Hints for Writing the GED Tests

Hints for writing Language Arts, Part I

Make sure to read the whole document before you start to answer the questions. Some questions test your ability to create a unified paragraph or document and assume that you have already read the entire text.
Read the document carefully. When you come across errors, think about how you would correct them. Also, consider whether all the sentences in a paragraph support the main idea. Finally, think about whether the sentences appear in logical order. Then, once you start working on the questions, you may already have an idea about the correct answers.

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Hints for writing Language Arts, Part II

Use the scratch paper provided to plan out your response to the essay topic. Jot down notes, ideas, an outline, or any other things that might help you plan the organization and content of your paper.
Organize your essay as a direct response to the topic assigned. Your essay should state your response and then explain why you answered the way you did. Make sure you address the assigned topic.
Use details and examples that show the reader what your response is and how and why you believe it is. The more convincing your essay is, the more effective it is. Whatever the specific essay topic may be, think of your essay as an attempt to convince the reader of the correctness of your response.
Be sure that all the details and examples you provide in your essay are directly relevant to your response to the essay topic. Stay on topic! If you are off-topic, your essay will not receive a score.
Once you get your essay topic, plan to use some of your test time for planning and final revising in addition to writing.

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Hints for writing Science

Read the questions carefully, not only for what is stated explicitly, but also for what may be implied or assumed. Sometimes, written text and diagrams have unstated assumptions about what you already know.
Make sure to read all titles, keys, labels, etc., on diagrams, maps, graphs, and tables. They often contain information about the main idea.
Make sure you understand the scales of a graph because some graphs show relationships - not specific amounts.
Bar graphs are often used to compare amounts.

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Hints for writing Social Studies

As you read the written selections, always ask yourself what the main idea of the text is. Often the main idea is stated or implied in the first or last sentence. If you can't find it there, pay careful attention to the details or examples in the selection to get an idea of what main point they support.
When reading a graph, table, cartoon, map, photograph, or other visual representation, make sure to read all titles, legends, labels, captions, and data. They often provide important information about the main idea.
Look for trends, themes, and groupings in text excerpts, time lines, charts, and graphs.
Sometimes the questions will ask you to consider a cause-and-effect relationship. Keep in mind that a cause can have more than one effect and that, sometimes, multiple causes can result in the same effect.
Some questions will require you to identify implications or assumptions in the material provided. This means that you will have to read between the lines of what is actually written or presented. Often, what is suggested is as important as what is directly stated.
Pay close attention to what the question is asking you to identify. For example, one type of question asks you to differentiate between facts stated and opinions that can be drawn from the information provided. Make sure you understand the difference: facts can be proven to be true, and opinions are judgments that may or may not be true.
Some questions ask you to draw only from the information that is provided in the question in selecting the best answer. Do not use prior or additional knowledge to answer such questions.
Some questions will ask you to apply an idea or concept from material detailed on the test to a different situation. The most important steps in successfully answering this type of question are to understand the main idea of the original material and then think of ways that this idea can be used to interpret the new situation.

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Hints for writing Language Arts - Reading

Before you read the selection, look at the purpose question, which is printed in bold, so that you will have a focus and purpose in mind as you start reading.
Some test-takers benefit from glancing at the test questions before starting to read the text; others prefer to read the selection first. You should try both methods to see which works best for you.
Read the selection before you start answering the questions. Most of the questions demand an overall understanding of the text even when a very specific question is asked.
If you come to a word you don’t know, use the meaning of the whole sentence to guess at the meaning of the word.
Pay attention not only to the actual excerpts themselves, but also to any explanatory notes, which are set off in square brackets. In excerpts from plays, the stage directions are printed in italics; make sure to pay attention to these sections in addition to the dialogue because the stage directions often contain important information about the setting and characters’actions and emotions.
Some questions refer to line numbers in the text. When answering these questions, make sure to go back to the passage to reread those words in their correct context. Do not rely solely on your memory!
Make sure to select the answer that best and most completely answers the question. Do not select a choice just because it is a true statement.
The excerpts and questions are arranged in order from easiest to hardest.

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Hints for writing Mathematics

The Mathematics Test is in two booklets. Each part has 25 questions. The total time for taking the Mathematics Test is 90 minutes.
For Part I, a calculator (the Casio fx-260) will be provided for your use. However, you are not required to use it. If you plan to use the calculator, become familiar with its operations before you take the test. Basic directions for the calculator are provided on the actual test.
Ten questions (seven on Part I and three on Part II) on the Mathematics Test are not multiple choice. These are not the most difficult questions on the test. You should become familiar with the methods of recording your answers for these alternate-format questions (standard grid and coordinate plan grid).
On the coordinate plane grid, make sure that you fill in only one circle to represent your answer. If you fill in more than one circle on the graph, your response will be marked as incorrect.
You will be provided with a page of formulas at the front of the Mathematics Test booklets.
Some questions will provide you with more information than you need to answer them correctly. Use only the data that are relevant to the particular question.
Some multiple choice questions may not contain enough information to answer the question. In that case, the correct response is “Not enough information is given.”
When you obtain an answer, take a moment to determine whether your answer makes sense given the parameters of the problem. For example, if your calculation indicates that a 1-kilogram bag of carrots will cost $50, you should check your work for errors because $50 is not a reasonable price for this item.
Use your personal experience to solve the problems. The settings used for the problems in the Mathematics Test are usually realistic. For example, in a test question that requires you to compute weekly earnings, ask yourself, “How would I calculate my weekly earnings?”
In diagrams, do not assume that lines are parallel or perpendicular unless the problem gives you that information in either words or symbols. This rule is true even when the lines look parallel or perpendicular.

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For more information please contact:

GED Office
Programs Branch
Advanced Education & Employment
12th floor, 1945 Hamilton Street
Regina SK S4P 2C8

Tel: (306) 787-5597
Fax: (306) 787-7182
Email: GED@sasked.gov.sk.ca

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