Tips on Passing the Math Section of the GED

!±8± Tips on Passing the Math Section of the GED

The math section of the GED is the part of the test that students find the most challenging. Having a good understanding of the mathematical concepts that the test is evaluating you on is, naturally, the best way to achieve a high score on the math section of the GED. However, there are some things you should be aware of that, if your understanding of the mathematical concepts is still not perfect, might help you pass the math section of the GED. Even if you are already very comfortable using all of the math skills you need on the test, being aware of the tips below just might help you get an even higher score on the math section of the GED, which would bring up your overall score and be helpful to you if there is a different section of the test that you are weak on.

Get Familiar with the Calculator

For half of the test you will be able to use a calculator. It is important that you know how to use all of the helpful functions of this calculator in order to get the full benefit from it. If you don't know to use fractions on the calculator, for example, you are depriving yourself of an advantage that the test administrators are making available to you.

The calculator is a scientific calculator, specifically a Casio fx-260, and has many more features than a standard calculator. You don't need to know how to use all of these features, but you should know how to use the calculator for fractions, exponents, square roots and trigonometric functions, as well as, of course, the basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

The best way to get familiar with the calculator is by using it while you are preparing for the GED. Whenever you review a topic as you are studying, such as reducing fractions, make sure you can complete operations on your calculator as well as by hand. Also, when you take a practice GED math test, use the calculator on the portion of the test that permits calculator use.

Know When to Use Formulas

Throughout the test you will have access to a sheet of paper that details all of the formulas that will be useful to you in solving GED math problems. Be careful not to use this as a crutch, however. The sheet doesn't tell you which types of problems to use each formula on, which is key. To know this you need to study the mathematical concepts and by the time you understand them all you will probably have the formulas memorized anyways.

Practice Good Time Management

You will have 45 minutes to complete each part of the GED math test, which is 90 minutes total. To be sure that you have enough time to answer every question to the best of your ability it is important to use good time management skills. When you begin to work on each new question, quickly glance over what it is asking you to do. If it is something that looks particularly difficult and you have no idea how to approach it, skip it, being sure to jot down which questions you skipped. This will ensure that there is enough time to answer all the questions that are easy or slightly hard for you.

If you have enough time after answering the less difficult questions, return to those you skipped and try the best you can to answer them. At the very least you can just guess. If it is a multiple choice and not a bubble-in question, one strategy is to look at all of the options and try each one to see if you can work backward from the answer to the question successfully.