The GED Science test: topics, formulas and test tips
The GED Science test takes 90 minutes with no break. It tests reading for meaning in science, designing and interpreting experiments, and using numbers and graphics. About 40% is life science, 40% physical science and 20% earth and space science. You get an on-screen calculator, and you do not need to memorize formulas.
What is on the GED Science test?
Time: 90 minutes, including 2 minutes of instructions and final review, with no break.
Official topic areas on GED.com: Reading for Meaning in Science; Designing and Interpreting Science Experiments; Using Numbers and Graphics in Science.
GED Testing Service's educator guide (2016, with 2020 notes) says about 40% of the test is life science, 40% physical science and 20% earth and space science.
Questions center on two themes: human health and living systems, and energy and related systems.
Question types: multiple choice plus fill-in-the-blank, drag and drop, select an area and drop-down. Science forms have had no short-answer questions since 2018.
Tools: an on-screen calculator and the calculator reference sheet. At a test center you may bring your own TI-30XS MultiView. No formula sheet is listed for Science.
GED Testing Service does not publish an official number of questions.
Life, physical, and earth and space science
Life science (About 40%): Cells, body systems and health, heredity, evolution, ecosystems
Physical science (About 40%): Matter and its changes, chemical reactions, energy, forces and motion
Earth and space science (About 20%): The water cycle, weather and climate, rocks and plates, Earth in space
What are GED Science questions really like?
Most GED Science questions give you what you need: a short passage, a table, a graph or an experiment. Your job is to read it carefully and reason from it.
Test takers often describe Science as a reading test with charts. In forum posts GEDPilot reviewed, some were surprised by the math, such as mean, median, mode and percents, and said basic science vocabulary helped more than they expected.
GED.com's Science page says the GED Science test has a 90% pass rate. The page gives no date or method for that number, so treat it as encouragement, not a promise.
Find the task. Are you asked to identify what changed, compare results, predict, or judge a conclusion?
Find the measurement. What was actually measured, and in what units?
Check the comparison. Did only one thing change between groups? Is there a baseline?
Limit the conclusion. Pick the answer that matches the data and the tested conditions, and no more.
What science practices does the test use?
Designing experiments. Questions ask: Which is the independent variable? What should stay the same? Which change would make the test fair? How to answer: Name what is changed on purpose, what is measured and what is kept the same. Look for a second thing that changes along with the first.
Reading graphs and tables. Questions ask: What was the value at a given point? What is the trend? What is the rate of change? How to answer: Read the title, the axes and the units first. Check the scale. Then say the pattern in one sentence.
Making predictions. Questions ask: What would happen at a value between, or beyond, the data? How to answer: A prediction inside the measured range (interpolation) is safer than one beyond it (extrapolation).
Judging conclusions. Questions ask: Which conclusion do the results support? How to answer: Choose the claim that fits the data and the tested conditions. Be wary of "always" and "proves", and of cause claims from a simple pattern.
Do you need to memorize formulas for GED Science?
No. GED.com says you will be given the information you need to answer each question. No formula sheet is listed for Science, but you get an on-screen calculator and the calculator reference sheet. These relationships come up in GEDPilot's science chapters; when a question needs one, it gives it to you:
Density = mass ÷ volume
Average speed = distance ÷ time
Acceleration = change in velocity ÷ time
Net force = mass × acceleration (F = ma)
Efficiency = useful energy out ÷ total energy in × 100%
Mean, median, mode and range of a data set
Percent change = change ÷ starting value × 100%
Probability = favorable outcomes ÷ all possible outcomes
Review: Variables and controls
The independent variable is what the experimenter changes on purpose. The dependent variable is what gets measured. Controlled variables stay the same in every group. A control group gives a baseline to compare against. If two things change at once, you cannot tell which one caused the result.
Key words: hypothesis, control group, confounding variable, repeated trials
Review: Cells
Cells are the basic units of living things. The cell membrane controls what moves in and out. In plant and animal cells, the nucleus holds most of the DNA. Mitochondria carry out cellular respiration. Chloroplasts in plant cells carry out photosynthesis. Cells form tissues, tissues form organs, and organs work together in organ systems.
A gene is a section of DNA. An allele is one version of a gene. In a simple model, each parent passes on one allele for a gene. Genotype is the allele pair, such as Tt. Phenotype is the trait you can observe. A Punnett square shows chances, not exact counts. A 1/4 chance does not mean exactly one in every four offspring.
Photosynthesis uses light energy to turn carbon dioxide and water into sugars and releases oxygen. Plants also carry out cellular respiration. Producers make their own food. Consumers eat other organisms. Decomposers break down dead matter and return nutrients to the soil. Arrows in a food web point from the food to the organism that eats it. Less energy reaches each higher level, because much is used for life processes or lost as heat. Matter is recycled.
