Think you can pass the GED test? See how you do on these sample questions.
Sample science question
The general chemical equation for cellular respiration is shown as: C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6H2O + 6CO2 + energy
Which statement best describes the process in the equation?
A. Glucose and oxygen combine to produce energy.
B. Glucose and oxygen combine to produce water and carbon dioxide.
C. Glucose is broken down in the presence of oxygen to release energy.
D. Glucose is broken down into water and carbon dioxide to store energy.
Answer: C
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Sample math question
Dominic earns $285 per week plus an 8% commission rate on all his sales. If Dominic sells $4,213 worth of merchandise in one week, how much will his total earnings for the week be?
A. $337.04
B. 359.84
C. 513.00
D. 622.04
Answer: D
Source: GED Testing Service
The percentage of Georgians taking and passing the high school equivalency exam has fallen since a tougher test was implemented last year, leaving fewer educated workers to fill open jobs and preventing many people from pursuing higher education.
For Georgia, increasing the number of people with a diploma or equivalent is key to fueling economic development. The number of jobs requiring at least a high school credential is increasing, and the job market for workers without it is severely limited. A high school diploma or GED credential is the first step in improving the lives of many Georgians unable to compete for better jobs and wages.
Without it, many are mired in a system of low-paying jobs, earning about $7,000 less than high school graduates and about $24,000 less than people with bachelor's degrees.
Ozzie Oglesby knows too well what life is like without a GED. Since he got kicked out of school in 11th grade, Oglesby’s life has been a series of ups and down. He’s spent time in prison for drug charges, but has since worked as a certified nursing assistant earning about $13,000 a year, barely above the federal poverty mark. A medical assisting credential, he said, could boost his annual income to $20,000.
He wants to enroll in that program at Georgia Piedmont Technical College in Clarkston, but without a GED, he couldn’t.
“I made those mistakes when I was young and dumb,” Oglesby,43, said. He took a GED-prep courses to refresh his skills before taking the test later this year. “I realize now that I need to get back in school and get in college.”
His situation is not unique. In Georgia an estimated 1.2 million adults lack a high school diploma or GED. In 27 counties, at least 30 percent of the population hasn’t reached this level of education.
“Decades ago in our state there were a lot of agriculture jobs, but as the economy has changed there are fewer jobs out there that don’t require a high school credential,” said Ben Hames, deputy commissioner of Georgia’s department of economic development’s workforce division. “We know that those opportunities are limited.”
State employers have said that Georgia lacks the educated and skilled workers they need to fill jobs, and lawmakers are so concerned they are giving tax credits to companies who pay for employees to pass the test.
“From the governor on down, everyone recognizes that over the next 20 years many jobs will require something more than a high school diploma or GED, but without it these individuals are trapped and can’t move forward for those jobs,” said Rep. Kevin Tanner, R-Dawsonville.
To get employers more involved, Tanner shepherded through legislation that became law this year simplifying a tax-credit program for companies that support employees in earning their GED. The program will give employers a $400 tax credit for each employee who passes the equivalency exam when the company pays for the test, and a $1,200 credit when they pay for the test and pay employees’ regular salary while they take GED-prep classes. (Each of the sections of the test costs $40 and can be taken individually.)
State officials say the decline in GED success rates mirrors national trends and is only temporary, and that the new test will ultimately lead to a better-prepared workforce.
Passport to improvement
The revamped test is designed to align more with national standards, such as Common Core, and be more comparable to what traditional high school students are required to learn. Before last year, the GED exam had not been updated since 2002.
The old test relied heavily on reading comprehension, said CT Turner, spokesman for GED Testing Service. The new model is focused on critical thinking because this is what employers are saying they want, and it will aid test-takers looking to enroll in college or training programs, he said.
More students raced to complete the previous version of the test, and fear of the unknown led others not to attempt the new test, which skewed numbers for 2014, said Beverly Smith, assistant commissioner for adult education with the Technical College System of Georgia, which administers the state’s GED program. The rate of test-takers who passed the exam had been in the 60th percentile for the past several years, but dropped to around 54 percent in 2014, according to date from the tech college system. State officials say the numbers are beginning to rebound. Test data for 2015 was not available.
“We strongly believe that Georgians who pass the (new version) of the test are more qualified than ever to fill the state’s high-demand jobs and that they are an asset to economic development,” Smith said.
A year after implementation of the new test, the national GED company is starting to hear from large employers exploring ways to support workers through GED-prep programs, Turner said. “Many employers struggle to find enough staff members to promote or fill jobs that are one level up from entry level,” he said. “Supporting adult education programs, and helping adult learners to acquire these crucial skills is what we are focused on.”
GED-credentialed employees are likely to find good career opportunities in skilled-trade areas such as truck driving, advanced manufacturing operations and welding, Hames said. “With the push for college and beyond, a number of these skilled positions have been left under-appreciated and unfilled,” he said.
Part of Georgia’s strategy for improving the GED graduation rate is getting more test-takers enrolled in prep classes to reintroduce skills and concepts they may have long forgotten since last sitting in a high school classroom. Through the GED Testing Service, the state has also focused on more training for adult education instructors to ensure they are comfortable teaching the material on the new test.
GED instructor Margaret Robling has taught a GED class at Georgia Piedmont Technical College’s Clarkston campus since 2002. Students taking the test now are more serious about it, she said. “The need is more apparent,” said Robling. “They’ve gone out in the world and have come back almost with their tail tucked between their legs.”
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