her fair and fertile land. She is no longer to us a mere geographical space—a certain combination of coast, plain, mountain, valley, forest and stream. She is no longer to us a mere country on the map. She comes within the dear and sacred designation of Our Country... other nations have undertaken to intrude themselves... in a spirit of hostile interference against us, for the avowed object of thwarting our policy and hampering our power, limiting our greatness and checking the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions. John L. O’Sullivan, “Annexation,” The United States Magazine and Democratic Review (1845) 1. What does O’Sullivan mean when he claims that annexing Texas is part of the “manifest destiny” of the United States? A. The United States has a divine right to spread across the North American continent. B. Adding Texas to the Union can help stop the spread of slavery. C. The population of the United States is destined to grow and strengthen. D. Texas is destined to help the Union win the Civil War. Let’s say you have no idea what manifest destiny is. Reading the passage will tell you that it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with slavery or the Civil War. Just realizing that one thing allows you to eliminate answer choices B and D. Now you have a 50/50 chance of getting the question correct if you have to guess. Not bad! By the way, manifest destiny is the idea that the United States is divinely destined to expand across the entire North American continent. This doctrine was believed by many to justify the annexation of Texas. Watch Out for Extreme Answer Choices When you are using the process of elimination, beware of extreme words such as all, every, or none. These are unlikely to be the correct answer. What is the difference between these two statements? A. Everyone likes vanilla ice cream. B. Many people like vanilla ice cream. Statement A is extreme. It can be argued that surely somewhere there is someone who doesn’t like vanilla ice cream. How would you argue with Statement B? You can’t, really. What does many people even mean? How many? Vague is good. Let’s look at an example from the RLA test: 1. Based on the speech, what generalization could be made about the possibility of long-term economic growth? A. The goal of any government is long-term economic growth. B. It may be preferable to sacrifice some short-term growth in order to achieve long-term growth. C. Long-term economic growth is simply not sustainable. D. Some private companies see long-term economic growth as secondary to immediate profits. Wait. We haven’t even read this passage. We don’t even have this passage. Still, we can use the process of elimination to get rid of any extreme answer choices. Take a look at choice A. The goal of any government? That means all of them. Not likely. What about choice C? No long-term growth ever? No matter what? That’s pretty extreme too. We can eliminate both those choices and we are down to only two. That’s a 50/50 chance of getting the correct answer and we don’t even have the passage. Find the Answer in the Passage Since the GED® tests now feature more passage-based items that require critical reading and thinking skills, it is more important than ever that you are comfortable finding information in a text and being able to draw conclusions from what you read. Here’s the good news: the correct answer is always right there in front of you. Every correct answer is based on something in the text. You won’t need any outside knowledge or supernatural powers. Here are the most important skills you will need: Know how to locate information in the text quickly. You don’t have all day. You can’t afford to read the entire passage every time you need to find something. Use the question to help you identify some key words to scan for in the passage. Paraphrase information. The best way to do well on passage-based questions is to answer the question in your own words before you look  at the answer choices. This means you will need to paraphrase what you read in the passage. Verify your answer choice. When you choose an answer, you should be able to point to the spot in the passage where the passage says the same thing. Focus on the main idea. Even a question about a specific detail will basically be asking you how that detail relates to the main idea. When you first read the passage, find the main idea. Keep it in mind as you answer all the questions for that passage. Have an awareness of the tone of the passage. Often you will find two answer choices that basically say what you are looking for. The difference may be the tone. If the author is writing persuasively, the correct answer may also have the persuasive tone. Use the Answers You probably will not know the answer to every question. That’s okay. For most question types, you can use the answer choices to help you. Let’s look at an example from the Social Studies test: 1. Which of the following is an example of a freedom that is guaranteed by the Bill of Rights? A. A magazine advertisement encourages people to join the Coast Guard. B. An eighteen-year-old girl registers to vote in an upcoming presidential election. C. A television host publicly criticizes the performance of a government official. D. A man is apprehended after he broke into a home and stole a television. Maybe you can’t remember everything that is in the Bill of Rights. Maybe you know the Bill of Rights really well, but you think there are too many rights listed in it to know where to start. You’ve got to use the answers. Read through them and see if anything rings a bell. Choices A and C seem to be about free speech. Choice B is about the right to vote. Choice D doesn’t seem to be about a right, so eliminate that one. Now, which of A, B, and C do you think is guaranteed by the Bill of Rights? You probably remember that free speech is in the Bill of Rights, so let’s look at A and C again. Choice A is about an advertisement and choice C is about criticizing the government. That