A physical change, such as melting ice, changes form but not the substance. A chemical change, such as rusting, makes new substances. In a closed container, total mass stays the same during a reaction. This is conservation of mass. Energy changes form, for example from chemical to electrical to light and heat, but it is not destroyed. Heat moves from hotter objects to colder ones by conduction, convection and radiation.
Average speed is distance divided by time. Acceleration is a change in velocity over time. Balanced forces add up to zero net force. Then an object stays at rest or keeps moving at a steady speed in a straight line. Newton's second law: net force = mass × acceleration (F = ma). Forces come in equal and opposite pairs that act on different objects.
Key words: velocity, net force, friction, gravity, balanced forces
Review: Earth systems and weather
The water cycle moves water by evaporation, condensation, precipitation, runoff and transpiration from plants. Weather is the short-term state of the air. Climate is the long-term pattern. Earth's outer layer is broken into plates that pull apart, collide or slide past each other. This causes many earthquakes and volcanoes. In undisturbed rock layers, lower layers are older than the layers above them.
Earth spins on its axis once a day (rotation), which gives us day and night. It orbits the Sun once a year (revolution). The tilt of Earth's axis causes the seasons. That is why the Northern and Southern Hemispheres have opposite seasons. The Moon shines by reflected sunlight. Its phases come from how much of its lit half we can see from Earth. Gravity keeps the Moon in orbit around Earth and the planets in orbit around the Sun.
All sample questions, worked examples and data on this page are original GEDPilot practice material, not real GED test questions.
Question 1 (Experiments: make a fair test). A bean plant experiment: A student wants to know whether a plant fertilizer makes bean plants grow taller. Pot A: one bean seedling, potting soil and 5 grams of fertilizer, on a sunny windowsill. Pot B: one bean seedling and potting soil with no fertilizer, on a shaded shelf. Both pots get 100 milliliters of water each day. After three weeks, she measures how much each plant grew. Read the bean plant experiment above. Which change would most improve this experiment? A. Give Pot A more fertilizer so the difference is easier to see. B. Put both pots in the same place so they get the same light. C. Measure the plants after one week instead of three. D. Give Pot B more water to make up for the missing fertilizer. Answer: B. Light changes along with fertilizer, so the student cannot tell which one caused any difference in growth. Only the independent variable (fertilizer) should change. Choice D adds a second difference instead of removing one. Using several plants in each group would also help.
Question 2 (Data: read a table). Time for one tablet to dissolve in 200 mL of water (invented teaching data). Water temperature (°C) 10: Time to dissolve (seconds) 92; Water temperature (°C) 20: Time to dissolve (seconds) 64; Water temperature (°C) 30: Time to dissolve (seconds) 45; Water temperature (°C) 40: Time to dissolve (seconds) 31. Which statement is best supported by the data in the table above? A. From 10°C to 40°C, the tablet dissolved faster as the water got warmer. B. At 60°C, the tablet would dissolve in 0 seconds. C. The tablet gives off more gas in warm water. D. Water temperature has no effect on dissolving time. Answer: A. The time drops from 92 seconds to 31 seconds as the temperature rises, and a shorter time means faster dissolving. Choice B goes beyond the tested range. Choice C is about gas, which was never measured. Choice D contradicts the data.
Question 3 (Graphs: distance and time). A toy cart's distance from its starting point (invented teaching data). Time (seconds) 0: Distance from start (meters) 0; Time (seconds) 2: Distance from start (meters) 6; Time (seconds) 4: Distance from start (meters) 12; Time (seconds) 6: Distance from start (meters) 12; Time (seconds) 8: Distance from start (meters) 12. The graph above shows a cart's distance from its starting point. What is the cart doing from 4 seconds to 8 seconds? A. Moving at a steady speed of 12 meters per second B. Speeding up C. Standing still D. Moving back toward the start Answer: C. From 4 to 8 seconds the distance stays at 12 meters, so the cart is not moving. A flat line on a distance-time graph means no change in position. (A flat line on a speed-time graph would mean steady speed, so always read the axis.) In the first 4 seconds the cart moved 12 meters ÷ 4 seconds = 3 meters per second.
Question 4 (Numbers: use a formula the question gives). Density equals mass divided by volume (D = m ÷ V). A metal sample has a mass of 81 grams and a volume of 30 cubic centimeters. What is its density? A. 0.37 g/cm³ B. 2.7 g/cm³ C. 51 g/cm³ D. 2,430 g/cm³ Answer: B. D = 81 ÷ 30 = 2.7 grams per cubic centimeter. Choice A divides volume by mass, the wrong way round. Choice C subtracts and choice D multiplies. The units (grams per cubic centimeter) are a clue: mass goes on top.
