I still can’t pass GED math.
I took my GED math 6 times I still can’t pass it. What should i do?
Trisha, Gainesvillle, GA
Trisha,
Having trouble passing the GED math test is a common problem. The math test takes different skills from the rest of the GED…and the problem with math is that it’s like a whole new language. If you don’t understand the basics, then the more difficult math seems IMPOSSIBLE.
The first question I’d ask is: how have you been studying? Because the way you’re studying isn’t working. You need to find a new way to study. If you’re studying out of a math book, you need to find something different. If you’re in a class, that’s just not working for you! So, you need to find a good study program, one that will teach you math in a way YOU can understand. That means, starting with the basics, really getting to understand them, and then getting more difficult math explained easily to you, so you can understand it and remember it!
The GED Academy math program has four courses that go over all the math on the GED. Because it’s interactive, it keeps your attention. And you get inside people’s heads, as they work through problems and really learn to understand what math is all about. It starts at the beginning, so you build strong basic math skills that will help you out with the harder math…in other words, when you get to the harder math, it’s not that hard! You learn at your own pace, and can always stop and go over something if you didn’t understand.
There’s another part to this, too, and that’s you! Are you motivated to learn math? Do you see how it applies to your daily life? Do you spend an hour a day studying? Because you need to put in the effort to get the reward. It can be a lot easier if you find a program that explains math in a way that makes sense to you.
It’s frustrating to try and try, and keep failing. That’s why you need to try something DIFFERENT! Find a new study program, find a study partner, find someone who can keep you motivated. Sharing your story is a first step…you’re going out and asking for help! Keep trying new things… until you find something that works. Because it IS possible for you to learn math and pass the GED math test!
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May 14th, 2009 @ 6:29 pm
i have been trying to take the math test for 6 years now ive tried classes books whatever its just not working it seems hopeless people tell me not to give up but its so hard i cant get a good nights rest knowing i have such a hard time passing this test and the fact you can only take it 3 times a year is the worst rule ever i am good at typing english history science i can pass every test but i put forth the effort and receive nothing but failure they need to change the rules so you can take the test every month or at very least ever 3 months at least give it seems like they dont want you to pass math hasnt a logic that makes sense it just is i will keep trying but its reasons like this people go crazy. They cant get a decent education because the tests are to hard not everyone is up to that level i need help to pass this its disrupting my whole life and i dont know how to change that except people keep telling me dont give up well i havent nothing has changed but my methods change all the time i feel like what if i never pass this stupid test im really mad the math now is nothing like it was back then they have made it nearly impossible and every person i talk to says the same thing yes i agree the math is too had but dont do anything to change it i even wrote to congress about this i got response back that they wont change it because thats state rule and i just have to deal with it so much for the no child left behind idea thank you i really appreciate the time and effort not to help me thank you very much
May 15th, 2009 @ 6:33 am
Billy, taking the test more often probably wouldn’t help… give some thought to how you’re studying instead. Not just what program you use, but how you use it, how you check your progress, and how you know if you’ve learned something. Let me tell you, 500,000 people pass the GED each year. You can pass GED math. The best route to learning GED math is to take it slow, one step at a time, a little bit every day. Start with adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. Get it down, so you can do it in your head. Learn to do it with fractions, decimals, and percents. Then take on word problems. At each step, make sure you’re an expert before you move on. That’s called achieving mastery. You don’t just want to be able to do it once. You want it to stick with you; you want to master it. It’ll give you the foundations for the tougher things. It’s much better to have a great grasp of the easier math than to sort-of know a lot of stuff. Try to find a tutor who can work with you one-on-one, a friend or family member who could help you out, maybe. Someone who can work with you over time, and stick with it.
Now, six years is a long time, and if it feels like you’ve tried everything and GED math is impossible, you might consider finding out if you have a learning disability affecting your math. If you do, then there are techniques to help you learn, and you can also get special accommodations on the GED test. Make an appointment with a counselor at a community college and explain what your problem is. Ask who can evaluate you for a learning disability. They’ll likely have some tests they can give you, to screen you, and then they’d be able to send you to a doctor to diagnose you. Here are some links describing learning disability in math (discalculia)… see if they seem to describe you: http://www.ncld.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=463 http://www.ncsall.net/?id=325
July 16th, 2009 @ 12:20 pm
I can relate to Billies story, I have been trying myself for 17 years to pass the math portion of the GED and I can not seam to pass it. I lay awake at nights too and wonder why it is so hard. I have done group studies and one on one study!! NOTHING HELPS ME!!
