GED® Social Studies — GED® is a registered trademark of the American Council on Education, administered by GED Testing Service
The GED social studies test — civics and government, U.S. history, economics and geography, built on documents, maps, charts and cartoons.
About the exam
The GED test is for adults who didn't finish high school. Pass all four subjects — Reasoning Through Language Arts, Mathematical Reasoning, Science and Social Studies — and you earn your state's high school equivalency credential, which employers, colleges, training programs and the military accept like a diploma. You can take the subjects one at a time, in any order.
GED Social Studies runs 70 minutes with no break, at roughly 30–35 questions, and has no essay. Half the test is civics and government; the rest is U.S. history, economics, and geography and the world. Nearly every question is built on a source — a passage from a founding document or speech, a political cartoon, a map, a chart or a timeline — and asks you to read it closely, spot point of view and bias, and reason about causes and effects.
Our practice covers every content area with original questions in the real formats — primary-source excerpts, maps, charts, timelines and cartoon descriptions — with social studies reasoning skills built into each topic. Every data question has a step-by-step worked solution. Add flashcards for key documents, terms and concepts, worked walkthrough case studies of primary sources and data, illustrated guides to government and the economy, and timed practice tests with an estimated GED score.
How we track your progress
Every blueprint domain moves through five levels as you study:
- Not startedNo questions answered in this domain yet.
- Getting startedFirst questions answered — not enough yet to judge.
- DevelopingAt least 5 answered and 50% or better on your recent questions.
- ProficientAt least 15 answered and 70% or better on your recent questions.
- Exam readyAt least 25 answered, 80% or better recently, and holding up on hard questions.
The exam blueprint
GED test subject assessment targets — GED Testing Service. The current computer-based GED test format has been in place since 2014 (with the 145 passing score since 2016); no format change has been announced for 2026–27 — confirm on GED.com. — Civics and Government (about 50%), U.S. History (about 20%), Economics (about 15%) and Geography and the World (about 15%). Tap a domain to see its topics.
1 Civics and Government about 50% of the exam
225 practice questions in this domain so far
2 United States History about 20% of the exam
95 practice questions in this domain so far
3 Economics about 15% of the exam
65 practice questions in this domain so far
4 Geography and the World about 15% of the exam
65 practice questions in this domain so far
What you get when you access this exam
Free with your QuizMe account.
Questions built on the official assessment targets
Every question is tagged to a GED Social Studies content area — original primary-source excerpts, maps, charts, timelines and political cartoons, in the real formats.
Hints that teach the skill
Reveal the concept or reading skill behind the question when you're stuck. Every answer comes with the full rationale, and every calculation is worked step by step.
Adaptive practice
Questions steer toward your weakest content areas, weighted like the real test, and get harder as you get stronger.
Timed practice tests
Content-weighted tests at the real pace — 34 questions in 1 hour 10 minutes — with a pacing indicator, full review and an estimated GED score.
Flashcards, walkthroughs and guides
Flashcards for key terms and rules, worked walkthrough case studies that solve harder questions step by step, and interactive illustrated guides you explore hotspot by hotspot.
Progress in every content area
Each area moves from Not started to Exam ready, so you know exactly what to study next.
Test at home or at a center
The GED test is computer-based and you schedule each subject separately, in any order, through your account at GED.com. Each state sets its own price, ID and age rules.
At a Pearson VUE test center
- Schedule a date and time on GED.com; centers offer many dates year-round.
- Bring the government-issued photo ID your state accepts, and arrive early to check in.
- Phones, bags and notes go in a locker; you get an erasable noteboard and the on-screen calculator where allowed.
- On Math, Science and Social Studies you may bring your own TI-30XS MultiView calculator to a test center.
Online proctored at home
- Offered where your state allows it — you first need a green (Likely to Pass) GED Ready score in that subject within the last 60 days.
- Use a computer with a webcam and microphone in a private room with the door closed and no one else present.
- Only the on-screen calculator and on-screen whiteboard are allowed — no handheld calculator or scratch paper.
- No unscheduled breaks; run the system check well before test day.
Exam-day game plan
How to walk in ready — and how to pace 34 questions in 1 hour 10 minutes.
Pacing checkpoints
The real Social Studies test is a single 70-minute section with no break, at roughly 30–35 questions depending on the form. Our timed test runs 34 questions in 70 minutes. Drag-and-drop, drop-down and hot-spot items (such as selecting a region on a map) are approximated with multiple choice, and maps and cartoons are described in text where needed.
The week before
- Take a GED Ready practice test in Social Studies — a green score tells you you're likely to pass, and you need one to test online.
- Review checks and balances, federalism and the Bill of Rights — civics is half the test.
- Practice reading maps, charts and timelines quickly: title, labels and units first.
- Confirm your appointment, ID and route (or run the online system check).
During the test
- Most answers are in the source — read it closely before reaching for outside knowledge.
- Ask who made a source and why; point of view and bias questions are common.
- Separate fact from opinion and correlation from causation.
- Several questions often share one source — reread it rather than relying on memory.
- Flag hard questions, choose your best answer and return if time allows.
Keep your head
- A few nerves sharpen focus. If you freeze, take three slow breaths and reread the question.
- Every subject is scored on its own — one tough subject doesn't undo the others, and you can retake just that one.
- Answer every question; there's no penalty for guessing, so never leave one blank.
After you test
- Most subject scores appear in your GED.com account the same day, with a report listing the skills to work on (the RLA essay can take a little longer to score).
- Pass all four subjects with 145 or higher to earn your state's high school equivalency credential and transcript, issued through GED.com.
- If you score below 145 you can retake that subject — states usually allow a couple of retakes, often discounted, before a waiting period applies; College Ready scores may also exempt you from placement tests or earn credit at some colleges.
Official sources and further reading
- GED.com — test subjects ↗Official overview of each subject, question types and timing.
- GED.com — understanding your scores ↗Passing, College Ready and College Ready + Credit score bands.
- GED.com — take the GED test online ↗Online-proctored requirements, including the GED Ready green score.
Ready to start?
450 questions and scenarios across the blueprint — and growing.
GED® is a registered trademark of the American Council on Education, administered by GED Testing Service. QuizMe and thinQtank Learning are not affiliated with or endorsed by the American Council on Education or GED Testing Service. All questions are original. Details are summarized from GED Testing Service's official GED.com pages; fees and policies change — always confirm at ged.com. Estimated scores are rough guides, not official conversions.