might jar your memory of the First Amendment, which states that the government cannot restrict freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Choice C is the best. On some math questions, it may actually be easier to work backward. If a question asks, “What is x?” and you solve for x, how do you know you are right? You plug in the value you found for x and see if it works. It might be easier to just try each of the answer choices for x to see which one works. Let’s try it: 2. The mean of the data set below is 8. What is the value of x? {7, 3, 14, x, 6} A. 5 B. 8 C. 10 D. 13 If you don’t know how to find the answer to this question directly, work it backward. Try each answer as the value of x. To find the mean of a data set, we add up the values and divide by the number of values. There are five numbers in this data set, so we will divide the total by 5. Add up the numbers we know so far: 7 + 3 + 14 + 6 = 30. A. x = 5, so the sum of the data set will be 30 + 5 = 35. Is the mean 8? No, it’s 7. Try again. B. x = 8, which is probably a trap since the mean is 8. Let’s see: 30 + 8 = 38, which isn’t evenly divisible by 5. Try again. C. x = 10, so the sum of the data set will be 30 + 10 = 40. Is the mean 8? Yes. We found the right answer! Estimate Values You will see questions that involve math not only on the Mathematics test but also on the Science test and the Social Studies test. You can save yourself time and effort if you know that you can estimate your answer. Some questions ask you to “approximate,” but it may be possible to estimate even on ones that don’t. Let’s look at an example from the Mathematics test: 1. A gallon of paint will cover about 400 square feet. To the nearest tenth, how many gallons of paint will be required to paint the top of a circular table with a diameter of 12 feet? A. 0.03 gallons B. 0.28 gallons C. 0.49 gallons D. 1.13 gallons First, we need to figure out how many square feet the tabletop is. The formula for the area of a circle is A = πr2. Since the diameter is 12, the radius is 6. A = π(62) = 36π. You can probably do that much in your head. Let’s keep doing that and skip the calculator. We can estimate the value of pi as 3, so the area is about 108 square feet. The question asks how many gallons of paint we will need if a gallon covers about 400 square feet. We only need 108 square feet, so we need about 1/4 of a gallon. The only answer close to that is choice B. Essay Tips Read the texts carefully and think before you write. Your job is to analyze the two arguments and discuss which one you find more persuasive and why. Use your erasable note board to outline your extended response. Think for a minute or two about what you want to say, in what order, and how you intend to support your opinions or assertions. Make a  quick outline. It does not have to follow a formal format. Just know where you are going with a response before you start typing. Organize your response. Make an outline and stick to it. The classic five-paragraph essay format works beautifully for an extended response. Begin with an introductory paragraph that sums up each of the two arguments and states clearly which one you find more persuasive. Then write three body paragraphs, each detailing a reason why you chose the argument you did. Finally, write a conclusion paragraph to sum it up and restate your position. Use clear, simple sentences. On the extended-response question, do not try to get too fancy. You can always make sure you are being grammatically correct if you keep your sentences simple and clear. Don’t use big vocabulary words just to show off. Proofread your work. Once you finish your extended response, read through it carefully to make sure there are no obvious mistakes. Time Management Tips Keep an eye on the clock. The GED® testing software has a timer that will appear in the upper right-hand corner of your screen. You can minimize the timer or keep in view. Do not minimize it! Keep your eye on the clock, especially toward the end of the test. The timer cannot be minimized during the final few minutes of the test in any case. You definitely want to know when time is running out. Pace yourself. You have 90 minutes to complete the Science test. You should be working at a pace of approximately two minutes per question. If 30 minutes have passed, you should be on question number 14 or 15. After 60 minutes, you should be on Question 29 or 30. This pace will leave you a few minutes at the end of the test to return to any questions you skipped or flagged. Do not get hung up on a difficult question. It may be tempting to keep wrestling with a difficult question until you have it mastered, but remember that you do not have all day. You have a set amount of time, and your goal should be to at least attempt every single question on the  test. If you do some quick math based on the time limits and question totals, you will see that the longest you should spend on any given question is about two minutes. If you have been struggling and coming up empty for three or four minutes, mark an answer and click “Flag for Review.” Then move on. You probably have many questions ahead of you that you can answer correctly, so go get those points! If you have a few minutes at the end of the test, you can return to flagged questions and think about them a bit more to try to make better guesses. Save the last five minutes for guessing. When the timer shows five minutes left, mark an answer for any remaining questions. Then return to them and use process of elimination to make more educated guesses. If you have no questions remaining at the five-minute mark, return to any items you flagged and see if you can make better guesses on them. Answer every question. The GED® test does not penalize you for wrong answers. They simply count as zeros, so why miss out on possible points? Pick something, even on one of the new question types. Put down some kind of answer. Never leave a question unanswered. Test Day Tips This will all sound like very commonsense advice, but you would be surprised at how often people do not prepare properly for test day. Here is your pretest and test-day checklist: Pretest 1. Congratulate yourself for having used McGraw-Hill Education: Preparation for the GED® Test to prepare yourself thoroughly for your test. You are ready. 