If you want to pass the ged math exam, you need to know what to study. In this video I'll start to
lay out exactly what it is that you need to know to score a 145 and pass the ged math exam. First
of all, there are three levels that you can pass the ged exams on. The bare minimum score to pass
is 145. If you can score 165 or higher you're considered college ready, and if you can pass
at 175 or higher you're considered college ready plus and there's the potential to earn
some college credits for your score. Depending on what you're planning to do after you pass the ged,
you might have a goal to pass at any one of those levels. I've discussed this more in depth in my
video about how long it takes to pass the ged, so if you'd like to check that out I'll post it
up here and down below, but all that is to say that there's a lot of questions on the ged math
exam that you don't need to get correct if you just want to pass at 145 so that you can get
your high school equivalency credential. This is true especially if you're not planning to
pursue college after you get your ged. In order to score 145 you need to master a limited number
of specific skills and you don't have to worry about some of the more advanced skills that are
on the test. In fact in order to pass the test you don't have to know any math beyond what is
typically taught in a 9th grade algebra 1 class. There is some geometry as well as a small amount
of statistics and probability, but nothing beyond what's supposed to be taught in an 8th grade level
math class according to the common core standards. If you're not at the place where you can pass at
this level yet, don't worry. We will get you there. But what I really want you to take away
from this is that it is not impossible to pass the math exam, and there's nothing too scary
or advanced on the test. There's nothing from algebra 2 or trigonometry, no advanced statistics,
and certainly no calculus, so you've got this. Now let's talk about exactly what you need to know.
We're going to break it into four sections: operations with rational numbers, geometry
and measurement, expressions and equations, and graphs and functions. Those first two sections
are the math topics that are typically covered in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade, and the second
two sections are the algebra one topics. Today I'm just gonna go over a high-level view of what you
need to know for the first section: operations with rational numbers. Having a better idea of
what you're trying to study can help you focus your attention on the best resources for you,
so this first section is all about operations with rational numbers, and i'm going to talk about the
first seven skills that you need to master to be able to score that 145. In this section the first
skill that you need to master is to be able to put a series of fractions and decimals in order.
In practice this probably means that you need to be able to convert fractions to decimals and
vice versa so that you can compare them. This is typically one of the questions on
the section of the test where you don't get to use a calculator, so you need to be able to do
this by hand. It's helpful to memorize the decimal equivalence of the so-called benchmark fractions,
like one-half one-third one-fourth one-fifth one-eighth, if you know these you can multiply
them so that you can find other fractions like three-eighths four-fifths two-thirds and so
on. That brings us to our next skill: number two, you need to be able to do operations like
adding subtracting multiplying and dividing with integers, fractions, and decimals. Integers are
positive or negative counting numbers, and decimals and fractions are the way that we
represent numbers that are in between integers. Of course on most of the tests you'll be able
to use your calculator for computation but there are always questions with fractions, decimals, and
integers on the section where you don't have your calculator. It's also wise to get more comfortable
with these skills if you are not because it takes a long time to type every question into the
calculator and you don't have an unlimited amount of time on this test, so even though you have a
calculator you want to be using it to check your work not necessarily to do the work. Sometimes it
is faster to do it in your brain if you've been practicing those skills. Skill number three:
you need to have a working operation of exponents. You need to know what they are, what they mean,
and how to evaluate them. In particular at this level you should be familiar with squares and
square roots and cubes and cubed roots. Squares are numbers to the second power or multiplied
by themselves two times and cubes are numbers to the third power or multiplied by themselves three
times. Finding square roots and cubed roots means that you're able to think about what is the number
that I multiplied by itself two times or three times to get this bigger number. Number four:
you need to have an understanding of absolute value. This means the distance that a number is
from zero on a number line. You need to be able to apply this knowledge to find the distance between
two numbers on a number line - usually a positive and a negative number. Number five: you need to be
able to determine when an expression is undefined. The big reason that this happens is when you try
to divide by zero, which is not possible. If you're going through a problem and at some point
you end up with a zero in the denominator of the problem or in the bottom of the fraction,
that problem is undefined. Number six: (and this is a big skill in this section) is being able to
use ratios and proportions to solve problems. In particular this often means being able to use unit
rates or finding out how much one of something costs when you're given the price for multiples of
that item. Scale factors, like determining how far something is away from something else in real life
when you're given a scale on a map, and finding percentages given a part and a whole or finding
a part or a whole given a percentage. And number seven: the last big skill in this section is being
able to solve numerical problems that require multiple steps. This is mostly about reading
the problem and understanding what it is asking of you. So for example, there might be a word problem
where you need to subtract and then multiply to find the answer, so it's important that you
are reading so that you know does my answer make sense? Am I actually answering this question?
So those are the seven skills that you need in this category, operations with rational numbers,
to score 145 on the ged math test there are other skills in this category that you could master to
get a higher score, but these are the skills that you need to pass. These are also in a big way the
foundational skills that allow you to do well in the other three categories of math skills,
so if you're just starting to study and you feel like you don't have a handle on these things,
it is really a great place for you to start and get some practice in. I've mentioned before that
although there is not any specific ged practice on khan academy, it is definitely the best place
to do math practice especially for these types of foundational skills i'll also put a link below to
the Kaplan ged test prep manual, but you could also use any test prep manual that your local
library has available to borrow. And since it is helpful to practice with the calculator that
you'll be allowed to use on the test, I'll also link that below. If you're starting to
study for the ged math test it's really great to get that and be using it while you study.
I post new videos every Monday about how to study better so that you can achieve your goals,
and in the coming weeks I'll be discussing the remaining three sections of math skills that
you need so that you can pass the ged math exam, so please subscribe if you'd like to learn more.
If this video was helpful to you please press the like button so that youtube knows to share
it with other studiers. Thank you for watching as always. Until next time, happy studying.