Question 1Multiple choice
Which word best fills the blank? "The printer was out of ink. ____, the report was printed late."
GED Language Arts practice test
Reasoning Through Language Arts takes 150 minutes in three sections, including a 45-minute essay and a 10-minute break.
| Time | 150 minutes, including a 10-minute break and 45 minutes for the essay |
|---|---|
| Topics | Reading for meaning, identifying and creating arguments, grammar and language |
| Essay | Read two texts and explain which argument is better supported |
| Question types | Multiple choice, drag and drop, select an area, drop-down |
What the questions ask
- Reading for meaning: main ideas, details, inferences, word meaning and how a text is built, in informational and literary texts.
- Arguments: claims, evidence and reasoning, including two texts that disagree.
- Grammar and language: drop-down choices inside an email, letter or notice, testing agreement, usage, punctuation and sentence structure.
How to win marks
Every reading answer can be found or supported in the text. For the drop-downs, read the whole sentence with each choice in place. For the essay, judge which writer supports their claim better; your own opinion on the issue is not what is scored.
Try 3 questions
Memo: New Badge Policy
To: All Warehouse Staff From: Dana Brooks, Operations Manager Re: New badge policy
(1) Starting Monday, June 2, every employee must wear an ID badge while on the warehouse floor. (2) Badges help us know who is in the building, ____ (Blank 1) is important during a fire drill or an emergency.
(3) If you have not yet had your photo taken, please visit the front office before ____ (Blank 2). (4) Lost badges can be replaced for $5. (5) The front office ____ (Blank 3) open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
(6) Thank you for helping keep everyone ____ (Blank 4).
Question 2Drop-down
Which choice correctly completes Blank 3?
Neighborhood Food Fridges
In the past few years, refrigerators painted with bright murals have appeared on sidewalks in many American cities. These community fridges are stocked by neighbors, restaurants and grocery stores, and anyone may take what they need, no questions asked.
Supporters say the fridges cut food waste. A bakery that once threw away unsold bread at closing time can now leave it a block away, where it is gone by morning. The fridges also reach people who feel uncomfortable visiting a food bank or who cannot get there during its opening hours.
Running a fridge is not as simple as plugging it in, however. Volunteers must check it every day, throw out spoiled items and wipe the shelves. Most groups post rules: no raw meat, no opened containers, and a date on anything homemade. Several fridges have closed after a summer heat wave or when the volunteers moved away.
Organizers say the best-run fridges share one feature: a small, steady team with a written schedule. "The fridge is only as reliable as the people behind it," said one organizer in Ohio.
Question 3Multiple choice
Which statement best expresses the main idea of the text?
Next step
Questions people ask
Is there an essay on the GED?
Yes. The Language Arts test has one extended response, with 45 minutes to write it. You read two texts on one issue and explain which argument is better supported, using evidence from both.
Is there grammar on the GED?
Yes. Grammar and language questions appear as drop-down choices inside short workplace or everyday documents.