2. At least a day or two before the test, make a dry run at getting yourself to the test-taking facility. Are you sure you know exactly where to show up—not just which building, but which room on which  floor? If you are driving, is there parking available? Where, and how far from the facility? How much does it cost? What is traffic like at the time your test is scheduled? Is there gas in the car? If you are taking public transportation, do you know the quickest, best route to your test-taking facility? 3. Plan to arrive 30 minutes early. Yes, that seems like it is very early. You are expected to check in 15 minutes before your scheduled testing time, so you want to leave time for unexpected events. If you are early, so what? Sit down, relax, and visualize yourself acing the test. If there is unexpected road construction or if the subway or bus is delayed, you will be glad you had a little time cushion. You do not want to arrive barely in the nick of time, and you definitely do not want to be late. At many facilities, you will not even be admitted if you are late. 4. Don’t stay up all night studying the night before the test. Go ahead and review a little, but a good night’s sleep is more beneficial than last-minute cramming. Test Day 1. Eat breakfast, or lunch, or whatever meal comes right before your test time. Just do not let yourself go into the test hungry and thirsty. 2. Dress in layers. Some testing facilities are as cold as freezers. Others are as hot as ovens. Be ready for anything so you can stay comfortable. 3. Bring your photo ID. 4. If you are using your own TI-30XS calculator, bring it. 5. If you are taking multiple tests on the same day, bring a snack for during breaks between sections. Maybe a bottle of water and a granola bar. How to Use This Book to Set Up a Study Plan This book features pretests and posttests in all four subject areas. Before you begin your course of study, take the pretest in the subject you plan to tackle first. Use the answer explanations and scoring rubric to see how well you performed. Your performance on the pretest will give you a good idea of which areas you need to work on and which areas you have already mastered. How much time you decide to devote to each subject area depends completely on your own schedule and your level of mastery of each subject area. There is no set prescription. This book is broken into short, manageable chunks of information, so you can take it one step at a time at your own pace. Here is a sample study plan for each test that you can use or modify to meet your needs. Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) One- Month Study Plan Mathematical Reasoning One-Month Study Plan Science One-Month Study Plan Social Studies One-Month Study Plan  If you have a packed daily schedule with very little time to devote to studying and you find that you need a lot of review in a given area, you will probably need to give yourself plenty of time. For example, if you are a parent with a full-time job, you may find that by the time you get the children to bed, you only have enough energy for 30 minutes of studying. That’s fine. Just try to do one topic a night, and give yourself at least six weeks to finish your study for each test. You can extend the time allowed in the study plans to accommodate your busy schedule. On the other hand, if you want to get through your series of GED® tests as quickly as possible in order to achieve some further goal (get a certain job or promotion, apply to college, or the like) and you have several hours or more of free time every day, you could conceivably prepare yourself for one test in two weeks. You can compress the study plans in order to shorten your preparation time. You may find that you need more time for one subject than you do for another. Adjust the study plans accordingly. Whatever you decide, write down your plan on a calendar (how many pages per night, for example) and stick to it. It may take a lot of determination, but you can do it. Finally, turn to family and friends for support and encouragement. What you are doing is important, hard work. You deserve plenty of praise and pats on the back. We wish you the best of luck—on the test and beyond! Bonus Apps Flashcard App As you progress in your studies, you will find the flashcard app that accompanies this book to be a useful tool for reviewing key topics. The app includes 100 cards, 25 for each of the test’s four subjects: Reasoning Through Language Arts, Mathematical Reasoning, Science, and Social Studies. To access the flashcard app, go to the iTunes or Google Play app store. Once you are at the appropriate store, search “MHE Flashcard App for the GED® Test” and download. For an online version of the app, visit mhprofessional.com/GEDTest. Below the book’s illustration, open the tab “Downloads & Resources.” Here, click on the link under “Flashcards” and you will be able to use the flashcards on your laptop or home computer. Test Planner App The test planner app will enable you to create your own customized study schedule. To access this app, go to the iTunes or Google Play app store. Once you are at the appropriate store, search “MHE Preparation for GED® Test” and download.  Pretests How to Use the Pretests The pretests in this section are designed to help you determine what parts of this book you will want to focus on in order to get your best test score. There are four pretests, one in each GED® test subject area: Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA), Mathematical Reasoning, Science, and Social Studies. Each one is designed to match the real exam as closely as possible in format and degree of difficulty. When you take these pretests, your results will give you a good idea of how well you would score if you took the GED® test today. Use the pretests to plan your study by following these five steps: 1. Take the pretests one at a time. Do not try to work through all four pretests in one session. 