August 23rd, 2009 @ 11:44 am
I have tried that and they dont have any special changes they can make due to me being ld i was ld in highschool and they are not willing to help me so i dont know what to do i keep trying but they dont care there unhappy in there job i can tell those ladys dont seem posotive at all they are happy to see m fail cause that keeps me coming back there so fake i feel so pathetic for not passing my test its too hard i dont know what to do your right but i will tell you this i have tried my hardest even when i was in highschool and math does not realate to life so they should not force people to pass something they will never use in real life i have a caculator for everything i use so how is it that they can do one test without a caculator and one with i just want to go to college and make more money can anyone out there just pass me or somehow find a way i dont care anymore what i have to do i need to pass this test to get on with my life its changing me as a person i cant go through my life like this i have to find a way
August 27th, 2009 @ 7:21 pm
You know what ? I completely sympathize with all of you. Billy you take the words straight out of my thoughts! This GED math has been a roller coaster from hell. I have always struggled in math and I was in public schools special ed . I have always been completely against dropping out , and yet it was not my choice . Unfortunately that’s common. They will not give me accommodations because I have been out of school too long.Going to a college for an evaluation is a six month waiting list and is very expensive.So I aced every part of the test ,the very first time, but with all my might and all my power I CANNOT pass this math for years ! Yesterday I failed it by 1 point, for the second time in my life. I took it again today and failed miserably! I have one more chance to take it and then I have to wait another half a year ! I go to GED classes , on top of public tutoring and a personal tutor.I’m studying my butt off day and night and every time I take a pretest I pass with real high scores , an all these people assure me that I would pass the real thing.But to everyone’s surprise .. What’s really starting to piss me off. Is the fact that , the GED based pretests and training I’m getting is not preparing me for the real deal because on the actual test there are ALWAYS like 10 equations that I have never seen before and will never see again.There’s no point in studying for stuff like that if you’ll never see it on the GED again ! So I get stumped.The rest of the test is made up of riddles and mind games that interfere with measuring someones math capabilities. Like giving crazy analogies aimed at confusing me on what it is they are actually even asking me to do. This in my opinion is a sabotage. It does not make any sense to have a pretest based on the measuring skills for the real test , because the pretests are not like the GED! WTF?! I have taken this math test six times by now and it’s never the same thing as the training oriented around the GED. I’m afraid to even take the test the third time, I feel like I’m going to throw up. I don’t know what to do . People think it’s because I’m nerves when I take it but I don’t feel nerves. Well now I do but.. I’m furious , this is unfair . I paid attention in school till the 11th grade when I had to drop out against my will . It’s not my fault the public school systems are poor , but it’s us that pays the price .8 years of my life destroyed because of complete nonsense ! I have many dreams and aspirations , that have passed me by far too long and too often. I can’t even fathom the thought of waiting another 6 months if I fail this third time. I know this is probably really long , and for who ever reads it thank you , because I felt so isolated and alone and I found this site with people living the same tragedy as myself and I know longer feel like not being alive . I refuse to fail this test the third time , even though I feel like I have done everything I can think of . I’ll have to keep trying. Who ever is out there in this situation or similar situation , just know that your not alone..
September 29th, 2009 @ 9:35 am
Hi, what if you have a learning disablilty in math i was given a test to determine this in elemenatry school and in high school and was told i had a learning disability in math. I would always be failing math or just passing by 1 point. I can understand basic and easy math but when it comes to the harder math such as geometry, algebra, hard division and etc. my mind simply doesn’t comprehend it. If someone is teaching me it i get it for that moment but then after that it all leaves my mind and i can’t understand it anymore. If people really do have a learning disability in a certain subject i think there should be acceptions made for that subject because i have passed everything with high scores on my ged except for the math that is holding me back and it isn’t fair. I have studied and taken ged prep classes for the ged and still i couldn’t understand or pass the math. When you have a disability in something it has to be taken into consideration and it shouldn’t be mandatory to have to pass that portion if there is no way possible that the person can do it or comprehend it. I would like to know some real information on what can be done about this or has experience with this problem? Thank you!
