The GED Science Test: Just the Facts

Approximately 60% of the Science Test items involve graphic-based material. This reduces the amount of reading required so that students can focus on interpreting and analyzing the various graphics presented. Passages and graphics represent real-life situations.

Critical Thinking Skills on the GED Science Test

The GED Science Test was developed using the National Science Education Standards (NSES), five interdisciplinary themes in the study of science. The following standards outline the issues that make up "scientific literacy":

• Unifying concepts and processes—the application of science in everyday life
• Science as inquiry—the scientific methods and procedures that are normally used to obtain evidence
• Science and technology—the relationship between the two in both research and application
• Science in social and personal perspectives—the evaluation of science and its role in relation to self and society
• History and nature of science—how scientific concepts and processes meet human needs over time

The GED Science Test also requires that students use critical thinking skills, such as application, analysis, and evaluation, to answer questions that are provided in real-life contexts.