GED Study Guide
SOCIAL STUDIES
What you need to know about the GED® Social Studies Test
You should be familiar with basic social studies concepts,
... [Show More] but you're not expected to have in-depth knowledge of each topic.
Remember, the social studies test is not a memorization test! You don’t need to know the capitals of countries or the timeframes that certain wars occurred.
You’ll need to understand social studies concepts, use logic and reasoning, and draw conclusions (which is using your critical thinking skills in social studies).
This study guide and the example questions in it will help you get an idea of what’s going to be on the test.
You don’t need to know everything in this guide!
If you want to see how close you are to passing, the GED Ready® official practice test is a great way to help you determine if you’re ready.
Test Overview
Topics
Reading for Meaning in Social Studies
Analyzing Historical Events and Arguments in Social Studies Using Numbers and Graphs in Social Studies
Time (to take the test)
70 minutes No breaks
Format
Calculator allowed
Access to calculator reference sheet
Multiple choice and other question types (drag and drop, fill in the blank, hot spot, and drop down)
What you'll be tested on
h 4
The GED test will measure your strength in the skills below. Click on a skill to learn more about it
1 Main ideas and details in social studies readings
You'll be presented with social studies passages and be asked to:
Determine the main ideas
Use details to make inferences or claims
Social studies passages often make particular claims about a topic and then provide details that the author uses to support the assertions made.
Social studies readings may be from a primary source (created by someone with firsthand knowledge of an event) or a secondary source (created by someone at a later time who did not have firsthand knowledge of the event). Sometimes these documents are complex or written in an "old-fashioned" style, and it takes skill to read and understand what the main point or points of the reading are - which might not be obvious to you on the first read.
For example, a reading about American History might argue that the cause of the American Revolution was the unfair taxation of the American colonies. The reading might then provide details or examples of unfair taxation that support the author's position.
Or, you might read an excerpt of a letter written by a soldier during the U.S. Civil War. This primary source document explains the perspective of that individual and what he was doing or experiencing at the time. As a reader, your task might be to explain or summarize the main points or theme of what the soldier was trying to communicate. [Show Less]