October 5th, 2009 @ 6:34 am
The GED does allow some special considerations for people with learning disabilities. What accommodations you can have to your test (like using a calculator on the whole math test) depends on the specifics of your disability. With a math learning disability (dyscalculia), you’ll need a medical professional to test your learning disability to get current information. Get more information here: http://www.acenet.edu/Content/NavigationMenu/ged/test/Take/Accommodations_Disab.htm
October 12th, 2009 @ 12:16 pm
Tre
Oh my gosh – I have finally found someone with exactly the same problem as me. So you’re the English/History type like me then… I look at a peice of algebra and freeze. “Sabotage” made me burst out laughing! It’s absolutely true. How does maths even apply to real life? A D should be perfectly acceptable… I’ve failed and now I have to re take my GCSE along with my A levels which is a complete and utter bloody nightmare. I actually had a panic attack about Maths a few nights ago. CONFIDENCE – you need to get confident. That’s what everyone says and we need to take their advice which is the best I can also give. Tell yourself you CAN do it. I really, really hope you pass your Maths and remember we are not alone!GOOD LUCK!!!
November 10th, 2009 @ 11:01 am
i cant either ill be taking it my 3rd time im 20 and i feel like a looser. but i want every1 to know that they are smart, you are not stupid bc you cant pass and neither am i even though i fell like it sometimes. just hang in there guys, good luck.
liz
November 10th, 2009 @ 11:03 am
i cant pass my math either. ill be taking my ged for the 3rd time, the math part. its weird math was the only thing i studied for and i cant pass. sometimes i feel reallt stupid bc im 20 years old, bit i just wanted to write that im not stupid and neither is anyone els having trouble with this. beleive inyourself and good luck, liz
November 22nd, 2009 @ 4:45 pm
just took and failed math and language art second time . im 43 and cannot get another job untill i can pass i have no confidence and feel like i cannot pass maybe i have learning disabilaty also anybody have any suggestions im a father of 3 and should be on top of world but this is keeping me really down1
December 11th, 2009 @ 5:27 pm
am left with 2 subjects,that is maths and reading .i have to pass it this year to get to college.i need help
December 22nd, 2009 @ 3:14 pm
hi my name is rup..i have taken ged test 3 times..first time i didnt understand how does it work because it was so different than my high school..when i was 14 i came to ny and i went to high school at age of 17 i had to take ged because the school i used to go to it was closing and my counsular wasnt helping me at all ..she told me to take ged and convinced me that it would be easy..it is not easy to me because i dont know lot of history or lot about science..i have so much difeculty in this two subject..i have passed everything except those subject …can anyone help me ?? how can i improve my self on this two subject …?…i really need help i need to go to college…
January 21st, 2010 @ 5:45 pm
My Name is Jasmine Donahue i have been trying to pass math for 3 years now and i can not do it is it i dont get a lot of sleep or is it i dont study or is it that i dont under stand to i think i dont uder stand and i think i dont get a lot of sleep every night or i dont eat a good break fast because right know i hav a f in math so what can i do to help me pass math for six grade and by the way i have nevr pass a mth taks test at all and i have never pass a reading test at all and they have never got hell back before and i am so scaryed that i am going to fell the 6 grade this year so can you please help me pass the best way i can under stand thank you for trying to help me.
January 21st, 2010 @ 6:00 pm
Jasmine,
Not everyone learns math in the same way, but in schools, teachers really only have the time to teach in a traditional method. Have you thought about a tutor? Ask your school what you can do to get some extra one-on-one help, so that someone can see exactly what you’re not understanding and try to help you figure out what way is best for you to learn the concept.
