The GED Writing Exam…Two Strategies
Did you know that, if you get a 4 on the GED essay, you could pass the GED writing exam with only around 15% of the multiple choice answers correct? On the other hand, if you can get 60% of the multiple choice questions right, you only need to get a 2 on the written essay. Because of the way the GED writing test is scored, there are different strategies to pass the GED writing exam. Which one is best for you?
Thinking about your personal best strategy for passing the writing exam can reduce your study time and increase your overall score. First, you need to assess your own abilities. The best way to do this is with a practice test, and the best type of practice test to use includes a multiple-choice writing exam and an essay exam graded separately, like the passGED online practice tests. Your exam results will show you your personal starting point.
I scored less than a 2 on the essay test and lower than 410 on the multiple choice writing test. You need to develop both writing skills and technical language knowledge. Since you need a minimum of 2 on the essay exam, you’ll definitely need to spend some time working on essay writing. However, it’s not very hard to get a 2, if you know what’s expected. If you’re a second language learner or have a lot of problems writing about your thoughts or ideas, maybe a 2 is all you need. First, get a basic idea of what’s required to get a 2 on the essay test. Then, spend your time learning the technical aspects of writing: spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Finally, practice your test-taking skills, like how to guess intelligently on multiple choice questions. Try bringing your multiple choice score up to 450 or more with a 2 on the essay.
I scored less than a 2 on the essay test and better than 410 on the multiple choice writing test. Since you’re already scoring 410 or better on the multiple choice, focus your efforts on bringing your essay writing up to a 2. It really isn’t that hard! If you’re having a hard time achieving your average score of 450, shoot for a 3 on the essay. That will probably be easier than bringing up your multiple choice scores.
I scored a 2 or higher on the essay test and lower than 410 on the multiple choice writing test. Don’t worry about your low score on the multiple choice writing exam. Just a half-point increase in your essay score could raise your score by 40 points! Since you’ve already earned a 2 on the essay, you can probably learn to raise your essay score to a 3 with a little effort. Focus on bringing your essay writing skills up to at least a 3, and practice your test-taking skills, like how to guess intelligently on multiple choice questions. If you can get a 3 on your essay, you’re in good shape, even if you’re not quite scoring 410 on the multiple choice.
I scored a 2 or higher on the essay test and higher than 410 on the multiple choice writing test. Congratulations! You’ve probably got the skills to pass the GED writing exam. Before you go for it, though, try to get either your multiple choice test score up to 450, or your essay score up to a 3. Do you find it easy to study multiple choice questions and learn facts about spelling, grammar, and punctuation? Then try to raise your multiple choice score. This is a good option for English language learners and left-brain people. However, for most people, raising the essay score is easier and gives you more valuable skills for work and college. Try doing more reading and writing about things that interest you, and focus on improving your writing skills.