2. Take each pretest under test conditions. Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. Take the pretest as if it were the actual GED® test. Work though the pretest from beginning to end in one sitting. Mark your answers directly on the test pages. Observe the time limit given at the start of the test. If you have not finished the pretest when time runs out, mark the last question you answered, and then note how much longer it takes you to complete the test. This information will tell you if you need to speed up your pace, and, if so, by how much. 3. Answer every question. On the real GED® test, there is no penalty for wrong answers, so it makes sense to answer every question, even if you have to guess. If you don’t know an answer, see if you can eliminate one or more of the answer choices. The more choices you can eliminate, the better your chance of guessing correctly! 4. Check your answers in the Answers and Explanations section at the end of each pretest. Pay particular attention to the explanations for questions you missed. 5. Fill out the Evaluation Charts. These charts are located at the end of each Answers and Explanations section. Mark the numbers of the questions you missed, and the chart will show you the sections of this book where you need to spend the most study time. The number of questions and time limit for each pretest are shown in the following chart. PRETEST Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) This Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) Pretest is designed to introduce you to this section of the GED® test and to give you a good idea of your current skill level in this subject area. This test has 64 items in multiple-choice or other formats and one extended-response question. The question formats are the same as the ones on the real exam and are designed to measure the same skills. Most of the questions are based on reading passages that are selections from either fiction or nonfiction sources. Most of the questions are in multiple-choice format, but you will also see questions in other formats, such as fill-in- the-blank items and simulated click-and-drag and drop-down items. On the real GED® test, you will indicate your answers by clicking on the computer screen. For this paper-and-pencil practice test, mark your answers directly on the page. Type your essay, if possible, or write your extended response on a separate sheet of paper. To get a good idea of how you will do on the real exam, take this test under actual exam conditions. Complete the test in one session and follow the given time limit. If you do not complete the test in the time allowed, you will know that you need to work on improving your pacing. Try to answer as many questions as you can. There is no penalty for wrong answers, so guess if you have to. In multiple-choice questions, if you can eliminate one or more answer choices, you can increase your chances of guessing correctly. After you have finished the test, check your answers in the Answers and Explanations section that follows the pretest. Then use the Evaluation Chart at the end of the Answers and Explanations section to determine the skills and content areas in which you need more practice. Now turn the page and begin the Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) Pretest. PRETEST Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) Part 1: Multiple Choice 22 questions 35 minutes Use the excerpt for Items 1 through 5: Excerpt Adapted from “The Finished Story” by Lucy Maude Montgomery 1 She always sat in a corner of the west veranda at the hotel, knitting something white and fluffy, or pink and fluffy, or pale blue and fluffy —always fluffy, at least, and always dainty. Shawls and scarfs and hoods the things were, I believe. When she finished one she gave it to some girl and began another. 2 She was old, with that beautiful, serene old age which is as beautiful in its way as youth. Her girlhood and womanhood must have been very lovely to have ripened into such a beauty of sixty years. 3 For the first two days after the arrival at the hotel she sat in her corner alone. There was always a circle of young people around her; old folks and middle-aged people would have liked to join it, but Miss Sylvia, while she was gracious to all, let it be distinctly understood that her sympathies were with youth. 4 Miss Sylvia liked us all, but I was her favorite. She told us so frankly and let it be understood that when I was talking to her and her shawl was allowed to slip under one arm it was a sign that we were not to be interrupted. 5 We were sitting together on the veranda at sunset. Most of the hotel people had gone for a harbor sail. 6 I was reading one of my stories to Miss Sylvia. In my own excuse I must allege that she tempted me to do it. Miss Sylvia had discovered that I was a magazine scribbler, and moreover, that I had shut myself up in my room that very morning and perpetrated a short story. Nothing would do but that I read it to her. 7 It was a rather sad little story. The hero loved the heroine, and she loved him. There was no reason why he should not love her, but there was a reason why he could not marry her. When he found that he loved her he knew that he must go away. But might he not, at least, tell her his love? Might he not, at least, find out for his consolation if she cared for him? There was a struggle; he won, and went away without a word, believing it to be the more manly course. 8 When I turned the last page of the manuscript and looked up, Miss Sylvia’s soft brown eyes were full of tears. She lifted her hands, clasped them together and said in an agitated voice: 9 “Oh, no, no; don’t let him go away without telling her—just telling her. Don’t let him do it!” 10 “But, you see, Miss Sylvia,” I explained, flattered beyond measure that my characters had seemed so real to her, “that would spoil the story. It would have no reason for existence then. Its motif is simply his mastery over self. He believes it to be the nobler course.” 