GED Science Test Without Short Answers

Last Updated on April 16, 2024.

The task of writing two short answers (short essay questions) was removed from the GED Science test a few years ago.

Short answers were part of the GED Science test and a true nightmare for many students.

Students who took the GED® Science test happily reported that, indeed, there are no “short answers” on the test anymore.

This means that you have more time to focus on answering the “normal” science questions and checking your answers.

How to Answer GED Science Questions

The Science Test is structured as an open-book test. This means that for most of the GED Science questions that students need to answer, the resources are provided.

85 to 90 percent of the Science questions can be answered using only the information and data included in the passages and charts and graphs that appear on the Science test.

Only 10 or 15 percent of the questions use what we call outside information.

For these questions, students need to use their logic and knowledge in the process of eliminating wrong answers.

The thing is that most students don’t have a ton of experience with this kind of question. And they tend to struggle.

To overcome this, you need to get familiar with basic concepts of science and become conversant with them.

We suggest that you keep this in mind and focus on GED Science video lessons and practice tests.

So don’t get intimidated by Unknown Terms

For example, complicated unit names used in charts are not important at all. What matters is whether you can read the chart and find the solution to a question.

But students so often get intimidated by the unknown terms and say, “oh, I don’t know what that word means. And so, I am not going to be able to understand this passage.”

Well, I’ve got news for you:

None of the students on that GED Science test know what those words are saying unless they are a scientist working in that specific domain.

The thing to keep in mind is that (most of the time) the complicated terms that are used in the GED Science test are not that important.

You probably aren’t going to know what that specific unit of measure is, and you shouldn’t feel intimidated by these terms.

If you see an unfamiliar term, you should get excited and say it’s going to be very easy for you to spot that word in the chart or table.

Let’s look at this question:

It says according to figure 2:

if the trend in the CH4 concentration had continued to match that trend in the solar radiation intensity, the CH4 concentration at present would most likely be:

1. less than 550 PPB
2. between 550 PPB and 600 PPB
3. between 600 PPB and 650 PPB
4. greater than 650 PBB.

Now PBB is actually defined with a little asterisk, but it’s irrelevant.

We don’t need to know what PBB means here.

We don’t really need to know what CH4 concentration is, or what that means.

Let’s be honest; we don’t even need to know what the Earth’s atmosphere is.

None of that matters.

What matters is that we know that it says Go to figure 2.

So we look at Figure 2, and we know that we’re looking for concentration.

The word appears there, whatever that is. I’m reading the chart. I do not have to use these words for anything more than signposts. And I can see the answer to the question.

The right answer is F: less than 550 ppb (whatever that ppb is).

The GED Science Test is not Assessing Your Command of Vocabulary

Vocabulary and knowing basic science concepts help you feel like you’re in familiar territory.

But what counts is: how well you can digest scientific information.

Get good at reading charts and tables, get familiar with science topics, spend some time watching science video lessons and taking practice tests, and you will pass the GED Science test.

The free GED online classes and practice tests published on this website are generously provided by Onsego GED Online Prep. They allow you to determine if working with an online course fits you well.

If you’re fine with that, go ahead with Onsego’s accredited, engaging program and achieve your GED diploma fast and efficiently!

The Onsego GED Science program includes video lessons, practice quizzes, and test-taking strategies. Some of the Onsego lessons are published on the Best GED Classes website free of charge.