GED Test Science Flash Review (2015)

INTRODUCTION

About the GED® Science Test

The GED® test measures how well you can apply problem solving, analytical reasoning, and critical thinking skills alongside your understanding of high-school level science. The entire test is given on a computer. On the GED®Science test, you will have 90 minutes (an hour and a half) to answer 35 questions. There are two short answer questions included, but they are not timed separately. The test will include reading passages, graphs, and charts. The majority of the information you need to answer questions will be within the exam itself, whether in a diagram or in a passage. The test does not ask you to memorize science facts beforehand.

The science topics covered on the GED® Science test are:

• Physical science—40% of the questions

• Life science—40% of the questions

• Earth and space science—20% of the questions

On the GED® Science test, physical science includes high-school physics and chemistry and covers the structure of atoms, the structure of matter, the properties of matter, chemical reactions, conservation of mass and energy, increase in disorder, the laws of motion, forces, and the interactions of energy and matter. Life science deals with subjects covered in high-school biology classes, including cell structure, heredity, biological evolution, behavior, and interdependence of organisms. Earth and space questions will test your knowledge of the earth and the solar system, the geochemical cycles, the origin and evolution of the earth and the universe, and energy in the earth system.

Each question on the GED® Science test will align with one content item and one science practice. Science practices are the skills needed for scientific reasoning in textual and quantitative areas.

How to Use This Book

GED® Test Science Flash Review is designed to help you prepare for and succeed on the official exam, where a strong knowledge of science fundamentals is essential. This book contains more than 600 of the exam’s most commonly covered scientific concepts, images, formulas, problems, and question types. The cards are organized by science content topic for easy access.

GED® Test Science Flash Review works well as a stand-alone study tool for the science test, but it is recommended that it be used to supplement additional preparation for the exam. The following are some suggestions for making the most of this effective resource as you structure your study plan:

• Do not try to learn or memorize the 600 science concepts covered in this book all at once. Cramming is not the most effective approach to test prep. The best approach is to build a realistic study schedule that lets you review one science topic each day (refer to the table of contents to see where each new topic begins).

• Mark the topics that you have trouble with, so that they will be easy to return to later for further study.

• Make the most of this book’s portability—take it with you for studying on car trips, between classes, while commuting, or whenever you have some free time.

• Keep scratch paper on hand as you make your way through the book—you might need it to work out some of the more complex problems.

• Visit the official GED® test website for additional information to help you be prepared on test day.

Best of luck on the exam—and in achieving your goals!