Yes, you get a formula sheet on the GED® math test. According to the Mathematical Reasoning page on ged.com, it is provided both on screen and at the test center, so you don't have to memorize it. What you do need is to know where each formula sits on it, and the handful of skills it leaves out.
Get the formula sheet from ged.com (English and Spanish)
GED Testing Service publishes the sheet as a free PDF, with no email address needed.
- The 2026 English formula sheet on ged.com is the current English file, linked from GED's classroom materials page.
- The 2026 Spanish formula sheet on ged.com is a separate file. Spanish readers can also start from our page Hoja de fórmulas para el examen de GED®.
Older copies are still online. ged.com still hosts a 2014-branded version, and many other sites reuse it. When we put the old and new English files side by side, the formula list looked the same. All we can say is that the file was reissued. GED hasn't published a note about what changed, if anything, so don't assume a formula was added or removed.
We don't reprint the sheet here, because the PDF carries a notice restricting reproduction. Keep it open in another tab or print it, and use this page to understand it.
Do you get it on test day?
Yes. The Test Subjects page says the math test gives you access to two references: a calculator reference sheet and a math formula sheet. GED's classroom materials page adds that many reference sheets are available in the test center on test day, and it advises educators to review them in advance. Do the same: practice with the sheet beside you so that on test day it is familiar.
We couldn't find a published answer on whether the sheet is open for the whole math test or only part of it. Check the tutorial on your testing platform, and don't plan around either assumption.
The five groups on the sheet
The 2026 sheet is one page with five groups (ged.com PDF):
- Area. How much flat space a shape covers, measured in square units.
- Perimeter. The distance around a shape, including the circumference of a circle.
- Surface area and volume. The outside covering of a solid versus the space inside it.
- Data. How to find the mean and the median of a set of numbers.
- Algebra. A mix of line, quadratic and money formulas. It covers slope, the slope-intercept and point-slope forms of a line, the standard quadratic form, the quadratic formula, the Pythagorean theorem, simple interest, distance as rate times time, and total cost.
The sheet gives you the formula but doesn't say when to use it. That is the skill the test checks, so the examples below show how to read a problem and pick the right line.
One worked example per group
These are our own examples, not test questions. Check each formula against the sheet as you go.
Area. A triangular sail has a base of 14 ft and a height of 9 ft. Half of base times height is half of 126, so the area is 63 square feet. Use the perpendicular height, the straight-up distance, not a slanted side.
Perimeter. You want trim around the edge of a round rug with a radius of 7 ft. Circumference is 2 × π × radius, which is 14π. With the calculator's π key that is about 43.98 ft. Radius is half the diameter, so check which one the problem gives you.
Volume. A cylinder has a radius of 3 in. and a height of 10 in. The base area is π × 3² = 9π, and multiplying by the height gives 90π. That is about 282.74 cubic inches. Surface area problems work the same way: find each face, then add. Volume is in cubic units and surface area in square units.
Data. Take the numbers 6, 9, 10, 11 and 29. The sum is 65 and there are five numbers, so the mean is 13. They are already in order, so the median is the middle value, 10. The one big number pulls the mean up and leaves the median alone. If a data set has an even count, the median is the average of the middle two.
Algebra. A line passes through (2, 5) and (6, 13). Slope is rise over run: (13 - 5) ÷ (6 - 2) = 8 ÷ 4 = 2. For simple interest, suppose you borrow $2,000 at 3% a year for 4 years. Interest is principal × rate × time, so 2,000 × 0.03 = 60 per year, and 60 × 4 = $240. Write the rate as a decimal first.
What's not on the sheet
The sheet doesn't cover everything that math problems use. These are useful skills to have ready. GED hasn't published a list saying which of them appear on the test, so we are not claiming any of them is definitely tested.
- Order of operations. 3 + 4 × 2² is 3 + 16 = 19, not 49. Exponents first, then multiplication, then addition.
- Percent and percent change. From 80 to 92 is a rise of 12, and 12 ÷ 80 = 0.15, so 15%. Always divide by the starting value.
- Probability basics. A bag holds 3 red marbles out of 8. The chance of picking red is 3 out of 8, or 3/8.
- Angle facts. The angles of a triangle add up to 180 degrees, and so do the angles along a straight line.
- Mode and range. For 6, 9, 10, 11 and 29 above, the range is 29 - 6 = 23. The mode is the value that appears most often. Note that the sheet defines mean and median but not these two.
- Exponent rules. 2³ × 2⁴ = 2⁷ = 128. When you multiply powers with the same base, add the exponents.
Two look-alikes
Distance: d = rt or the coordinate formula? The distance formula on the sheet is rate times time. A car at 55 mph for 3.5 hours covers 55 × 3.5 = 192.5 miles. The other "distance formula" measures the gap between two points on a graph, for example (1, 2) and (4, 6). That one is not on the sheet. It comes from the Pythagorean theorem: from (1, 2) to (4, 6) the legs are 3 and 4, so the distance is 5. Plenty of websites mix these up, so read the problem to see whether it talks about speed or about points.
Simple or compound interest? The sheet has simple interest only. Compound interest, where each period's interest earns interest, is not on it. On $1,000 at 5% for 2 years, simple interest is $100. Compounding gives 1,000 × 1.05² = $1,102.50, so $102.50 in interest. If a problem says "compounded", the sheet won't hand you the formula.
Entering symbols on test day
Some fill-in-the-blank math items need special symbols such as π, ≤, ≥, ≠, absolute value, square root, exponents, ± and infinity. GED's "Formulas & Symbols" guide explains the Æ symbol tool used to enter them (PDF on ged.com). That file uses 2014 program branding, so treat it as a guide to the tool, not as the current sheet. GED also lists a Spanish version of this tool guide on its classroom materials page. Open the guide once before test day, so the tool isn't a surprise.
How to use the sheet for practice
- Print the PDF or keep it open, and work problems with it in view.
- For each problem, say which group the formula comes from before you calculate.
- Mark every formula you looked up more than twice. Those are your drill list.
- Write the non-sheet skills above on a separate card and practice them without help.
The free Prepanchor Formula Sheet Explained + Math Diagnostic for the GED® Test shows you which groups to review first. The calculator guide covers the on-screen calculator, and the math practice test guide explains where to find practice tests. For a longer set, the Prepanchor Math Reasoning Pack for the GED® Test goes deeper.
Formula sheet FAQ
What formulas are given on the GED?
The five groups described above: area, perimeter, surface area and volume, data (mean and median), and algebra. Open the PDF for the exact formulas.
Is there a cheat sheet for the GED test?
GED provides its own sheet on screen and at the test center, so you don't need to bring or memorize one. Use a study card of your own only for practice, such as the non-sheet skills above.
What is the hardest GED math?
GED hasn't published a ranking, so we can't name one topic. Many people find multi-step word problems harder than any single formula, because the work is choosing the right line. Your diagnostic results are a better guide than a general answer.
How do I get ready for GED math fast?
Start with the groups where you looked up the most formulas, practice the non-sheet skills above, and work problems with the sheet open. We can't say how long it will take you. That depends on where you start.
Is there a GED science formula sheet?
We couldn't find a separate science formula sheet on the pages we checked. Don't rely on one.
Is the 2026 sheet different?
GED reissued the file in 2026. The formula list appears unchanged, though GED hasn't said what, if anything, changed.
Is there a Spanish sheet?
Yes. GED publishes a 2026 Spanish file, linked above, and our Spanish page explains it.