How Long Does It Take To Get A GED

We are often asked, “How long does it take to get a GED?” Well, it all depends on your earlier education, your academic level, your skill level, how much time you can dedicate to learning, and how motivated you are.

Generally speaking, if you left high school recently or if you have lots of time for learning, you can get well-prepared in 3 to 6 months’ time.

On the other hand, if it’s been a while since you saw a school from the inside and have limited time due to your daily chores, you can, realistically speaking, earn your GED diploma in 6 to 12 months.

This doesn’t mean there’s no way you can get your GED more quickly; this is only an average statistic.

Our platform provides free GED online classes to help you get started on your path to a GED diploma and discover if an online course works for you.

If it does, we suggest you continue with Onsego GED Prep, a full-scale, accredited GED program that GED Testing Service recognizes as Fully GED Test Aligned.

As said before, a lot depends on your knowledge, your educational background, and your motivation, but the time frames mentioned above are, on average, how long students need to get optimally prepared.

It also depends on how you prepare for the GED test. If you attend traditional classes, then it takes longer than preparing for the GED using the program designed by Onsego.

The GED test will take around 7 hours to complete, but you have the option to take the four independent, modular subtests one at a time.

How long are online GED courses?

You have more flexibility when you sign up for Onsego’s online GED prep course. You can study when, where, and what you want.

This online course is self-paced, so you choose how long and how often you want to learn.

The beauty of online GED courses lies in the fact that you decide about your schedule. Online courses are also shorter because the lessons are very focused and straight to the point.

Sure, if you feel like learning and dedicating your time, you can get ready for all GED tests in about two months.

Keep in mind that sometimes it’s better to slow down but be consistent. You will get there if you stay on track.

Here is an overview of the learning time associated with the Onsego program:

• The Language Course includes 8 learning hours of materials
• The Social Studies Course includes 7 learning hours of materials
• The Science course includes 8 learning hours of materials
• The Math course includes 18 learning hours of materials

How long are traditional GED classes?

Suppose you decide to take traditional classes (as opposed to online preparation) provided by one of the numerous schools across the nation.

In that case, you are expected to attend classes for about 4-12 months. Schools offer different levels of preparation classes to fit the different levels of their students’ knowledge and skill levels.

The most popular option is for a student to attend one subject class (say, Social Studies). For example, you can study 1 time per week and spend 2 hours every time. In this case, you should be ready to pass all 4 GED tests in about one year.

If a school schedule allows for it, and you have time, you can combine two subject classes and speed up your learning time.

These traditional programs work with skilled instructors and often provide GED (General Education Development) classes at no cost to adult learners who have left high school without a diploma.

Generally, to follow these GED prep programs, students need to attend a GED orientation session at a prep center to enroll in the GED classes. Orientations are approximately 2 hours long.

It is not uncommon that there are waiting lists, and often, priority registration is given to students who previously enrolled on the class waitlist.

So, if you decide that you would like to attend a GED preparation class, find a school close by in your location and check availability so you can appear at an official testing center fully prepared and work towards a fulfilling career.

You may even enroll in college and simultaneously work toward your GED diploma and attend college-level coursework.

Where can you find free GED classes and courses?

Onsego’s curriculum includes video lessons and practice tests that cover all topics found in the four GED subject fields: Mathematics, English Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies, but it all comes at a modest price.

Traditional GED prep classes are available (often at no cost) at community adult learning centers, libraries, community colleges, or churches.

What is on the GED Test?

The GED exam is made up of four separate tests To pass the GED exam, you must have a well-rounded knowledge of what’s on these subject tests. The four subject fields are:

• Mathematical Reasoning
• Reasoning through Language Arts
• Science
• Social Studies

The GED exam is not a memorization test, and you must demonstrate your critical reasoning and analyzing skills and understand how to draw conclusions and come up with answers.

Should I take GED practice tests?

Yes, you really should. Taking practice tests is not only a good way to get acquainted with the GED test format, but you’ll also learn about your strong and weak points so you can focus on those topics that need your attention most.

You can take the four GED modules one at a time. By the time you think you’re ready to sit for one of the subtests, take the official GED Ready practice test. This is the only practice test that indicates if you are likely to pass the real thing or that you should practice more to be successful.

The GED Ready test will give you a green, yellow, or red score, indicating if you are likely to pass the real GED subtest or if you require more preparation. If you score in the “green” zone, you can be confident you’ll get a passing score on that subject test.

When you’re fine with our free online classes and continue with Onsego, you will get not only access to all the courses but also receive 4 GED Ready vouchers at no cost, a $32 value!

Keep in mind that the Onsego GED Prep Course is among the best and most affordable online programs available and is recognized by GED Testing Service as fully aligned with the current GED exam.

Last Updated on March 13, 2025.