GED Science questions often give you a graph or table and ask you to read a value, spot a trend, find a rate of change or choose the claim the data support. This free lab uses real public data from NOAA and USGS so you can practice each of those skills with instant, step-by-step feedback.
How to read any graph in six steps
Read the title first. It tells you what was measured, where and when.
Read both axis labels and units. Check whether the vertical axis starts at 0.
Find the scale: how much does each grid line stand for?
Put the question into your own words before you look at the answers.
Use the exact numbers in a table when the graph is hard to read.
For any claim, ask: do the data show it, contradict it, or say nothing about it?
Line graph: Carbon dioxide in the air at Mauna Loa, Hawaii, 2015–2024
The annual average rose every year, from 401.01 ppm in 2015 to 424.61 ppm in 2024, an increase of 23.60 ppm over 9 years. ppm means parts per million: CO₂ molecules per million molecules of dry air.
Source: NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory, Mauna Loa CO₂ annual mean data (co2_annmean_mlo.txt, file created October 9, 2026), https://gml.noaa.gov/webdata/ccgg/trends/co2/co2_annmean_mlo.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-26. NOAA notes that Mauna Loa measurements were suspended from November 29, 2022 to July 2023 after a volcanic eruption; readings in that period came from a site on Maunakea about 21 miles away.
2015: 401.01 ppm
2016: 404.41 ppm
2017: 406.76 ppm
2018: 408.72 ppm
2019: 411.65 ppm
2020: 414.21 ppm
2021: 416.41 ppm
2022: 418.53 ppm
2023: 421.08 ppm
2024: 424.61 ppm
Bar graph: Average yearly precipitation at eight U.S. weather stations, 1991–2020
Miami has the most precipitation, 67.41 inches a year, and Phoenix the least, 7.22 inches. Seattle (39.34 inches) gets less than New York (49.52), Atlanta (50.43) and Houston (51.84). Precipitation counts rain plus melted snow.
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020, annual/seasonal station files, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/normals-annualseasonal/1991-2020/access/. Retrieved 2026-10-26. Values are 30-year normals (averages for 1991–2020) for airport or park weather stations, in °F and inches, copied as published.
Atlanta: 50.43 inches
Chicago: 37.86 inches
Houston: 51.84 inches
Miami: 67.41 inches
Minneapolis: 31.62 inches
New York: 49.52 inches
Phoenix: 7.22 inches
Seattle: 39.34 inches
Scatter plot: Latitude and average yearly temperature at 13 U.S. weather stations, 1991–2020
Stations farther north tend to be colder: Miami (25.8° N) averages 77.4 °F and Anchorage (61.2° N) 37.6 °F. Some stations break the pattern. Phoenix is much warmer than Atlanta at almost the same latitude. Denver, high in the mountains, is cooler than New York even though it is farther south. Seattle, near the ocean, is warmer than Chicago and Boston even though it is farther north.
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020, annual/seasonal station files, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/normals-annualseasonal/1991-2020/access/. Retrieved 2026-10-26. Values are 30-year normals (averages for 1991–2020) for airport or park weather stations, in °F and inches, copied as published.
Miami, FL: 25.7906° N, 77.4 °F (8.8 m above sea level)
Houston, TX: 29.98° N, 70.5 °F (29 m above sea level)
Phoenix, AZ: 33.4278° N, 75.6 °F (337.4 m above sea level)
Atlanta, GA: 33.63° N, 63.6 °F (307.8 m above sea level)
Charlotte, NC: 35.2236° N, 61.4 °F (221.9 m above sea level)
Nashville, TN: 36.1189° N, 60.8 °F (182.9 m above sea level)
Denver, CO: 39.8328° N, 51.2 °F (1,650.2 m above sea level)
New York, NY: 40.7789° N, 55.8 °F (39.6 m above sea level)
Chicago, IL: 41.995° N, 51.2 °F (200.6 m above sea level)
Boston, MA: 42.3606° N, 51.9 °F (3.7 m above sea level)
Minneapolis, MN: 44.8831° N, 46.9 °F (265.8 m above sea level)
Seattle, WA: 47.4444° N, 53.7 °F (112.8 m above sea level)
Anchorage, AK: 61.1689° N, 37.6 °F (36.6 m above sea level)
Two-way table: Earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or larger worldwide, by year and size, 2020–2024
Most large earthquakes are in the 6.0 to 6.9 range every year. From 2020 to 2024 the catalog lists 651 earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or larger: 583 from 6.0 to 6.9, 65 from 7.0 to 7.9 and 3 of 8.0 or larger, all 3 in 2021.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), event count service, https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/count. Retrieved 2026-10-26. Counts of events of type "earthquake" in each calendar year (UTC) at or above magnitude 6, 7 and 8; the size classes are found by subtraction. USGS can revise its catalog, so counts may change slightly over time.
