GED math practice test: questions and answers, every step worked out
Eight questions on the four math topics of the GED, written by us, each with the full working. The real math test lasts 115 minutes.
1 of 8
A phone plan costs $35 a month plus $0.10 for each text over 200. In March, Ana sent 260 texts. What was her bill?
Practice questions written by us from the published test topics. They are not real GED or HiSET questions, and this score does not predict an official score.
Prepared by Radif Partners · Method · fees and rules read on ged.com and hiset.org on October 22, 2026
The GED mathematical reasoning test lasts 115 minutes and covers four topics listed by ged.com: basic math, geometry, basic algebra, and graphs and functions. You get a formula sheet and a calculator reference sheet; an on-screen calculator is available on the second part, and at a test center you may bring your own TI-30XS. Questions are multiple choice, drag and drop, fill in the blank, select an area and drop-down. Like every subject, math passes at 145 on a scale of 100 to 200, and a score of 175 or more can be worth up to three college credits in math, depending on the college. The eight questions above are ours, written from those topics: a phone bill, the area of a rug, a linear equation, a slope, a discount with sales tax, a missing score from a mean, the area of a circle and a function with a negative input. Every explanation shows the full working, because on the real test most points are lost on a step, not on the method: a percentage taken the wrong way, a sign dropped, a radius confused with a diameter.
The four topics
Basic math means whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percents, ratios and rates, almost always inside a real situation: a bill, a recipe, a discount, a speed. Geometry covers perimeter, area and volume of common shapes, circles and the Pythagorean theorem. Basic algebra covers expressions, linear equations and inequalities, and setting up an equation from a short story. Graphs and functions covers slope, reading points on a line, function notation such as f(x) and comparing two relationships shown in different ways.
Two more worked examples
A rate. A car uses 12 gallons to drive 330 miles. How far can it go on 20 gallons? First the rate: 330 ÷ 12 = 27.5 miles per gallon. Then 27.5 × 20 = 550 miles. Writing the unit at each step (miles per gallon, then miles) catches most mistakes before they happen.
A right triangle. A ladder 13 feet long leans against a wall, its foot 5 feet from the wall. How high does it reach? The Pythagorean theorem from the formula sheet: 5² + h² = 13², so h² = 169 − 25 = 144 and h = 12 feet. If you get a number longer than the ladder, you added instead of subtracting.
How far is your math score from passing?
Your GED result
2 to retake
| Math | 138 · 7 points short |
| Language arts (RLA) | 146 · Pass |
| Science | 158 · Pass |
| Social studies | 140 · 5 points short |
How the questions are scored
The math test passes at 145, like the other three subjects, and each subject is scored separately: a strong language arts score does not compensate a weak math score. From 165 the score is College Ready, which can exempt you from college placement tests in math. From 175, ged.com says the score can be worth up to 3 college credits in math, depending on the college you apply to.
Using the tools well
The calculator saves time on long multiplications and divisions but not on setting up the problem. Learn the TI-30XS keys you will use: fractions, square roots, powers and the negative sign, which is a different key from subtraction. Read the formula sheet before test day so that you know where each formula sits. On drag-and-drop and fill-in-the-blank items there is nothing to eliminate, so the working has to be right; check it by putting your answer back into the problem.
Where to go next
If you missed questions on percents or rates, practice everyday problems with prices and discounts; if you missed the equation or slope questions, rework them on paper until each step is automatic. The official GED Ready math test, at $7.99, gives a likely-to-pass indicator and a list of skills to work on; the GED Ready page weighs its price against a retake in your state. Our science questions also use numbers and graphs, and so do part of the social studies questions.
On test day
Bring your ID and, at a center, your TI-30XS if you want your own. Spend the first part, without the calculator, on the questions you can do quickly, and flag the long ones to come back to. Use the three-minute break between the parts to reset, and to pick up your calculator at a center. Leave a few minutes at the end to check the questions you flagged; an unanswered question earns nothing, so never leave one blank.