11 “No, no, it wasn’t—if he loved her he should have told her. Think of her shame and humiliation—she loved him, and he went without a word and she could never know he cared for her. Oh, you must change it—you must, indeed! I cannot bear to think of her suffering what I have suffered.” 12 Miss Sylvia broke down and sobbed. To appease her, I promised that I would remodel the story, although I knew that the doing so would leave it absolutely pointless. 13 “Oh, I’m so glad,” said Miss Sylvia, her eyes shining through her tears. “You see, I know it would make her happier—I know it. I’m going to tell you my poor little story to convince you. But you—you must not tell it to any of the others.” 14 “I know I can trust you. But it’s such a poor little story. You mustn’t laugh at it—it is all the romance I had. Years ago—forty years ago— when I was a young girl of twenty, I—learned to care very much for somebody. I met him at a summer resort like this. I was there with my aunt and he was there with his mother, who was delicate. We saw a great deal of each other for a little while. He was—oh, he was like no  other man I had ever seen. You remind me of him somehow. That is partly why I like you so much. I noticed the resemblance the first time I saw you. He was not strong—he coughed a good deal. Then one day he went away—suddenly. I had thought he cared for me, but he never said so—just went away. Oh, the shame of it! After a time I heard that he had been ordered to California for his health. And he died out there the next spring. My heart broke then, I never cared for anybody again —I couldn’t. I have always loved him. But it would have been so much easier to bear if I had only known that he loved me—oh, it would have made all the difference in the world. And the sting of it has been there all these years. I can’t even permit myself the joy of dwelling on his memory because of the thought that perhaps he did not care.” 1. What can be inferred about the narrator? A. He has little imagination. B. He is worried about Miss Sylvia. C. He studies people very carefully. D. He already knew Miss Sylvia’s story. 2. Which quotation from the passage supports the theme of the passage? A. “For the first two days after the arrival at the hotel she sat in her corner alone.” B. “Miss Sylvia liked us all, but I was her favorite.” C. “In my own excuse I must allege that she tempted me to do it.” D. “Oh, no, no; don’t let him go away without telling her—just telling her.” 3. What effect does the narrator’s story have on Miss Sylvia? A. It upsets her. B. It comforts her. C. It irritates her. D. It angers her. 4. Indicate each word that DESCRIBES Miss Sylvia and belongs in the character web. (Note: On the real GED® test, you will click on the words you choose and “drag” each one into position in the character web.) 5. Why is it so important to Miss Sylvia to have the ending of the story changed? A. It is so close to her own experience. B. She thinks it would improve the story. C. She feels the ending is overly complicated. D. She wants the narrator to make the story shorter. 6. The following letter contains several numbered blanks, each marked “Select....” Beneath each one is a set of choices. Indicate the choice from each set that is correct and belongs in the blank. (Note: On the real GED® test, the choices will appear as a “drop down” menu. When you click on a choice, it will appear in the blank.) Dear Mr. and Mrs. Taylor: I want to welcome you to Heart Insurance. We operate our company as a family and think of our clients as extended family as well. We hope that you will be pleased with every aspect of our performance. And I personally promise to act at once if you have any questions or desire any changes made to your policy. Heart Insurance is really a mom and pop At first we did everything ourselves to make it successful. After we began to grow and hired other employees, we realized that we needed to delegate some of our work to others, but that does not mean that we do not still oversee the operations very closely. We definitely know what is happening in the company. I would also like to point out that Heart may be able to save you money. Should you choose to insure your home with us as well, you would receive a five % discount on your insurance rates for both cars and home. We try to work with all our customers so that they can find the best deals for We are extremely competitive pricewise, so you might want to consider making that change. It’s just a thought, but it might be a wise decision on your part. I am enclosing other information for you about our services. We have many types of umbrella policies that can ensure you will rest easy and have no liability issues. Again, if you have any questions do not hesitate to You can always reach us at our toll-free number, and when you call, you will speak to a person, not a machine. If you choose to write us, make sure to send your correspondence to our main headquarters in Chicago. The address is printed on the pamphlet I am sending you. Again, welcome to Heart. We aim to please. Sincerely, Donald D. Heart CEO Heart Insurance Use the following excerpts for Items 7 through 16: Excerpt Adapted from “The Dangers of the Proposal of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Introduce Grizzly Bears into Idaho,” a Speech to the U.S. House of Representatives (July 1997) by Congresswoman Helen Chenoweth 1 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has prepared a plan to introduce grizzly bears into a huge part of my district. Let me explain to the Members that this would affect a significant portion of the State of Idaho. The area we’re talking about is over one-third of the state. Just to give Members an idea about how big this area is, let me give a comparison. In this area we could fit the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island, and still have over a million unfilled acres. You should be aware that the area they are talking about contains many populated regions, including the area around the University of Idaho. Moreover, the border of the grizzly bear recovery area runs very close to Boise. 