February 13th, 2010 @ 9:39 pm
the truth is math makes no sense and they expect people to take that test but its to hard and no one really cares or else they wouldnt give you just 3 times to take your ged test a year for crying out loud they give you more chances to take your permit for your driving test in the year more should be done to help people life is just unfair and im lucky to have my job as it is but if my company ever goes under and i still havent passed my test then im dont for i dont understand because i can take apart mechanically equipment i can do just about anything except learn f in algebra and geometry i dont understand why its not straight forward its like they just made up all these rules to apply realistaclly all you need is percentages and angles and plus subtract divide multiply the system wants to keep people down they make it hard cause of the population they dont want to many people succeeding i wish someone could help me pass this fing test but ill keep trying its not impossible its just really f ing hard why does it need to be this hard well truth is it dosent need to be hard people just put things in your way been trying to pass this ged test for 8 years im so pissed i wish i could just get it over with you know how many job interviews ive been at where i had the job except later i couldnt get the job because i dont have my ged and they tell me the next day when i already have the job i hate that shit i hate this f ing world its to hard explain to me how it is i can take apart your engine how i can take apart your air conditioning system i could put things together but i cant pass one stupid test im off by 60 freakin points 60 its not that much if i can just get over this thing in my way i lose sleep over this i think about it constantly its driving me crazy i pray for the day i dont have to think about my ged test anymore i pray it will be the best sleep i ever had in my life i pray for the day that i can write on here that i passed this test and tell you all that you can too but right now all i can do is try and pray that i will pass and try to see the light in such a dark place as such all of you feel i want to give up and just go crazy and do bad things but i know whats right and wrong and i have to fight my self and learn to overcome the problems i just need someone to explain this out to me im so frusterated and its 1 am right now and i dont even bother using punctuatino in my sentences right now because im so frusterated everytime i think about the fact that i cant move on with my life because i couldnt pass a test thats on paper i get so mad about it and it makes me go insane its like ive wasted so much time now im getting older and i have get to get a move on for my familys sake i hate this test i hate it i hate the system i really really really really really really hate math times infinity and i hate our school systems and our adult education center ha ha lol thanks for nothing
February 15th, 2010 @ 12:09 pm
Anonymous,
It can be very frustrating to continuously take the test and keep failing. However, having so much anger about it can make things worse. Absolutely do not take the test if you are feeling angry or frustrated already. We always do much worse when we’re mad.
First, know that you’re not alone. Math is a very difficult subject, and most people struggle with it. If you don’t feel like you can pass the GED math test, you shouldn’t take it yet. You need to study until you know the material and feel certain you can pass.
There are lots of different methods for studying math. We have a great course at passged.com and lots of people have found success with it. However, the most important thing with math is to study every day, even if only for 10 minutes a day.
When you first started learning how to fix cars, even if it was when you were very young, you didn’t know how to do it. Doing something over and over again is how we learn. There are many people out there who might be able to do math well, but they have NO idea what they’re looking at when they open the hood of a car. That doesn’t mean they couldn’t learn though, right? Think about how you might help someone learn how to fix a car, then turn that around and see if you could apply those same ideas to yourself with learning math.
Finally, know that algebra and geometry are important, and knowing these things well can help you. You use algebra all the time, especially with money. For instance, if you have a $500 pay check twice a month, and you need to figure out how much you can spend on groceries and gas after rent and utilities have been paid for, that’s algebra. Groceries and gas are unknowns, and you have to solve an equation to know how much money you can spend on each, and thusly how much driving you can do that month, or if you can get more than the bare essentials when you go grocery shopping.
You use geometry whenever you deal with anything that takes up space. For instance, if you’re moving into a new place and you need to figure out how all your furniture is going to fit into your living room or bedroom, you’re using geometry. If you’re looking at a map, and you’re trying to figure out the shortest route from point A to point B, that’s geometry.
People can get by without not knowing algebra and geometry, but it means a lot more trial and error, and a lot more time wasted. It’s like if you didn’t know which part went on a 1988 Mazda SE 323. You could eventually get it right if you tried every spark plug or every alternator, but you’d waste a ton of time and money doing that. Things always go much more smoothly when we have knowledge to help us do it right the very first time.
March 3rd, 2010 @ 6:59 pm
thank you all i thought i was the only one that had a hard time with the ged math i failed it 5 times and i have one more try and if i don’t pass i can’t take it for a whole year. what makes me mad is not the math test but you only get 3 shots at it per year i understand the rest of the test but math should at least be 6 tries a year and its not that its hard its just when i study math ged books and then i take the test there is NOTHING on the real test that is in the ged books but i feel better knowing im not the only one having a hard time with it.
March 17th, 2010 @ 8:50 pm
Hi, My name is Marissa I have taken this test 3 times last year and I am 10 points from passing and it taking it’s toll on me and my parents my dad is getting mad because I have been home for a long time just to take my exam and my mum is telling me I may not be able to go to college for awhile I made have to get job and it is something I won’t make much on or it is a technical college it is not something I want to go because it is not something I am good at. I am feeling like a failure.This test may drive my life down the tubes before it even begins.I wish the GED could burn in hell. I finish high school only thing is I finish in a different country and since I failed math in that exam. It is the only I have to take the GED since my college won’t let me continue without a GED.