Question 5 (Life science: heredity). In pea plants, the allele for tall stems (T) is dominant over the allele for short stems (t). A Tt plant is crossed with a tt plant. What is the probability that an offspring plant will be short? A. 0% B. 25% C. 50% D. 75% Answer: C. The Tt parent passes on T or t. The tt parent can only pass on t. The four boxes of the Punnett square are Tt, Tt, tt and tt. Two of the four (tt) are short, so the probability is 2/4 = 50%. It is a chance for each offspring, not a promise that exactly half will be short.
Question 6 (Life science: energy in a food chain). A model food chain: Grass → grasshoppers → mice → snakes In this model, about 10% of the energy at one level passes to the next level. The rest is used for life processes or lost as heat. The grass captures 20,000 units of energy. Use the model food chain above. About how many units of energy reach the mice? A. 20 B. 200 C. 2,000 D. 18,000 Answer: B. Take 10% at each step. Grass to grasshoppers: 10% of 20,000 = 2,000. Grasshoppers to mice: 10% of 2,000 = 200. Choice C stops one level too early. Choice D is the energy that does not pass from the grass to the grasshoppers.
Question 7 (Numbers: median from a bar graph). Monthly rainfall in a town, January to June (invented teaching data). Month Jan: Rainfall (inches) 2; Month Feb: Rainfall (inches) 3; Month Mar: Rainfall (inches) 5; Month Apr: Rainfall (inches) 6; Month May: Rainfall (inches) 8; Month Jun: Rainfall (inches) 3. Use the bar graph above. What is the median monthly rainfall for these six months? A. 3 inches B. 4 inches C. 4.5 inches D. 6 inches Answer: B. Put the values in order: 2, 3, 3, 5, 6, 8. With six values, the median is the mean of the two middle values: (3 + 5) ÷ 2 = 4 inches. Choice A is the mode, choice C is the mean (27 ÷ 6 = 4.5) and choice D is the range (8 − 2).
Question 8 (Earth and space: judge a conclusion). Earth's orbit and the seasons: Earth's orbit around the Sun is nearly a circle. Earth is closest to the Sun in early January and farthest from it in early July. In January, it is winter in Canada and summer in Australia. Which conclusion is best supported by the information above? A. Seasons are caused mainly by changes in Earth's distance from the Sun. B. Earth's distance from the Sun is not the main cause of the seasons. C. Australia is much closer to the Sun than Canada is in January. D. The Southern Hemisphere has summer all year. Answer: B. If distance caused the seasons, both hemispheres would have summer in January, when Earth is closest to the Sun. Instead they have opposite seasons. That fits the real cause: the tilt of Earth's axis. Choices C and D are not supported by the information.
How should you study for GED Science?
1. Take the free GEDPilot diagnostic to see where you stand. It is a map, not a grade. (Start the free diagnostic: /tests)
2. Practice reading a graph or table every day. Read the title, axes and units first, then say the pattern in one sentence. (Graph and table lab: /ged-labs/graphs-and-tables)
3. Learn the experiment words: independent and dependent variable, control group and controlled variables. (Experiment designer lab: /ged-labs/experiment-designer)
4. Review the eight background ideas on this page, then the lesson linked on each card.
5. Brush up on mean, median, mode, range and percents. Science uses the same skills as the Math test. (Data and probability lab: /ged-labs/data-and-probability)
6. Do short timed sets and keep an error log. Note whether each miss came from vocabulary, the design or an overstated conclusion. (Build a study plan: /ged-study-plan)
7. Take the official GED Ready Science test. Book the real test when you score green: Likely to Pass (145 to 200). To test online, you need that green score within the last 60 days. (What GED scores mean: /ged-scores)
How long is the GED Science test? The GED Science test is 90 minutes, including 2 minutes of instructions and final review. There is no break.
Do you need to memorize formulas for GED Science? No. GED.com says you do not need to memorize formulas, because you will be given the information you need to answer each question. There is no formula sheet for Science, but you do get an on-screen calculator and the calculator reference sheet.
What topics are on the GED Science test? GED.com lists three topic areas: reading for meaning in science, designing and interpreting science experiments, and using numbers and graphics in science. About 40% of the test is life science, 40% physical science and 20% earth and space science.
Can you use a calculator on the GED Science test? Yes. Science gives you an on-screen calculator and the calculator reference sheet. At a test center you may bring your own TI-30XS MultiView. Online, only the on-screen calculator is allowed.
Is the GED Science test hard? Most questions give you a passage, table or graph to reason from, so careful reading matters more than memorizing facts. GED.com's Science page reports a 90% pass rate, without a date or method. Practice reading data and experiments, and review basic vocabulary.
How many questions are on the GED Science test? GED Testing Service does not publish an official number of questions for Science. Plan your pacing around the 90-minute time limit and keep moving.
What is the best way to study for GED Science? Practice the skills the test uses: reading graphs and tables, naming variables in experiments, and judging conclusions. Add basic background in life, physical, and earth and space science, and brush up on mean, median and percents.
Sources
Facts checked 2026-10-26. Confirm current rules on GED.com before you book.
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.