HiSET practice test: questions across the five subtests
Eight questions written by us across the five HiSET subtests, each explained. To pass you need 8 of 20 on each subtest and 45 in total.
1 of 8
A recipe uses 3 cups of flour for 12 muffins. How much flour is needed for 30 muffins?
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 HiSET, run by ETS, has five subtests: mathematics, science, social studies, language arts reading and language arts writing, the last with an essay. Each is scored from 1 to 20. To earn the credential you need three things at once: at least 8 on every subtest, at least 45 of 100 on the five together, and at least 2 of 6 on the essay. That total rule changes how to practice: five scores of exactly 8 add up to 40, short of 45, so you need some subtests above the minimum. The eight questions above are ours, not ETS questions: a proportion and an equation for math, a contraction and a run-on sentence for writing, an inference from a short passage for reading, renewable energy and the unit of force for science, and the year of the Declaration of Independence for social studies. They show the level and the style of thinking, not the exact format. The HiSET is offered in 24 states in 2026; elsewhere only the GED exists, and our GED questions by subject cover that test.
Why the total rule matters for practice
The HiSET passing rule has a trap that the GED does not. On the GED, each subject passes on its own at 145. On the HiSET, 8 on each subtest is not enough: the five must also add up to 45. Five scores of 8 give 40, five points short. In practice, aim for 10 or more on the subtests you find easiest, so that a 8 on the hardest one still leaves you above 45.
Does your set of HiSET scores pass?
Your HiSET result
Passed
| Total | 46 / 100 |
| Math | 8 / 20 |
| Science | 10 / 20 |
| Social studies | 8 / 20 |
Math
hiset.org describes the math subtest as measuring mathematical knowledge and competencies over 90 minutes of multiple choice, and it allows a calculator. Unlike the GED, there are no fill-in or drag-and-drop items: every question offers choices, so plugging each choice back into the problem is a legitimate way to check an answer. Proportions like the muffin question are frequent: write the ratio once (3 cups for 12 muffins), then scale it (30 ÷ 12 = 2.5, so 7.5 cups). Our GED math questions add eight more worked problems on the same skills.
Reading and writing
Reading asks about literary and informational texts: the main idea, an inference, the meaning of a word, the author’s purpose. The inference question above is typical: nothing in the passage says Marcus is nervous or careful, but checking the schedule twice and setting two alarms points to it. Writing has a multiple-choice part on revising sentences and an essay scored from 1 to 6; 2 is the floor. A clear position, two supported reasons and a conclusion, written in full sentences, is the shape to practice. The GED language arts page has more reading and grammar questions.
Science and social studies
Both rely on reading data and short texts more than on memory. According to hiset.org, science measures the use of science knowledge, the principles of scientific inquiry and the interpretation of scientific information; social studies covers history, political science, psychology, sociology, anthropology, geography and economics, all in multiple choice. The definitions in our questions (a renewable source, the newton as unit of force) are the kind of vocabulary that lets you read a passage quickly; the questions themselves usually give the facts. The GED science and social studies pages add sixteen more.
From practice to test day
Book subtests one at a time in your HiSET account and pay for each separately; in most states the second and third attempts of a subtest cost less than the first. If a score falls under 8, only that subtest needs retaking, but check the total again afterwards. The HiSET scores page explains the score report, and the HiSET cost page gives the price in each of the states that offer it.
A practice schedule that fits the rules
Take the eight questions above cold, note which subtests went worst, then spend most of your study time there. Re-test yourself after two weeks with fresh questions rather than the same ones, since remembering an answer is not the same as knowing the method. When three or four subtests feel solid, book the strongest one; a first score in hand tells you how much margin you have toward the total.