How should I study for the GED Language Arts test?

Study a little at a time, with a plan. Start by finding where you stand. Then work through the three areas the test names, in short sessions spread over the week.^[1] Test yourself as you go, read every day, and practice writing essays with a timer.

Below is that plan in six steps. Some tips come from GED itself, and some are general study advice from universities. We say which is which: the university tips are good study habits, not GED rules.

Step 1: Find where you stand

Before you study, find out what you already know and what needs work. That way your time goes where it helps most.

GED recommends taking its official practice test, GED Ready, at the beginning of each subject to see how you would do.^[2] GED Ready is not free: it costs a fee for each subject.^[3] It gives you a personal study plan, so you can focus on the topics you need to improve.^[2] GED's advice on timing differs, though: a 2019 GED blog post says to take it once you feel confident, to see how likely you are to pass.^[4] If you decide to buy it, a sensible way to use both: take it early to find what to study, and again when you feel ready.

If you want to start for free, GED's free online preview tests give an answer explanation for each question.^[5]

Step 2: Study the three areas the test names

GED names three topics for the Language Arts test: Reading for Meaning, Identifying and Creating Arguments, and Grammar and Language.^[1] Give each one its own study time. Here is further reading from our blog for each:

• Reading for Meaning. See our posts on finding the main idea and answering inference questions.
• Identifying and Creating Arguments. Our post on picking the better-supported side is a good place to start.
• Grammar and Language. Try our post on commonly confused words, such as its and it's.

Here is some good news. GED's own study guide says this is not a memorization test, and you do not need to memorize big vocabulary words.^[6] So spend your time on skills, not on long word lists. GED's Language Arts page suggests starting with its free Language Arts Study Guide, which helps you understand the skills being tested.^[7]

Step 3: Short sessions, spread over the week

How long should you study? GED's own suggestions differ. GED Flash, GED's own set of practice questions, says your GED study time can be as short as five minutes a day.^[8] Like GED Ready, GED Flash is a paid tool: you buy a package, such as one subject for one month.^[8] A GED blog post says studying 90 minutes, four to five times a week, works well for most people.^[9]

A university learning center, under the heading "Spacing out is good," says the most effective practice is to study each subject for a short time every day.^[10] That is general study advice, not a GED rule. But it points the same way as GED's suggestions: study regularly, in sessions you can keep up.

None of these numbers is a rule for the Language Arts test. Pick a length that fits your life, and keep it steady. Ten focused minutes on a busy day still counts.

Step 4: Test yourself instead of rereading

Instead of only rereading your notes, test yourself. A university learning center calls quizzing yourself a highly effective way to study.^[10] A university's learning strategies page calls this kind of work retrieval practice: practicing remembering information without looking at your study material.^[11] Like spacing, this is general study advice, not a GED rule.

Here are a few ways to do it:

• Close your notes and write down a grammar rule from memory, with an example of your own. Then check it.
• Answer practice questions before you look at any hints, then read the explanation for each choice.
• After you read a passage, cover it and say its main idea in one sentence.

Step 5: Read every day

GED's blog suggests reading news articles as practice, because they make you read a lot of information in a short time.^[12] A short article a day fits into even a busy week.

As you read, use the skills from the reading posts above. Ask yourself: what is the main idea, and what does the writer suggest without saying it outright?

Step 6: Practice timed essays

The test includes 45 minutes for the written essay.^[1] Writing well with a clock running is a skill of its own, so practice it. A university writing center suggests practicing writing under time pressure before a timed essay.^[13] GED's blog also suggests writing essays about topics you like.^[12] Start with topics you enjoy to build the habit, then add the timer.

Our post on planning the GED essay in 45 minutes gives a sample time split to practice with.

One thing to know: the GED Ready practice test does not score your essay.^[2] So look for feedback somewhere else, from a teacher or from a practice tool. The GED essay is scored on three traits.^[14] On OpenEssayMe you can improve your writing: write practice essays and get feedback on each trait.

A sample week

Here is one way a week could look. It is our own example, not an official GED plan:

• Most days: read one short news article, and quiz yourself for a few minutes on one rule or skill.
• Two or three days: a longer session on one of the three test areas, with practice questions.
• Once a week: one timed essay, 45 minutes.
• Every few weeks: check your progress with a practice test, and adjust your plan.

Change it to fit your life. What matters is that you keep going.

Free places to start

You do not need to spend money to begin. GED's free study guide and its free preview tests are both a good start.^[7][5] On OpenEssayMe, the free practice questions need no sign-up, and every answer comes with feedback that explains each choice. For how the test is built and scored, see our GED RLA test guide.