2020: 6.0 to 6.9: 112; 7.0 to 7.9: 9; 8.0 or larger: 0; Total: 121
2021: 6.0 to 6.9: 138; 7.0 to 7.9: 16; 8.0 or larger: 3; Total: 157
2022: 6.0 to 6.9: 116; 7.0 to 7.9: 11; 8.0 or larger: 0; Total: 127
2023: 6.0 to 6.9: 128; 7.0 to 7.9: 19; 8.0 or larger: 0; Total: 147
2024: 6.0 to 6.9: 89; 7.0 to 7.9: 10; 8.0 or larger: 0; Total: 99
The 19 practice questions cover
Read a value
Describe a trend
Rate of change
Select an area
Extrapolate
Compare
Supported claim
Misleading scale
Interpolate
Percent
Probability
Official GED Science facts (checked 2026-10-26)
The GED Science test takes 90 minutes, including 2 minutes of instructions and final review, with no break (GED.com test subjects page).
Science uses multiple choice and other question types: fill in the blank, drag and drop, select an area and drop down (GED.com).
The official Science topic areas are Reading for Meaning in Science, Designing and Interpreting Science Experiments, and Using Numbers and Graphics in Science (GED.com).
About 40 percent of the test is life science, 40 percent physical science and 20 percent Earth and space science (GED Assessment Guide for Educators, Science).
GED.com says you do not need to memorize formulas for Science; the information you need is provided.
The passing score is 145 in each subject, on a 100 to 200 scale (GED.com scores page).
What to do next
Work through the lab in Test style until you get each part right on the first check.
Read GEDPilot lesson GP-S02, Turn Tables and Graphs into Reasoning, in the book or online in the library (/library/GP-S02, included with the book or a plan).
Take the free GEDPilot diagnostic (/tests) to see which subject needs you most.
Before you book Science, take GED Ready, the official practice test, and aim for the green Likely to Pass band (145 to 200).
You can schedule one subject at a time, so Science can be its own test day when you are ready.
How do I read a graph on the GED Science test? Start with the title, then the axis labels and units, then the scale. Only then look at the pattern. Say each value in words, such as "414 ppm in 2020", before you use it. If a table is given, use its exact numbers.
What is the difference between interpolation and extrapolation? Interpolation estimates a value between measured points, like a station at 38° N between stations at 36° and 41°. Extrapolation predicts beyond the data, like next year’s carbon dioxide level. Both are estimates, and extrapolation is riskier because it assumes the pattern keeps going.
How do you find the rate of change from a graph or table? Divide the change in the vertical value by the change in the horizontal value. For example, carbon dioxide rose from 401.01 ppm in 2015 to 424.61 ppm in 2024: 23.60 ÷ 9 ≈ 2.62 ppm per year. Keep the units with the answer.
Does a trend in a graph prove that one thing causes another? No. A graph can show that two things change together, which is called a correlation. Showing a cause usually needs a controlled experiment or other evidence. On the test, pick the claim that stays within what the data actually show.
Can I use a calculator on the GED Science test? Yes. Science gives you an on-screen calculator, and GED Testing Service provides a calculator reference sheet for certain Science items. At a test center you may bring your own TI-30XS MultiView™; online, you use only the on-screen calculator. TI-30XS MultiView is a trademark of Texas Instruments, which is not affiliated with GEDPilot.
What is a select-an-area question? It asks you to click a spot on a graph, chart, table or diagram, such as the bar or point that answers the question. GED.com lists select an area as one of the Science question types. This lab lets you click the chart or pick from a list with the keyboard.
Where does the data in this lab come from? From public files published by NOAA (Mauna Loa carbon dioxide and U.S. Climate Normals) and USGS (the earthquake catalog), copied on 2026-10-26. Each chart shows its source. The questions are original GEDPilot practice, not real GED test questions.
Independent preparation materials. Not affiliated with or endorsed by ACE or GED Testing Service. GED is a registered trademark owned by ACE. Practice results do not predict an official GED score, and GEDPilot does not guarantee a passing score.