4Tests Blog

The closer test day gets, the more nerve rattling it can be. While prices vary across the country for getting your GED – and you’ll have to check with the testing providers in your area to be sure – whatever the cost is too much money to fritter away in this economy. That’s why it pays to be prepared for test day by knowing exactly what to expect. Here’s a rundown:

1. Showing of Photo ID

The best photo ID available is a driver’s license. Most people have one. Bringing it with you can take a lot of heat off from the start. But if you don’t have a driver’s license, don’t worry. Other forms of valid photo identification include a passport photo, a visa (or green card) photo, a state-issued photo ID and a military ID card, to name a few. For other variations, you may wish to call ahead and speak to your local test administrator. When you first arrive at the testing center on the day of the actual exam, you will need to register using whichever form of ID has been deemed acceptable.

2. Expectations to Follow Instructions

Listen to every word that the test administrator has to say. Once you are ready to begin a testing battery, be careful as you read the instructions and don’t automatically assume you know what the battery is asking for based on the structure and layout of the test question. As in business, following instructions is very important, and the GED is far from an easy way out. It is as challenging as the traditional pathway to a high school diploma, if not harder in the fact that you have to be largely self-reliant in preparing for it.

3. Testing over five core content areas

Reading, writing, mathematics, science and social studies, account for each of the five testing areas. These demonstrate a well-rounded curriculum, and you will need to achieve a certain level of competence with each before you can hope to attain that GED certificate. That means test day will be much easier if you prepare for several weeks in advance by reviewing official test preparation materials and taking officially recognized practice exams. Try to recreate the structure and the rigidity that you will experience on test day as you prepare.

Take the GED practice exam in a secluded environment. Use the same amount of time given for each testing battery. And do NOT allow any outside distractions. Typically, you don’t have to take all five sections in one day, so it’s fine if you want to just do one or two sections at a time. The value comes in recreating the day of your actual test to a tee. Get yourself familiar with the territory, and you’ll be more free to focus on content.

4. Submitting to Photographs and Video

When you arrive on the day of the actual test, you must submit to being photographed in addition to the valid photo ID that you bring along with you. The GED Testing Service holds the integrity of its results in high regard, and administrators are required to show that the registered test-taker is the one, who actually shows up for the session. The test is also videoed to ensure accuracy of the final results.

5. Tightly Monitored Environment

Aside from the technological precautions taken in item No. 4, there will also be certified administrators there on site as a backstop against any attempt to manipulate the outcome of the exam. These individuals are also there to protect the integrity of your results in the event that you are working in the same vicinity as other test-takers, and they are there to answer any questions that you may have about the administration of the test. Generally, if taking more than one battery in a day, they are there to keep time, monitor breaks (which are typically given in 10-minute increments between sections) and keep the day on track.

By knowing what to expect in advance, preparing for each testing battery, pre-testing under the same circumstances as test day and following instructions, you will be well on your way to a new and successful chapter of life.