2 The grizzly bear is a huge and dangerous animal, which makes for us a huge and dangerous problem. The grizzly bear is a large predatory mammal. And, provoked or unprovoked, it can move very quickly to viciously attack a human or an animal. In addition, the grizzly has special dietary needs. Just one of them requires between 10 and 168 square miles of land to live on, depending upon the amount of food there is in the area. 3 Bringing back the unpredictable grizzly bear means that people will not be able to behave or work in the way they used to in this part of Idaho. Roads normally open will have to be shut down. Hiking trails will be restricted. Camping areas will be closed. Hunting will be restricted. Livestock and logging practices will be dramatically  altered. Bringing back the grizzly bear is really like allowing wildlife to take over. 4 It is a well-known fact that grizzly bears are often violent toward humans and animals. While settlers may have recognized the beauty of these animals, they also understood the horrible threat they pose. At the time, there was no federal act to keep them from killing these animals. Thank goodness. Lewis and Clark described in their journals the absolute terror that they and the Indians had for these animals and how difficult it was to kill a grizzly, even with several shots fired from their 18th-century guns. 5 When I presented to the Fish and Wildlife Service these types of concerns about human risk, they, too, recognized the danger of grizzly bears. In the past few years, because more people are vacationing in our forests and lands, attacks have increased. Even with this plan, the Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that there could be about one human injury or death each year. 6 Let me say for the record, Mr. Speaker, not one human death or injury resulting from a grizzly bear attack is acceptable to this Congresswoman. In fact, it should not be acceptable to anyone who values human life. Excerpt from “Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Released on Reintroduction of Grizzly Bears in the Bitterroot Ecosystem in Western Montana and Central Idaho” (2000) by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1 The purpose of reintroducing grizzlies would be to enhance the species’ potential for recovery in the lower 48 states. 2 An estimated 50,000 grizzly bears lived in the contiguous United States prior to European settlement. Grizzly bears have been eliminated from approximately 98% of their historic range in the lower 48 states. Today, approximately 1,000–1,100 grizzly bears  remain in five scattered populations in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Washington. Only two areas in the country (the Yellowstone ecosystem and the Northern Continental Divide ecosystem which includes Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness) have populations of several hundred grizzlies. The other three populations have approximately 5 to 50 grizzly bears each. 3 The grizzly bear is a native species of the Bitterroot ecosystem and was once common there. Grizzlies were eliminated from the Bitterroots by the 1940s after a century of intensive persecution. Of all remaining unoccupied grizzly bear habitat in the lower 48 states, the Bitterroot Mountains wilderness area has the best potential for grizzly bear recovery. This area has the components of quality grizzly bear habitat. As such, the Bitterroot ecosystem offers excellent potential to recover a healthy population of grizzly bears and to boost long-term survival and recovery prospects for this species in the contiguous United States. Recovery of endangered species, and their removal from the list of endangered species, is the ultimate goal of the Endangered Species Act. 4 Under the plan outlined in the EIS, the Service would reintroduce a minimum of 25 grizzly bears into 25,140 square miles of the Selway- Bitterroot Wilderness over a period of five years. The bears would be taken from areas in Canada and the United States that have healthy populations of grizzly bears living in habitats similar to those found in the Bitterroot ecosystem. 5 All reintroduced bears would be radio-collared and monitored to determine their movements and how they use their habitat, and to keep the public informed through media outreach of general bear locations and recovery efforts. Under the plan, the Service would only consider bears with no known history of conflicts with people for reintroduction. 6 Suitable bears would be released at remote wilderness sites within the Bitterroot Mountains of east-central Idaho that have high-quality bear habitat and low likelihood of human encounters. By designating the reintroduced grizzly population as nonessential experimental, bears that frequent areas of high human use, act aggressively toward  humans, or attack livestock would be relocated or destroyed, based on actions in the Interagency Grizzly Bear Guidelines. 7. What is Congresswoman Chenoweth’s viewpoint? A. Grizzly bears should be reintroduced into states other than Idaho in a slow and orderly manner. B. Grizzly bears should be introduced into Idaho at the discretion of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. C. Grizzly bears should not be reintroduced into Idaho or any other part of the country because they are ferocious. D. Grizzly bears should not be reintroduced into Idaho in the way that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has planned. 