Murray Shukyn - GED Mathematical Reasoning Test For Dummies

GED Mathematical Reasoning Test For Dummies

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Copyright 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2015945227

ISBN 978-1-119-03008-9 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-03011-9 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-03010-2 (ebk)

1. Table of Contents

Youve decided to take the General Education Development (GED) test to earn the equivalent of a high school diploma. Good for you. You have the fortitude and certitude to clear a major hurdle standing between you and your educational and professional goals. But now you realize that you need extra guidance and practice in mathematics to tackle the Mathematical Reasoning test. Perhaps you took the test once or even twice and didnt do so well, or youve done an honest self-assessment and now realize that math was never your favorite or best subject. Whatever the reason, you need to quickly review the fundamentals and practice solving math problems similar to those youll encounter on the test. You want to know what to expect, so youre not blindsided on test day.

Welcome to GED Mathematical Reasoning Test For Dummies your key to excelling on the GED Mathematical Reasoning test. Here, you find everything you need to do well on the test, from instruction on basic addition and subtraction all the way up to strategies for solving word problems and dealing with quadratic equations. We also pepper you with plenty of practice questions to reinforce your newly acquired knowledge and skills.

As we were writing GED Test For Dummies, 3rd edition (Wiley), we didnt have the space to cover all four sections of the GED test in great detail. In that book, we provided a general overview of the GED test and two full-length practice tests that covered all four sections Reasoning through Language Arts (RLA), Mathematical Reasoning, Science, and Social Studies.

Knowing that each section of the GED test can be taken separately and that test-takers probably need more guidance in some subject areas than in others, we decided to develop a separate book for each section four books, each with a balance of instruction and practice. In this book, we focus exclusively on the GED Mathematical Reasoning test. Our goal is to prepare you to solve any math problem youre likely to encounter on the test.

We begin by giving you a sneak peek at the test format and an overview of whats on the test. We then provide a diagnostic test that presents you with math problems that challenge your knowledge and skills across the entire spectrum of high school mathematics to identify your unique strengths and weaknesses. The diagnostic test and the self-assessment form following the test guide you to specific chapters for instruction and practice. When you feel ready, you can then tackle the full-length practice test in for answers and explanations.

We wrap up with two Part of Tens chapters one to help you avoid ten common mistakes and the other to guide you in solving ten tricky math problems.

When we wrote this book, we made a few assumptions about you, dear reader. Heres who we think you are:

• Youre serious about earning a high-school diploma or GED endorsement for existing qualifications as quickly as you can.
• Youre looking for additional instruction and guidance, specifically in mathematics, not English, science, or social studies.
• Youve made earning a high-school diploma and an endorsement a priority in your life because you want to advance in the workplace or move on to college.
• Youre willing to give up some activities so you have the time to prepare, always keeping in mind your other responsibilities, too.
• You meet your states requirements regarding age, residency, and the length of time since leaving school that make you eligible to take the GED test. (See for details.)
• You have sufficient English language skills to handle the test. Yes, you will encounter plenty of word problems.
• You want a fun and friendly guide that helps you achieve your goal.

If any of these descriptions sounds like you, welcome aboard. Weve prepared an enjoyable tour of the GED test.