What is a GED test? The GED Test is an equivalency exam that students take as an alternative to a high school diploma. It holds a high certification value as many candidates use it to prepare for college and build their eligibility to apply for jobs.
Most students consider the language arts subtest of this examination to be particularly challenging, and they often struggle with the most efficient way to study for it and how to get started in doing so. Today, we'll give you the pointers you need to score high on this test as we tell you everything you need to know about the Reasoning Through Language Arts test.
Find out more about what’s on this test and how to prepare for it without getting stuck.
You can start by booking English classes in Houston here.
What You'll Learn:
- What’s on the English GED test
- How long the English GED test takes
- How difficult the English GED test is
- How to study for the GED
- Where to find a GED practice test
What's on the Reasoning Through Language Arts GED Test?
The language arts GED test or the RLA GED is conducted to assess a candidate's mastery of the English language by testing their reading and writing skills as well as their vocabulary and grammatical knowledge.
It consists of different exercises with accompanying questions designed to evaluate one’s ability to read, think critically, understand and comprehend, and write at a high school level of English Language Arts.
A GED is a certificate that functions as the equivalent of a high school diploma. Students who do not finish high school for any reason can get their GED to help with applying for jobs and higher education. What does GED stand for? GED stands for General Educational Development.
What Is the GED Test Like?
The GED test is typically administered via computer, but some locations may still use a paper test. You will need to contact your local testing center(s) to find out which method they use. If you take the test online at home, it will be entirely on the computer.
There are a few different types of questions on the English GED test, such as reading short passages and understanding specific details from them, writing short answers and full-length essays, and making arguments through influential and logical reasoning.
To evaluate your working knowledge, the language arts GED will test you for the following capabilities:
- Identifying the plot and message of a given passage
- Interpreting the details of the passage and writing about them in your own words
- Understanding a series of events and communicating information about what you have read
- Writing grammatically friendly and comprehensible sentence structures
- Practical knowledge of English punctuation and vocabulary
- The ability to infer based on context
On paper, this might sound like an intimidating assessment, but once you go through some GED sample papers and other test material, you'll realize that these questions can be tackled with basic language skills. If you've taken other subtests of the GED test, like science and social studies, you probably won't find this one too challenging.
How Long Is the Language Arts GED Test?
The language arts subtest of the GED exam gives you 2.5 hours (150 minutes) to finish all 3 sections of the test. You'll be presented with about 46 questions, which are divided into three sections. Let's take a look at each of these sections and how each of them will test your language skills:
Section A (about 15 questions)
You'll be expected to answer questions in context to a given piece. You'll have to tackle these questions by evaluating the content of a specified passage, or you'll have to compare two paired passages to write about their similarities and differences. It's essential to have proficient English understanding skills and the ability to explain ideas in your own words.
Section B (about 30 questions)
You'll be expected to apply your grammatical and vocabulary knowledge to analyze a piece of text and pinpoint certain mistakes, such as wrong tense, punctuation errors, weak sentence structures, etc. Once annotated, you'll have to rewrite the text correctly or suggest better alternatives for the specified errors.
Section C (extended response)
You'll be expected to write an essay based on an assigned prompt. The topic of this essay is usually drawn from two opposing views on a matter. You'll have to understand the conflict between the opinions and then write about which side you agree with and why. Your thesis should be persuasive and supported by critical and relevant evidence.
These questions include multiple-choice, short-answer, fill-in-the-blank, drag-and-drop, drop-down, and extended-response questions.
What Is the GED Passing Score Percentage?
Every GED subtest is scored on a scale of 100–200, and the passing score on each test is no less than 145. This means that scoring 145 or more on your language arts GED test is enough to pass. However, you'll still need to achieve the same range of scores on the other subtests to ace the whole GED. Understanding the format and scoring criteria is a key part of this test, so if you need a deeper dive into the system, hire a professional tutor.
Superprof holds over a hundred tutors who can show you the ins and outs of GED tests, not just for language arts but for all subjects. Find the perfect one for your GED tutoring at Superprof today.
Is the GED English Test Hard?
The language arts GED's difficulty isn't much different from other traditional exams. If you know what to expect and study well, it'll be a piece of cake. However, if you take the exam with little practice and no knowledge of the format, you're bound to find yourself struggling.
On its own, the language arts GED test is pretty easy. Even if you only have a grip on basic English language skills and concepts, you can still do exceptionally well on the test. If you've studied the English Language till 11th or 12th grade, you already have sufficient education to attend this test with passing scores.
The reason most people find the GED RLA challenging is its duration. Two and a half hours (150 minutes) can feel like not enough time to some candidates as they must go through multiple comprehensive passages over and over and form a detailed essay about them.
The RLA GED test is not very difficult, and many people find it easy to pass with a score of at least 145/200. The most difficult part is finishing all the questions in the 150-minute time constraint because planning and writing answers can take a lot of time.
Even if you do find yourself unable to keep up with the time limit, you still don't have to worry. Most GED tests require you to ace only half of the whole paper. So, even if you can only manage to answer 40–50% of the questions correctly, you're still likely to land a passing score.
Keep in mind, that some questions hold more weight than others, and the extended response is something you cannot compromise on. However, if you look at example essay questions and answers and practice writing your own, you can build your writing skills to be able to answer the questions well and with enough time to spare.
If you still feel like you need additional assistance, we've got just the study program for you. Head over to Superprof and explore its library of over 10,000 GED exam language arts tutors with online English classes. Pick the one that suits your needs and start your affordable private lessons for GED exam language arts today.
The Best Way to Study for Language Arts GED
Now that we've looked at the basics, let's shift to the practical side by discussing how you can prepare for the Language Arts GED test. Of course, there are several ways to study for your GED exams, and each student prefers different methods. We'll lay out some of the most common study resources so that you can pick the most suitable one for your language arts GED test preparations.