8. Why does Congresswoman Chenoweth compare the area that is to be used for the reintroduction of the grizzly bear to the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island? A. She is stressing how large an area it is in contrast to these states. B. She is suggesting these states are all smaller in size than Idaho. C. She wants everyone to know that there are no grizzlies in these states. D. She wants to stress that states in the East Coast don’t have much wildlife. 9. What is the reason that Congresswoman Chenoweth mentions the Lewis and Clark journals? A. to show that even Lewis and Clark were frightened of the grizzlies B. to suggest that Lewis and Clark knew very little about grizzlies C. to show that she is knowledgeable about the Lewis and Clark expedition D. to suggest that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should read the journals 10. According to the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), what is the purpose of reintroducing grizzlies into the environment? A. to study the bears B. to make the bears tamer C. to increase the number of bears D. to improve the bears’ environment 11. Which quotation from the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) supports the underlying premise that grizzlies might pose a hazard to humans when reintroduced? A. “Grizzly bears have been eliminated from approximately 98% of their historic range in the lower 48 states.” B. “Grizzlies were eliminated from the Bitterroots by the 1940s after a century of intensive persecution.” C. “All reintroduced bears would be radio-collared and monitored to determine their movements and how they use their habitat, and to keep the public informed through media outreach of general bear locations and recovery efforts.” D. “By designating the reintroduced grizzly population as nonessential experimental, bears that frequent areas of high human use, act aggressively toward humans, or attack livestock would be relocated or destroyed, based on actions in the Interagency Grizzly Bear Guidelines.” 12. Indicate where each sentence belongs in the chart. (Note: On the real GED® test, you will click on each sentence and “drag” it into position in the chart.) 13. In the conclusion of her speech, how does Congresswoman Chenoweth try to make an effective appeal to her listeners? A. She provides an objective overview of the project.  B. She stresses emotional issues regarding the reintroduction of grizzlies. C. She summarizes logical arguments made earlier in her speech. D. She helps her listeners understand the complexity of the project. 14. How does the tone of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) differ from the tone of the speech? A. It has a more factual tone than the speech has. B. It has a more urgent tone than the speech has. C. It includes an emotional appeal that the speech is lacking. D. It uses stronger language than the speech does. 15. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) includes data on the decline of grizzly populations because the EIS needs to A. show why grizzlies were considered dangerous by people. B. explain the need for reintroducing grizzlies into the environment. C. reassure the audience that grizzlies will become numerous again. D. emphasize the amount of time that has passed since grizzlies were numerous. 16. How do the different genres of a speech and of a government document like an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) affect each text? A. A speech is typically better organized than an EIS. B. Arguments in a speech are more likely to be based on fact than those in an EIS. C. A speech allows for dramatic arguments, while an EIS is more factual and objective. D. A speech may contain current ideas, while an EIS is more likely to contain older ideas. 17. The following memo contains several numbered blanks, each marked “Select....” Beneath each one is a set of choices. Indicate the choice  from each set that is correct and belongs in the blank. (Note: On the real GED® test, the choices will appear as a “drop down” menu. When you click on a choice, it will appear in the blank.) To: All Employees From: HR Re: Child Care Great news! In response to all your requests, the company is planning to open a child care facility on the 3rd floor. The location will be in the former Big Kane Division space. The target opening is set for the 15th of May. All those who want to register a child must stop by HR and pick up the necessary forms. Have your doctor’s office fill out the medical data form. You will also need to fill out the information form so there will be a record of any emergency numbers that may be needed. there is a limit on the number of children who can be cared for in the facility, so it would be wise to get your application in sooner rather than later. Certainly, we do realize that some parents already have a good system of care for their children, and most of them will not make a switch. At least that is what we are hoping. But we will be creating a wait list, should more parents apply than we can handle. Lunch will be provided by the new facility, and going to be a hot lunch, made possible because of the large kitchen area on the third floor. If your child has special dietary needs, you will have to make that clear on the application and provide a list of foods that are acceptable. Snacks will also be provided, but if a parent prefers, a child may bring his or her own food. The facility will be open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and will be under the supervision of Celia Riverton, who has 22 years of child care experience. She will have five assistants. We are seeking an adult to child ratio of one to ten. If you have any questions, contact Barry Minor. We are all very excited by this new development, which we feel will only result in fewer missed days from work. Use the following excerpt for Items 18 through 21: Excerpt Adapted from “The Pendulum” by O. Henry 1 John walked slowly toward his flat. Slowly, because in the lexicon of his daily life there was no such word as “perhaps.” There are no surprises awaiting a man who has been married two years and lives in a flat. As he walked John Perkins prophesied to himself with gloomy and downtrodden cynicism the foregone conclusions of the monotonous day. 2 Katy would meet him at the door. He would remove his coat, sit upon a lounge and read the evening paper. For dinner there would be pot roast, a salad flavored with a dressing warranted not to crack or injure the leather, stewed rhubarb and the bottle of strawberry marmalade blushing at the certificate of chemical purity on its label. After dinner Katy would show him the new patch in her crazy quilt that the iceman had cut for her off the end of his four-in-hand. At half-past seven they would spread newspapers over the furniture to catch the pieces of plastering that fell when the fat man in the flat overhead began to take his physical exercises. 