How Long Is The GED Test?

Last Updated on March 23, 2024.

There are 4 GED subtests, and each of these subtests takes between 70 to 150 minutes.

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If you would decide to take all 4 subjects at once, it would take around 7.5 hours to complete.

It’s unlikely, however, that a student takes all four GED subjects in one day.

The best practices say that you should schedule (and pay for) one GED® subtest at a time.

The four modules cover the academic subject fields of Social Studies, Science, Mathematics, and Language Arts.

The time allowed to complete these separate GED subtests is as follows:

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  • Social Studies: 70 minutes
  • Science: 90 minutes
  • Math: 115 minutes
  • Language Arts: 150 minutes, including a 10-minute break

The GED passing score is in line with what colleges request college-bound students to know and understand, and what employers expect applicants for entry-level positions to master.

The GED exam is for individuals who don’t hold a high school degree. It offers them one more shot at earning a credential that is accepted in lieu of a high school diploma.

The GED diploma qualifies holders to attend credit-bearing college courses and apply for jobs that require a secondary education degree.

Practically all North American employers, government agencies, and institutions of post-secondary education recognize the GED as equivalent to a regular high school degree.

There are, however, still persons, schools, and/or employers that do not recognize and accept the GED credential as equivalent to a grade 12 education, and this particularly counts for the Armed Forces!

The first step for anyone looking to earn a GED diploma or certificate (that depends on the state) is to create an account on the official website GED.com.

There is no obligation or fee associated with creating an account at the portal MyGED. This portal additionally offers lots of important and useful information about the exam, testing tips, job market information, career training, salary information, and much more.

Most states don’t require test-takers to first attend a prep course and/or take the GED Ready® practice test, but the GED test is a challenging exam, and proper preparation is your key to success. Keep in mind that you have the option to take the four GED subject tests one (or more) at a time.

GED Ready is the official GED practice test, a shortened version of the real GED test, that indicates whether or not a student is likely to pass the real thing. Students who want to take the GED test online need to score in the “green zone” on the GED Ready test.

In most states, adults ages 18 and over may sit for the GED exam without any restrictions or special conditions as long as they meet the qualification criteria. Most states allow 16 and 17-year-olds to sit for the GED exam as well if they meet additional requirements. Check also our post about GED age requirements in your state.

The GED exam is a high school equivalency test that assesses skills and knowledge at a level comparable to that of graduating high school seniors. Check also -> how to use the GED calculator effectively to pass GED Math easily.

GED Cost

The GED test is a computer-based test exam conducted exclusively at authorized GED testing centers. Online testing is not available. In most states, the GED test costs around $144 for the entire battery, but you can register and pay for the four modules individually.

Four states offer high school equivalency testing at no charge to their residents, and a number of states subsidize the exam partially. More information about the GED fee in your state is available on this page.

The GED exam is available in English and Spanish and at some test centers in French as well. The default language, however, is English, so when scheduling your tests, make sure to select Spanish for each module if you want to take the tests in Spanish.

At a GED test center, test-takers must provide current photo identification that includes their names, addresses, dates of birth, and signatures. Acceptable photo IDs include a Driver’s License, Passport, Government-issued Photo ID, Military ID, or another form of national or foreign government-issued ID. To learn all about what’s on the GED test, check out this page.

GED Passing Score

A GED diploma or certificate (depending on your state) is awarded to candidates who have attained at least a 145 score on each of the modules for a total GED score of 580 or higher. There are four performance levels on a 100-200 scale:

  • Level 1, 100 – 144 = below-passing scores
  • Level 2, 145 – 164 = high school equivalency passing scores
  • Level 3, 165 – 174 = college-ready scores
  • Level 4, 175 – 200 = college-ready + credit scores

GED Scores and College Admission

Practically all U.S. colleges and universities accept the GED credential in the same way as a common high school diploma, and an increasing number of schools recognize Level 3 and Level 4 GED scores. More information about GED scores can be found on this page.

The GED college-ready scoring range (165-174) demonstrates that a student has the skills and knowledge needed to attend college-level courses.

Depending on the school or the academic program applied to, students may not have to take a college placement test or remedial courses before they can enroll in credit-bearing college courses.

The GED college-ready + credit scoring range (175-200) demonstrates that a student commands some of the knowledge and skills taught in college-level academic courses.

Depending on the program or the school they applied to, students may be eligible to receive one credit in English and up to three credits in Social Studies, three credits in Math, and three credits in Science.