Yes, there is a free GED® practice test, and it comes from the exam's own maker. The Test Previews page on ged.com offers a free preview for each of the four subjects. Each one is a quarter of the real test's length, untimed, and comes with explanations. Use it first, then decide whether you need anything more.
This guide helps you choose and use practice tests; the tests themselves are on ged.com and in our free diagnostic.
What the free previews give you
Per ged.com, the previews have four traits that matter:
- They are a quarter of the real length, so they show the question styles without a full sitting.
- They are untimed, so they won't tell you whether you can finish in the allowed time.
- They come with explanations, which is where most of the learning happens.
- Spanish versions are available, and the page says they work best on a computer.
A preview shows you the question styles and where you stumble. Because there is no clock, it can't tell you whether you'd finish in time.
Practice by subject
The Test Subjects page lists the GED test as four separate subject exams, and you take them at your own pace. Times below come from that page. ged.com doesn't publish question counts on the pages we checked, so we don't give one.
Math (115 minutes)
The Math test is allowed 115 minutes. Practice the skills in the order you'd use them: read the word problem, set up the calculation, then check that your answer makes sense. Learn what the formula sheet contains before test day so you aren't reading it for the first time under the clock. Our formula sheet guide walks through it, and our calculator guide covers the on-screen calculator.
Where to practice free: the Math preview on ged.com, plus Prepanchor's free formula sheet explainer and math diagnostic. The diagnostic is math only. For more math practice after that, the Prepanchor Math Reasoning Pack for the GED® Test is a paid pack. Our GED math practice test guide goes deeper on this subject.
Reasoning Through Language Arts (150 minutes)
RLA is allowed 150 minutes. It has three sections and one written extended response. There is a 10-minute break between parts 2 and 3, and the essay gets 45 minutes.
What to practice: reading a passage closely, answering questions about it, editing sentences, and writing an essay under time pressure. Writing is the part people skip, so do at least one timed essay before the real thing. After each one, read it back and ask whether a stranger could follow your main point.
Where to practice free: the RLA preview on ged.com. The Prepanchor Language Arts + Essay Pack for the GED® Test is the paid option for more.
Science (90 minutes)
Science is allowed 90 minutes, with no break, and the Test Subjects page lists no essay for it. Practice reading charts, tables and short passages, then explaining what the data shows. Most of the work is interpreting what is put in front of you.
Where to practice free: the Science preview on ged.com. For more, there is the Prepanchor Science Pack for the GED® Test.
Social Studies (70 minutes)
Social Studies is allowed 70 minutes, with no break. It has no essay: the Test Subjects page lists none, although some older pages online still say otherwise. Practice reading a source, such as a passage, a map or a graph, and working out what it supports and what it doesn't.
Where to practice free: the Social Studies preview on ged.com. The paid option is the Prepanchor Social Studies Pack for the GED® Test.
Free previews, GED's paid practice test and Prepanchor compared
The three options do different jobs. Don't treat them as substitutes.
| Free ged.com previews | GED's paid practice test | Prepanchor practice | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made by | ged.com | ged.com | Prepanchor, an independent publisher |
| Cost | Free | Paid; see ged.com for the current price | Free math diagnostic; packs are paid |
| What it is for | Seeing the question styles and learning from the explanations | A readiness check, with a likelihood indicator and a custom study plan | Targeted practice and review, one topic at a time |
| When to use it | At the start, and any time you want a quick look at a subject | Near the end of your prep, when you think you're ready | Between the start and the end, to close the gaps you found |
| Ends with | Explanations for each question | A likelihood indicator for that subject | An estimated practice range, which is not a prediction of an official score |
The paid practice test column comes from its page on ged.com. It is GED's own product, and nothing from us replaces it as a readiness check.
Planning to test online? Get a green practice-test result first
ged.com's online testing page says online testing is available in English and Spanish. It also says you need a green result on GED's paid practice test within 60 days for each subject you want to take online.
That has a practical effect on your plan: the score expires. If you want to test online, take GED's practice test for a subject when you're close to scheduling it, not months before. Our online test guide covers the rest.
A 4-week practice path
This is our own suggestion, not a ged.com rule, and no schedule can promise a result. Adjust it to the time you have.
- Week 1: diagnostic. Take the free preview for each subject you plan to test. Take Prepanchor's free math diagnostic as well if math is on your list. For each question you miss, write down why: a gap in the content, a misread passage, or a careless slip.
- Weeks 2 and 3: targeted review. Pick the subject where you lost the most ground and work on it. Practice the specific skills, not whole tests. Our GED study guide shows what each subject covers, and our study-plan builder can lay out your days.
- Week 4: retest. Take the preview for each subject again, or take GED's paid practice test for the one you're about to schedule. Compare what you miss now with what you missed in week 1. If the same topic keeps coming up, give it another week before you book.
Because the previews are untimed, add your own clock in week 4. Use the times above and practice finishing inside them.
FAQ
Is there a free GED practice test?
Yes. The previews on ged.com are free, one per subject. Prepanchor also offers a free math diagnostic. See the sections above.
How many questions are on the actual GED test?
The ged.com pages we checked don't publish a question count per subject, so we won't guess. They do publish times: Math 115 minutes, RLA 150, Science 90 and Social Studies 70.
What score do I need?
ged.com lists 145 as the passing score on each subject. Our passing score guide explains how the scoring works.
Is the GED test hard?
It depends on your starting point and your weakest subject. We have no verified rate of success to quote. A diagnostic across all four subjects is the fastest way to find out where you stand.
What is the easiest way to prepare?
There is no shortcut we can stand behind. A steady routine works best: find your gaps, review them, and check again. The 4-week path above is one example.
What if my first attempt doesn't reach the score?
You retake only that subject. ged.com's test retakes FAQ says that at a test center you can retake a subject twice with no waiting period, then wait 60 days after a third or later miss. States can add rules, so check yours. Our passing score guide has more on what to do next.
Can I take all four tests in one day?
The Scheduling page says you can schedule one subject at a time or up to all four at once. It doesn't say more than that on the page we checked, so confirm the details when you book. Accommodation requests go in before you schedule.
Is 40 too old to take the GED test?
ged.com doesn't list an upper age limit on the pages we checked. The age rules it mentions vary by area, so look up your state's rules on the Price & State Rules page.
Is Prepanchor practice the same as the GED test?
No. Prepanchor is an independent publisher, not connected to GED Testing Service. Our practice ends with an estimated practice range, which is not a prediction of an official score. For a readiness check from the exam's maker, use GED's paid practice test on ged.com.