3 John Perkins knew these things would happen. And he knew that at a quarter past eight he would summon his nerve and reach for his hat, and that his wife would deliver this speech in a querulous tone: 4 “Now, where are you going, I’d like to know, John Perkins?” 5 “Thought I’d drop up to McCloskey’s,” he would answer, “and play a game or two of pool with the fellows.” 6 Of late such had been John Perkins’s habit. At ten or eleven he would return. Sometimes Katy would be asleep; sometimes waiting up. 7 Tonight John Perkins encountered a tremendous upheaval of the commonplace when he reached his door. No Katy was there with her affectionate, confectionate kiss. The three rooms seemed in portentous disorder. All about lay her things in confusion. Shoes in the middle of the floor, curling tongs, hair bows, kimonos, powder box, jumbled together on dresser and chairs—this was not Katy’s way. With a sinking heart John saw the comb with a curling cloud of her brown hair among its teeth. Some unusual hurry and perturbation must have possessed her, for she always carefully placed these combings in the little blue vase on the mantel to be some day formed into the coveted feminine “rat.” 8 Hanging conspicuously to the gas jet by a string was a folded paper. John seized it. It was a note from his wife running thus: 9 “Dear John: I just had a telegram saying mother is very sick. I am going to take the 4.30 train. Brother Sam is going to meet me at the depot there. There is cold mutton in the ice box. I will write tomorrow. Hastily, KATY.” 10 Never during their two years of being married had he and Katy been separated for a night. John read the note over and over in a dazed way. Here was a change in their routine that had never before varied, and it left him feeling strange. 11 There on the back of a chair hung, pathetically empty and formless, the red apron with black dots that she always wore while getting the meals. Her weekday clothes had been tossed here and there in her haste. A little paper bag of her favorite butterscotch candy lay on the table untouched. A daily newspaper was on the floor, a large  rectangular hole gaping where the railroad timetable had been clipped from it. Everything in the room spoke of a loss, of an essence gone, of its soul and life departed. John Perkins stood among the dead remains with a queer feeling of desolation in his heart. 12 He began to tidy up the room as best he could. When he picked up her apron, he had the strangest feeling of terror. He had never thought of life without Katy before. She had become so thoroughly a part of his life that she was like the air he breathed—necessary but scarcely noticed. Now, without warning she was gone, vanished, as though she had never existed. Of course it would only be for a few days, or at most a week or two, but it seemed as though the hand of death had pointed a finger at his secure and uneventful home. 13 John Perkins was not used to thinking about his emotions. But he knew now that Katy was necessary to his happiness. “It is terrible the way I’ve been treating her. Off every night with the guys to play pool instead of staying here with her. John Perkins, you are the worst of the bunch. I’m going to make it up to her.” 14 Suddenly the door opened. Katy walked in carrying her bag. “I’m glad to get back,” said Katy. “Mom wasn’t that sick. She just had a bit of stomach upset. So I took the next train back.” 15 John Perkins felt something shift. It was almost like a machine clicking into position, swinging back to where it should be. He looked at his clock. It was 8:15, the time he left each night to hang out with the guys. 16 He reached for his hat automatically. “Where are you going?” asked Katy. “Thought I’d drop up to McCloskey’s and play a game or two of pool with the fellows,” he told her. 18. A pendulum is something that swings back and forth. Why do you think O. Henry named this story “The Pendulum”? John Perkins A. liked to play pool with his friends in the evening. B. changed his feelings from one minute to the next minute. C. started to help clean up the house, but then decided it was too much work.  D. could not go with Katy on the train as he was late getting back from work. 19. Which quotation from the passage supports the idea that John was strongly affected by the absence of Katy? A. “As he walked John Perkins prophesied to himself with gloomy and downtrodden cynicism the foregone conclusions of the monotonous day.” B. “After dinner Katy would show him the new patch in her crazy quilt that the iceman had cut for her off the end of his four-in- hand.” C. “Everything in the room spoke of a loss, of an essence gone, of its soul and life departed.” D. “It was 8:15, the time he left each night to hang out with the guys.” 20. In the following flow chart, indicate the order in which the events listed occur in the excerpt. (Note: On the real GED® test, you will click on the sentences in the boxes and “drag” each one into position in the flow chart.) 21. Why was John walking so slowly to his home? A. He was not feeling well. B. He was tired after working hard. C. He knew his wife was not at home. D. He knew what the evening would be like. 22. The following memo contains several numbered blanks, each marked “Select....” Benea