TEST TWO: SOCIAL STUDIES

TEST TWO: SOCIAL STUDIES


The GED Social Studies Test contains multiple-choice
questions drawn from the following content areas.

* History

* Economics

* Political Science

* Geography

* Behavioral Sciences
anthropology
psychology
sociology

(Note that there are different U.S. and Canadian versions
of the GED Social Studies Test.)

Most of the questions in the Social Studies Test refer to
information provided. The information may be a paragraph, or it
may be a chart, table, graph, map, cartoon, or figure. In every
case, to answer the questions in the Social Studies Test, you
must understand, use, analyze, or evaluate the information
provided.


Directions and Sample Questions for Social Studies


Directions: Choose the one best answer to each item.

Items 1 and 2 refer to the following information.

Five amendments to the U.S. Constitution directly affect
voting qualifications.

The Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870, prohibited
states from using race or color as standards for determining
the right to vote.

The Nineteenth Amendment, ratified in 1920, prohibited the
states from using gender as a voting qualification.

The Twenty-Third Amendment, ratified in 1961, granted the
residents of Washington, D.C., a voice in the selection of the
President and Vice President.

The Twenty-Fourth Amendment, ratified in 1964, outlawed
the state poll tax as a requirement for voting in national
elections.

The Twenty-Sixth Amendment, ratified in 1971, prohibited
states from denying the vote to anyone 18 years old or over.


1. The overall effect of the five amendments was to extend
the vote to


(1) a larger portion of U.S. citizens

(2) a limited number of citizens

(3) tax-paying citizens

(4) citizens qualified by race and gender

(5) those citizens who must pay for the privilege


Correct Answer: 1
Difficulty Level: Easy


To answer question 1 correctly, you must read and
understand all of the information provided regarding the five
amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Then you must decide which
of the options provided best states the overall effect of the
amendments.

A careful reading of the amendments should indicate to you
that, in each case, the effect of the amendment was to extend
voting rights to more citizens. Option (2) is a correct
statement (citizens under 18 are not able to vote), but Option
(2) is not the best answer to the question. The best answer is
Option (1) which describes the overall effect of the five
amendments. The overall effect of these amendments was to
provide voting rights to more citizens.


2. Which statement about the five amendments appears to be
the best summary?


(1) They affirm the right of women to vote.

(2) They limit the right of U.S. citizens to vote according to
where they live.

(3) They prohibit the use of certain requirements as voting
qualifications.

(4) They prohibit some citizens from voting.

(5) They permit certain qualifications to be used in voting.


Correct Answer: 3
Difficulty Level: Difficult


The key word in question 2 is summary. This is important
to recognize, because several of the options present correct
and accurate statements, but only one presents the best
summary.

Remember that an effective summary statement must provide
the main points made by the information. In this case, the
summary statement must address all five of the amendments. Only
option (3) does this by referring to the prohibition of
"certain requirements as voting qualifications."

Item 3 refers to the following information.



3. Which statement is supported by information in the graph?


(1) Most parents are employed.

(2) Most parents are satisfied with their child-care
arrangements.

(3) A group center is the most common arrangement used by
employed parents.

(4) Most employed parents arrange for child care either in
their own home or in someone else's home.

(5) About a quarter of all employed parents use child-care
facilities at their place of work.


Correct Answer: 4
Difficulty Level: Moderately difficult


About one out of every three or four questions in the
Social Studies Test will refer to a map, figure, chart, or
graph.

This question requires you to evaluate each of the
statements to determine which one can be supported by
information in the graph. To do this, you must first understand
what information is being provided in the graph.

Finding the correct answer is then a matter of testing
each of the statements against the graph to see if it can be
supported. In questions like this one, it is most important
that you select your answer only on the basis of the
information provided, not on the basis of opinions or prior
knowledge.

In this case, the statement in option (4) is supported by
the fact that the sections of the graph that relate to the
child's own home or another home add up to 70.8%, which
accounts for most parents.