These GED science practice questions will help you check the skills the test really looks for. The test is less about memorizing facts and more about reading science information, understanding experiments and using data. Try each question before reading the explanation.
These are original practice questions. They are not from GED Testing Service, and they cannot predict your score.
What the GED Science Test Covers
You get 90 minutes, including 2 minutes for instructions and final review, and you need at least 145 out of 200 to pass. You will have an on-screen calculator. GED Testing Service groups the skills into three areas:
- Reading for Meaning in Science
- Designing and Interpreting Science Experiments
- Using Numbers and Graphics in Science
The content draws on life science, physical science, and Earth and space science.
Experiment Questions
Question 1
A student wants to know whether fertilizer helps plants grow taller. She grows two groups of the same plant, with the same light and water. One group gets fertilizer. After a month, she measures the height of the plants. What is the independent variable?
- A. The height of the plants
- B. The amount of light
- C. Whether the plants get fertilizer
- D. The type of plant
Answer: C. The independent variable is what the student changes on purpose. Plant height is the dependent variable, since it is what she measures.
Question 2
In the same experiment, why does the student keep a group without fertilizer?
- A. To save fertilizer
- B. To compare results against a control group
- C. To make the plants grow faster
- D. To change the amount of light
Answer: B. The control group shows what happens without the fertilizer, so she can see whether it made a difference.
Data Questions
Use this data for questions 3 and 4. A beaker of water is heated and its temperature is recorded:
- 0 minutes: 20°C
- 5 minutes: 30°C
- 10 minutes: 40°C
- 15 minutes: 50°C
Question 3
How fast is the temperature rising?
- A. 1°C per minute
- B. 2°C per minute
- C. 5°C per minute
- D. 10°C per minute
Answer: B. The temperature rises 10°C every 5 minutes, and 10 ÷ 5 = 2.
Question 4
If the trend continues, what will the temperature be at 20 minutes?
- A. 55°C
- B. 60°C
- C. 70°C
- D. 80°C
Answer: B. The temperature rises another 10°C in the next 5 minutes, so 50 + 10 = 60°C.
Life Science Questions
Question 5
In the food chain grass → rabbit → fox, which organism is the producer?
- A. Grass
- B. Rabbit
- C. Fox
- D. None of them
Answer: A. Producers make their own food. Grass does this through photosynthesis, while the rabbit and fox are consumers.
Question 6
Which cell part releases most of the usable energy for a cell?
- A. Nucleus
- B. Cell membrane
- C. Mitochondrion
- D. Ribosome
Answer: C. Mitochondria release energy from food through cellular respiration. The nucleus stores DNA.
Physical and Earth Science Questions
Question 7
Which of these is a chemical change?
- A. Ice melting
- B. Paper being torn
- C. Iron rusting
- D. Water boiling
Answer: C. Rusting creates a new substance. The other choices change only the form or size of the material.
Question 8
What is the main cause of Earth's seasons?
- A. The tilt of Earth's axis
- B. The distance between Earth and the Moon
- C. The rotation of Earth each day
- D. The size of the Sun
Answer: A. Earth's tilt changes how directly sunlight reaches each part of the planet during the year. Earth's daily rotation causes day and night.
How to Study for GED Science
- Practice reading graphs and tables. Before you look at the question, read the title, labels and units.
- Learn experiment vocabulary. Be sure you know hypothesis, variable, control and conclusion.
- Use the text. The answer is often in the passage or chart, even if the topic is new to you.
- Do basic math. Practice with averages, rates and percentages, which often appear in data questions.
- Review core ideas. Cover cells, genetics, ecosystems, energy, forces, matter, weather and the solar system.
- Practice on a screen. The real test is on a computer, so get used to reading charts on one.
Common Mistakes
- Using outside knowledge instead of the data shown. Answer from what the question gives you.
- Mixing up correlation and cause. Two things changing together does not prove one causes the other.
- Rushing the units. Check whether a graph uses minutes, hours or something else.
- Ignoring the question stem. Reread what is being asked before you choose.
Next Steps
For a mix of all four subjects, try our GED practice test with answers. When your practice scores look strong, take GED Ready. Our GED prep gives you practice tests with a tutor who explains every answer, and you can read about working with a private GED tutor.
You take the real test yourself, under GED Testing Service rules. To start, order GED prep online or call or WhatsApp +1 (217) 426-5403.