Whether you're looking to attend college or get ahead in your career, a General Education Development test (or GED) can help you achieve your goals. But if you're worried about paying for test preparation or fitting a preparation course into your schedule, consider looking for GED preparation courses online. Although the actual GED must be taken at a state-approved facility, test-takers can find plenty of free options that will not only prepare them for the GED but provide them with a way to study for the exam on their own time.

Step 1

Find out if you're eligible to take the GED. Before you research your free, online GED test-preparation options, make sure you meet your state's age requirements to take the high-school equivalency exam. Most states require test-takers to be at least 18, withdrawn from high school for a certain period of time and not a high-school graduate, but requirements will vary from state to state and sometimes depend on circumstances. For instance, many states have lower minimum-age test-taking requirements for people currently enrolled in the military.

Step 2

Find free online GED prep courses. The Internet offers plenty of free online courses to help prepare test-takers for the GED. For instance, GED Prep at Free-Ed.Net offers a free, comprehensive study plan, with classes starting at the beginning of each month. GEDforfree.com features online courses in all subjects covered by the GED, as well as study guides and practice tests.

Step 3

Use online study guides. For help with specific subjects included in the GED, check out one of the many free online study guides. Studyguidezone.com provides a free downloadable study guide as well as practice quizzes to help sharpen your test-taking skills. Contemporary, an adult-education book publisher, features free chapter reviews of its GED preparation textbooks and practice tests for each of the five main GED subjects.

Step 4

Take practice tests. To gauge your mastery of the subjects and familiarize yourself with the format, it is recommended that you take a practice GED test. Gedpractice.com provides a free practice test with questions modeled after actual official GED test questions. To pass, test-takers must answer at least 60 percent of the questions correctly. Don't sweat the results of these practice tests; there are no consequences for doing poorly on a practice test. If you're having trouble in one or more areas, simply keep studying and taking practice tests until you feel ready to take the official GED test.

Warning

Remember that an official GED test must be taken at a state-approved testing facility. Beware of websites that state that users can earn their GED completely online.

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References

Warnings

  • Remember that an official GED test must be taken at a state-approved testing facility. Beware of websites that state that users can earn their GED completely online.

Writer Bio

Genevieve Rice is a freelance writer currently living in Phoenix, Ariz. Rice has been published in a variety of publications, including the "Oklahoma Gazette," the "Oklahoma Daily" and "Boyd Street Magazine." She earned a Bachelor of Science in multidisciplinary studies from the University of Oklahoma.