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Essential Steps for GED Test Preparation
By Leonard Williams
Preparing for the General Education Development Test can be overwhelming – where do you start? Start by knowing that GED test preparation is worth time and effort since preparation builds knowledge and thinking skills, the most important elements to getting a good test score.
Here are some essential steps for solid GED test preparation:
Assess Abilities
Without an understanding of existing knowledge and abilities, it’s difficult to map a study plan. So first determine the knowledge and skills you already have, along with the ones important for the test. Measuring abilities will also determine skill weaknesses, and identify areas for study.
The best way to make a self-assessment is with an Official GED Practice Test. Practice tests include the same type of questions as the actual GED test and measure the same skills and knowledge the test expects you to know. Also, practice tests are good score indicators, and they’ll help you become familiar with the way the test works. Having a working knowledge of the test is another way to improve the final test score.
Practice tests may be available at local bookstores, through community colleges or ordered online. When shopping online, just ensure your tests are official practice tests.
The results of your assessment or practice tests provide a map for a study plan. Scores should indicate which test areas require little or no study, areas for refresher study and basic reviews, and skill areas where there are real weaknesses. Design a study plan that reflects areas for reviews and for developing knowledge and strengthening skills or developing new ones.
You’ll also want to reinforce good skills since higher test scores in some areas can help compensate for lower test scores in others. And, strengthening skills you already have will help you develop skills you don’t have.
Use the Study Plan
Your study plan really works if you exercise it. It should include three components: instruction, application and routine.
Instruction: You’ll want to relearn basic knowledge in any test area where the assessment identified skill weaknesses. There are many ways to do this. Most community colleges offer free or low-cost GED classes or basic skills classes. Or, you may find a support program through local family resource centers, nonprofits or in your workplace.
Study guides and online courses are also available, and provide good learning solutions for adults who haven’t had good classroom experiences, or have schedule conflicts, or lots of family and work responsibilities.
Application: Use knowledge that you learn anew, or relearn. Apply it. Make sure your study plan includes plenty of practical problem solving. This will help prepare you for test and also identify any areas that require additional instruction. It will also help to use new knowledge in everyday situations. Consider how math study can be used to mentally calculate groceries while shopping, balancing a checking account, managing a budget … or perhaps during a home repair project that requires measuring. Skills newly learned for other parts of the GED test can be used while reading, planning, organizing or interpreting directions or instructions on the job.
Routine: The study plan works best when it’s routine. GED test candidates best benefit from daily study, with short and longer study sessions. Still, the most important practice is to make study a frequent habit.
Exercise Thinking Skills
Make sure your GED test preparation involves a lot of thinking skill practice, to develop or improve critical thinking skills. The GED test requires that you show what you understand – not what you should know. So critical thinking is the most important skill measured by the GED. The test will call for you to analyze material, evaluate it and make inferences, deductions and judgments. Unlike the memorization skills so many students use in high school, the GED measures ‘application of knowledge’ skills, or the ability to use knowledge to solve problems. Consider ways you solve problems every day, and determine ways to use those same skills in study sessions and for the GED test.
Determine Readiness
Once you feel you’ve mastered new knowledge and skills — and strengthened existing skills — assess again. Five Official GED Practice Tests are available, and include all test areas: Mathematics, Language Arts Reading, Language Arts Writing, Science, and Social Studies. Like your first assessment, your scores on these tests will reflect an actual test score so you’ll know if you’re really ready to pass the test, or if you need more instruction, application, and further work and study to build knowledge and improve thinking skills.
Once you’re ready for the GED test, you’ll take it at an official GED Test Site since the actual GED test is not given online. To find your test center or test site, Click Here for an official Ged Test Center list of contacts by state, for military members and corrections, and for Canada, US territories and other jurisdictions:
GED test preparation is a major undertaking. By using these easy and essential steps, you’ll learn exactly what you need to earn this important education and career credential.
More Resources
For additional study tips, test information and resources for adult GED programs, visit http://www.passGED.com.
Visit the official website for GED testing information, delivered by the American Council on Education: www.gedtest.org.
Contact your local Volunteer Center to learn about learning resources and tutors or local agencies that offer volunteer support or local learning resources. For a center directory, visit the Points of Light Foundation at http://www.pointsoflight.org/centers/find_center.cfm
About the Author: The GED Academy president, Michael Ormsby oversees program management and delivery of best-practice GED programs, software and curriculum for adult learners, basic skills and workforce development, with a special focus on adult learners with educational challenges. For more information, visit http://www.passGED.com. Michael can be contacted by email at: ContactUs or by telephone at 541-740-4717.
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