How To Study For A GED

Last Updated on April 14, 2024.

Preparing for the GED test is a vital element of passing the GED test and getting your diploma. If you skip this step, you are setting yourself up for failure.

It’s similar to winning a football game. “The real way to win a football game comes before you step on the field. You look at a film, game plans, and you study your opponent and his tendencies.”

When preparing for the GED test, your opponent is the GED test curriculum; you study it, and you learn how to solve questions and how you get at least 145 points. When you are ready, you take the GED test and “win a game.”

The question is how to prepare for the GED Test efficiently. While all across the U.S., you can find numerous locations where you can go back to school, nowadays, GED candidates prefer self-study on their own schedule.

GED Prep at Home

Getting all set for the GED test at home has become pretty easy with the help of online study courses such as Onsego online GED classes that offer everything needed to pass all 4 GED tests.

Students don’t need additional books, practice tests, or other learning materials. Onsego plans also include bonuses that make learning efficient and effective. Onsego has provided the free lessons and practice tests featured on this website.

To learn if Onsego’s online GED classes are a good fit for you, we offer here on our website free online GED classes and practice tests. If you like this way of learning for your GED, just continue with Onsego.

Start with the easiest GED subject

When you start your GED prep, choosing a somewhat less difficult subject is essential. Don’t start your GED prep with the subject that is the most challenging for you. If you are afraid of math, don’t start with that; if you are afraid of science, don’t start with that, either.

This is because if you would, you’re setting yourself up for a lot of unnecessary pressure and, therefore, a high likelihood of failure.

That can lead to a lack of confidence and enthusiasm for something that otherwise would work, namely this GED prep course.

Think about it: when you go to the gym for the first time and start bench pressing, you don’t go from zero to 300 pounds in one day; you move your way towards that.

You build strength; you build endurance; you build confidence; you build competence. And you’ll build an understanding of what you’re doing so that you have your technique right, that you’re not going to injure yourself.

And with the Onsego GED prep course, it is not different in many ways.

It helps if you build your confidence and competence first, which takes time. So, start your GED prep with a subject that seems not so challenging. For most people, that is Social Studies or Language Arts.

Alternative to Online GED Prep- Night Classes

Maybe online GED classes are not your preferred way of learning. Maybe you prefer to return to school. In this case, try to find a GED prep class near you. You will most likely find a night class because many GED applicants have busy schedules due to family obligations or professional commitments.

Usually, GED night prep classes are offered 2-4 times a week and take 3 hours for each session. When you attend a traditional GED prep class, choose a school close to you because you need to commit to regular traveling and adjust to a fixed schedule.

When you notice that you start skipping your night class, try to see if an online GED class works for you. You can easily try that with our free lessons and GED practice tests, and if it’s fine with you, sign up for Onsego’s full GED program. The only reason people don’t get their GED diploma is that they stop preparing. Nothing else. So, keep it in mind and avoid this trap.

Can I Pass the GED Test without Learning?

Many GED hopefuls, without knowing it, have gathered so much knowledge through the years that they may pass the four GED modules without studying at all.

In general, though, attending a prep class or signing up for an online course is the way to go, as the GED is a pretty rigorous exam that tests applicants’ knowledge at the level of graduating high school seniors.

Some states even require GED applicants to first take a prep course and/or to score sufficiently on the official GED Ready® Practice Test prior to taking the official test. For GED requirements in your state.

In Some States, You Need to Take Classes

In Georgia, for example, underage GED applicants (16 & 17 years of age) must take GED prep classes for at least forty hours and attain sufficient scores on the GED Ready Test or the Aztec Practice Test.

In Hawaii, GED test-takers must complete at least sixty hours of GED instruction before they’re allowed to register for GED testing.

The state of Iowa requires all HiSET (before GED) applicants to attend prior instruction and have sufficient scores on the official HiSET practice test.

In Louisiana, underage students, those 16, 17, and 18 years old, must first attend instructional classes and score sufficient results on the HiSET Official Practice Test before they qualify for testing.

In Tennessee, GED hopefuls must take and score sufficiently on the HiSET Official Practice Test before they qualify, but prior instruction is not required.

Then there are also a few states, for example, Illinois, that require GED test-takers to additionally take and pass a Civics and Constitution test. Please do note that these are merely examples and do not pretend to be a complete overview.

GED State requirements

All states have specific requirements for GED test-takers. Be sure to know and understand exactly what your state requires of you before setting out on the GED path.

If you don’t, you may be wasting your precious time or hard-earned money on study materials you might not even need. GED age requirements vary by state, and so does the price of GED testing.

Five states subsidize the test for their residents fully, and some states partially subsidize the test, but on average, the entire battery will set you back around $144, though some states charge more.