To get your GED, you must pass all four exams. The time combined of all four exams is about 7.5 hours, but most people complete only one exam per session. Most candidates take about 3 months to study and pass all four exams.
Community College GED Resources
Some community colleges will accept students who have neither a high school diploma nor a GED. There, you can usually find a course designed to help you prepare for the GED, and you will have people there whose job it is to help you prepare, schedule your exams, and pass.
Not only will these resources give you a better idea of the topics covered in the GED test, but the materials will also most likely include sample exercises, and essay prompts for language arts GED tests. You will likely be able to access a language arts GED practice test in class. Use these resources to regularly practice and improve your skills for each paper section.
Take a GED English Practice Test
You can find many resources online where you can take a GED language arts practice test. One of the best is GED.com, the official website for the GED. This is where you can find more information about GED Flash and GED Ready (more on that in a moment).
You can find a free GED reading practice test that gives you an idea of how the questions on the test work, so you understand how to answer them on the real test.
Discover examples of actual GED test answers from previous tests with GEDPracticeQuestions.com and see what makes a good essay answer so you know how to write your answers, too.
GED Ready
One handy way to test yourself before the examination is to take the GED Ready. This is a practice exam that you can use to determine where you're standing as a GED student and what you need to work on. With a cost of only $6, you can get a taste of what the actual exam will be like and whether or not you're as prepared as you think.
The best part is you don't need to take the GED Ready for all four subtests. You can just register for the language arts test or whichever subject you want to test your grip on. The only downside is that the results of this practice test are announced on the same day as the results of the actual GED test, so you can only evaluate your performance through your own experience answering the questions.
Practice for the GED Ready with a GED study guide and GED RLA practice test on the GED website.
There are four sections of the GED, and when you pass them all, you earn your GED. The sections are: Mathematical Reasoning, Reasoning Through Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science.
GED Prep Classes
Preparing through GED classes may be the standard method, but that doesn't make it any less effective. There's no shortage of GED prep courses out there. Your college or high school may offer special classes for this exam, covering the different GED exam language arts topics and questions you can face.
Alternatively, you can find thousands of online courses that go over this test's basic and practical concepts. They'll show you how to handle sample questions and give you helpful tips from their personal experience.
However, the best GED prep classes are the interactive ones that teach you personally, such as the ones offered through private tuition. Superprof is home to hundreds of GED prep tutors who offer flexible lessons for appearing GED candidates. Learn through a personalized method so that you can address all your queries before the big day. Discover GED classes near me and hire a Superprof tutor to start your GED tutoring today!
Prepare for your GED test with an English tutor near me here on Superprof.
Still Wary About How Hard Is It to Get Your GED?
Now you know what to expect from your language arts GED and the best ways to prepare for it. You can really only fail this test by waiting till the last day. Avoid that disastrous strategy and start studying with the best resources out there.
Superprof tutors can get your GED exam language arts lessons started right away and turn you into a GED pro in a matter of weeks. They're capable, flexible, and affordable. Master your language arts and other GED subtests with Superprof's help today.
Getting a GED is not too difficult, but it does require some study and preparation for most people. You will need to pass all four exams to get your GED.
You will need to pass all four subjects in a timely manner. The GED website doesn’t state that your test scores for a section expire. However, they made a major update to the test in 2014, which rendered pre-2014 test scores invalid. So, you will need to pass all four GED sections before a major update.
Ensure you meet all the requirements to pass your GED exams in a timely fashion by preparing in advance. Superprof tutors, who offer classes both online and in-person, can help you succeed by assisting you in filling in your gaps of knowledge and helping you get better at taking tests.
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Send me an example of the LA part
Hello Tracey! Thank you for your comment. If you would like additional examples, feel free to head over to Superprof.com and one of our highly skilled school English tutors, will be more than happy to help!
I really pray I can get my GED, I am going to try and getting to study hard so I can be able to get it.
Good luck, Nellie! ✨
Hola deseo obtener mi GED
Para obtener nuevas oportunidades de empleo y aprendizaje
Hola Carmen! You can receive your GED for more learning opportunities. If you need help studying for the test please reach out to one of our highly skilled tutors at Superprof.com and they will be more than ready to help you! Good luck!
Send me some sample of math
Hello Malachi! Thank you for your comment. If you would like additional math examples, feel free to head over to Superprof.com and one of our highly skilled school math tutors, will be more than happy to help!
I will be 70 years old in September. I completed my graduation credits from JENKS HIGH School in 1973 with the exception of an elective COMPARATIVE RELIGION. I needed a quarter credit to graduate. I have since gone on and attended CUYAHOGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE & EMPLOYED.& ATTENDED LEGISLATION FOR DISPLACED HOMWMAKERS, Warrensville Twsp, Ohio. Do I need to test out of s GED?
Hello Paula, thank you for your comment! If you completed all your high school graduation requirements except one elective (Comparative Religion) at Jenks High School in 1973, you may not need a GED. Instead, you should contact Jenks High School’s registrar or the school district’s records office to ask if you’re eligible for a retroactive diploma or credit substitution, especially given your age and subsequent education.
Thank you made ease for me to understand. Well while some will leave the math for last Math will be the first that I will tackle first, being math is why I could never pass. Since I been pushing myself Math will be the one I start with First. They othe r subjects have lesser minutes I could leave them for last reading and language ,science,writing an essay. If you know what your writing about it shouldn’t take long.
Thank you made ease for me to understand. Well while some will leave the math for last Math will be the first one that i will first tackle first, being math is why I could never pass. Since I been pushing myself Math will be the one I start with First. They othe r subjects have lesser minutes I could leave them for last reading and language ,science,writing an essay. If you know what your writing about it shouldn’t take long.