Youve decided to get your high school diploma by preparing to take the GED high school equivalency diploma test. By now, you know that a high school diploma is a very important document to possess. With your diploma, you will be able to take advantage of training and educational opportunities beyond the high school level and increase your earning potential.

You want to do your best on this test, and thats why you purchased this book. Used correctly, this self-tutor will show you what to expect while giving you the most effective practice with subjects you can expect to see on the actual exam. Petersons Master the GED provides you with the necessary tools to make the most of the study time you have, including:

Top 10 GED Test-taking Tips lists the ten most important tips to help you score high on the GED.

Part I is essential reading if you are preparing to take the GED. Youll find out about the overall structure of the GED, what each section of the test covers, the scoring and passing requirements, scheduling and testing procedures, and what you need to do to get ready to take the exam.

Part II allows you to dip your toes into the GED waters by taking a Practice Diagnostic Test. Use the results of this Diagnostic Test to determine where you need to focus your GED preparation.

Parts IIIVII review the subject matter for each test area of the GEDLanguage Arts, Writing: Parts I and II; Social Studies; Science; Language Arts, Reading; and Mathematicsand offer you powerful strategies for attacking every question type youll encounter in the actual exam.

Part VIII consists of 2 full-length Practice Tests, with answer explanations for each question. Each test contains the same number and mix of question types youll encounter on the actual exam. To accurately measure your performance on these Practice Tests, be sure to adhere strictly to the stated time limits for each section.

Word List in the Appendix offers you a great tool to help boost your vocabulary for ALL of the GED tests.

The Diagnostic Practice Test and Process

The Diagnostic Practice Test does more than give you testing experience. It helps you recognize your strengths and pinpoint areas that need improvement. By understanding your testing profile, you can immediately address your weak areas by working through the relevant review chapters, learning the pertinent test-taking tips, and studying the numerous examples and explanations provided.

The Review Sections

The Language Arts, Writing: Part I and the Social Studies sections include graphic illustrations in response to contemporary trends and current changes in curriculum, as well as the demands of the GED. The Writing Test: Part I review covers sentence correction, revision, and construction; paragraph composition; and document organization. The Social Studies review covers history, civics and government, economics, and geography. The review will help you sharpen your comprehension, analysis, evaluation, and application skills for the actual exam.

The Language Arts, Reading section provides an opportunity to improve your reading skills, which are necessary for good performance in reading and in all other academic areas. The selections consist of a wide range of reading matter, from poetry to a scene from a play to business memos and e-mails.

The Science section reviews those subjects that will appear on the actual GED exam: life science (biology), earth science (geology and oceanography), space science (astronomy), and physical science (chemistry and physics). The review will help you with your ability to recall and understand information, draw inferences and conclusions, evaluate data, and apply concepts and ideas to other situations.

The Mathematics section provides user-friendly explanations of math processes in recognition of the particular difficulty that many students have in this area. The review, examples, and answer explanations will help you better comprehend the difficult concepts in the tested areas of numbers, number sense, and operations; data, statistics, and probability; algebra, functions, and patterns; and geometry, coordinate geometry, and measurement. In addition, there are clear, step-by-step directions on using the Casio fx-260 calculator, which is what you will be given to use for Part I of the GED Mathematics Test.