HOW SHOULD I INTERPRET MY SCORES?

HOW SHOULD I INTERPRET MY SCORES?


Your GED Test score is an estimate of your knowledge and
skills in the areas tested as compared to the knowledge and
skills of recent high school graduates. As with any test, the
scores are not intended to be a complete and perfect measure of
all you know and can do. Rather, the GED Tests provide an
estimate of your educational achievements, as compared to those
of high school graduates. In fact, if you take a different form
of the test covering the same content areas with slightly
different questions, it is likely that your score will be
slightly different.

If you take the GED Tests and do not achieve the minimum
passing score required by your state, province, or territory,
contact your local adult education center for assistance in
interpreting your scores so that you can improve your
performance in the future.

If you are taking the GED Tests for college or university
admission, check with the institution you plan to attend to
find out the minimum scores required for admission.


WHAT CAN I DO BEFORE TAKING THE TESTS?


Familiarize yourself with the content of the tests. You
can do this in two ways. First, review the content descriptions
and sample test questions in this Bulletin. The questions
included here are typical of the type and difficulty of
questions you will find in the actual GED Tests. Second, take
the Official GED Practice Tests, either through your local
adult education program or by yourself. When you take the
Practice Tests, be sure to follow the time limits given in the
directions. In this way, you will be able to get an accurate
sense of what taking the actual GED Tests will be like, what
the questions will look like, and how much time you'll have to
work on the questions. While working on the Official GED
Practice Tests, try out some of the strategies suggested in
this Bulletin.

* Spend time reading newspapers and news magazines. Many of
the articles in these publications are similar to those
used in the GED Tests.

* Don't worry too much. A little test anxiety is normal and
may be a good thing, because it makes you more alert and
motivates you to do your best. To keep anxiety from
getting out of hand:

-- Become familiar with the content of the tests.

-- Prepare for the tests as fully as you can. When you have
done all you can, relax; if you have prepared well, you
will do well.

-- Remember that there are no "trick" questions on the
tests so you don't have to worry about being "fooled" by
the questions.

-- Remember that you don't have to answer every question
correctly to pass.

* Come to the testing session physically and mentally alert.
The GED Tests are designed to measure skills acquired over
a long period of time. "Cramming" the night before will
probably not help.


WHAT CAN I DO WHILE TAKING THE TESTS?


Try using some of the following strategies to help you do
your best while you are taking the GED Tests.


Test-Taking Strategies


* Answer every question. Scores are based only on the number
of questions answered correctly; there is no penalty for
guessing.

* Read the test directions carefully for each section of the
test.

* Be sure you know what the question asks for before
selecting an answer. Pay particular attention to any
portions of the question that may be underlined or printed
in capital letters.

* Briefly scan the text or figure that accompanies the
question; then read the questions and options to see what
information you will need. Next, return to the text or
figure for a more careful reading.

* Draw figures or charts--or list key facts--on scratch
paper.

* Use your time wisely. Budget your time so that you are
able to finish the test within the time permitted. Skip
difficult questions and return to them near the end of the
testing period.

* Remember that you are looking for the one best answer.

* For the Essay Section of the Writing Skills Test:

-- Organize your essay as a direct answer to the topic
assigned. Your essay should state your answer and then
explain why you answered the way you did.

-- Be sure your explanation supports your answer. For
example, if you were writing on the topic on page 6 in
this Bulletin and your essay included the statement that
too much television is bad for children, you should
provide reasons and examples that show how television
harms children.

-- Use details and examples that show the reader what, why,
and how. The more convincing your essay is, the more
effective it is. Whatever the specific subject of the
essay question may be, think of your essay as an attempt
to convince the reader of the correctness of your
answer.

* For the Mathematics Test:

-- Look over the answer choices before beginning to figure
out the answer. See how exact you need to be. For
example, instead of an answer carried to three decimal
places, the options may simply present whole numbers.
This will save you time in arriving at a solution.

-- Check your answer to see if it "makes sense" in the
context of the problem. For example, if your computation
indicates that a one-pound bag of carrots will cost $25,
you should recognize that you've made an error because
the figure of $25 for a bag of carrots does not make
sense.

-- Use the formulas page provided in the front of the
Mathematics Test. You will need to determine which, if
any, of the formulas to use to solve a problem, but you
do not have to memorize the formulas.

-- Use your personal experience to help solve the problems.
The settings used for the problems in the Mathematics
Test are usually realistic. For example, in a problem
that requires you to compute weekly earnings, ask
yourself, "how would I figure my weekly earnings?"