About this practice test

15 free GED math questions in the style of the real Mathematical Reasoning test, with the answer and a full explanation for each. Questions 1 to 5 are done without a calculator, like the first part of the real test. Allow about 20 minutes. Your answers are checked on this page, and nothing is sent anywhere.

How This Practice Test Works

The real GED math test has 46 questions and takes 115 minutes. The first few questions must be answered without a calculator. For the rest you can use the on-screen TI-30XS calculator and a formula sheet. This shorter set mirrors that mix: number skills first, then algebra, geometry, data and word problems.

Choose an answer for each question, then select Check my answers at the bottom. You'll see your score, which answers were wrong, and the skills to practice next. Each question also has a Show answer and explanation link if you want to check one as you go.

Part 1: No Calculator (Questions 1–5)

Work these out by hand, as you would on the real test.

Question 1Fractions

What is 3/4 + 2/3?

Show answer and explanation

Answer: D. 1 5/12

Use a common denominator of 12: 3/4 = 9/12 and 2/3 = 8/12. Then 9/12 + 8/12 = 17/12, which is 1 5/12.

Common mistake: Adding the tops and bottoms straight across (3+2 over 4+3) gives 5/7, which is the most common wrong answer.

Question 2Comparing numbers

Which of these numbers is the greatest?

Show answer and explanation

Answer: A. 5/8

Turn everything into decimals: 5/8 = 0.625 and 3/5 = 0.6. Compare 0.6, 0.625, 0.6 and 0.58. The greatest is 0.625, which is 5/8.

Common mistake: 0.58 looks big because it has more digits, but 0.58 is less than 0.6.

Question 3Order of operations

What is the value of (−3)2 − 4 × 2?

Show answer and explanation

Answer: B. 1

Exponents first: (−3)2 = 9, because a negative times a negative is positive. Then multiply: 4 × 2 = 8. Finally subtract: 9 − 8 = 1.

Common mistake: Working left to right (9 − 4 = 5, then 5 × 2 = 10) gives 10. Multiplication comes before subtraction.

Question 4Probability

A bag holds 3 red, 5 blue and 2 green marbles. If you pick one marble without looking, what is the probability it is blue?

Show answer and explanation

Answer: C. 1/2

There are 3 + 5 + 2 = 10 marbles and 5 of them are blue. The probability is 5/10, which simplifies to 1/2.

Common mistake: 5/8 compares blue to the other colors (5 blue vs 3 red), not blue to all 10 marbles.

Question 5Square roots and exponents

What is √81 + 23?

Show answer and explanation

Answer: C. 17

√81 = 9, because 9 × 9 = 81. And 23 = 2 × 2 × 2 = 8. So 9 + 8 = 17.

Common mistake: 23 is not 2 × 3 = 6. That mistake gives 15, and reading it as 3 gives 12.

Part 2: Calculator Allowed (Questions 6–15)

You can use a calculator and the GED formula sheet for these.

Question 6Linear equations

Solve for x: 3x − 7 = 14

Show answer and explanation

Answer: A. x = 7

Add 7 to both sides: 3x = 21. Divide both sides by 3: x = 7. Check it: 3 × 7 − 7 = 14. ✓

Common mistake: Stopping after the first step gives 21. On multiple choice, you can also plug each answer back in to check.

Question 7Word problems

A phone plan costs $25 a month plus $0.10 for each text message. Last month the bill was $41.50. How many text messages were sent?

Show answer and explanation

Answer: B. 165

Take away the fixed $25: 41.50 − 25 = 16.50 was spent on texts. Each text costs $0.10, so 16.50 ÷ 0.10 = 165 texts.

Common mistake: Dividing the whole bill by $0.10 gives 415, which forgets the $25 monthly fee. Dividing the $25 fee by $0.10 (250) answers a different question.

Question 8Slope

What is the slope of the line that passes through the points (2, 3) and (6, 11)?

Show answer and explanation

Answer: B. 2

Slope = change in y ÷ change in x = (11 − 3) ÷ (6 − 2) = 8 ÷ 4 = 2. The slope formula is on the GED formula sheet.

Common mistake: Dividing the other way round (4 ÷ 8) gives 1/2. It's always rise over run: y on top.

Question 9Area of a circle

A circular garden has a radius of 5 feet. What is its area? Use 3.14 for π.

Show answer and explanation

Answer: D. 78.5 sq ft

Area of a circle = πr2 (on the formula sheet). 3.14 × 52 = 3.14 × 25 = 78.5 square feet.

Common mistake: 31.4 is the circumference (2πr), not the area, and 25 forgets to multiply by π. Read which one the question asks for.

Question 10Mean (average)

Five students scored 12, 15, 18, 15 and 20 on a quiz. What is the mean score?

Show answer and explanation

Answer: B. 16

Add the scores: 12 + 15 + 18 + 15 + 20 = 80. Divide by the number of scores: 80 ÷ 5 = 16.

Common mistake: 15 is both the median (middle value) and the mode (most common value). The mean is the average.

Question 11Percent and money

A jacket costs $80. It is on sale for 25% off, and then 6% sales tax is added to the sale price. What is the final price?

Show answer and explanation

Answer: B. $63.60

25% of $80 is $20, so the sale price is $60. Tax is 6% of $60 = $3.60. Final price: $60 + $3.60 = $63.60. On the calculator: 80 × 0.75 × 1.06 = 63.6.

Common mistake: Subtracting 25% and adding 6% as one step (80 × 0.81 = $64.80) gives the wrong answer, because the tax is worked out on the sale price.

Question 12Pythagorean theorem

A right triangle has legs that are 9 inches and 12 inches long. How long is the hypotenuse?

Show answer and explanation

Answer: C. 15 in

Use a2 + b2 = c2 (on the formula sheet): 92 + 122 = 81 + 144 = 225. Then c = √225 = 15 inches.

Common mistake: Adding the legs (9 + 12 = 21) gives 21, but the theorem adds the squares. And remember the last step: 225 is c2, so take the square root.

Question 13Inequalities

Which values of x make 2x + 5 > 17 true?

Show answer and explanation

Answer: C. 6

Subtract 5 from both sides: 2x > 12. Divide both sides by 2: x > 6. The sign only flips if you multiply or divide by a negative number, which you don't here.

Common mistake: Flipping the sign when you didn't divide by a negative gives x < 6.

Question 14Functions

If f(x) = x2 − 3x + 2, what is f(4)?

Show answer and explanation

Answer: D. x > 6

Replace every x with 4: 42 − 3(4) + 2 = 16 − 12 + 2 = 6.

Common mistake: Adding 12 instead of subtracting it gives 30, and dropping the + 2 gives 4. Keep every term and its sign.

Question 15Factoring

Which expression is equal to x2 + 5x + 6?

Show answer and explanation

Answer: A. (x + 2)(x + 3)

Find two numbers that multiply to 6 and add to 5: 2 and 3. So x2 + 5x + 6 = (x + 2)(x + 3). Check by multiplying out: x2 + 3x + 2x + 6. ✓

Common mistake: (x + 1)(x + 6) multiplies to 6 but adds to 7, not 5. Always check both.

What to Practice Next

Look at the skills you missed, not just your score. GED math rewards a handful of skills that come up again and again: fractions and percents, solving equations, reading graphs and tables, and using the formula sheet. Fixing two or three of those usually moves your score more than anything else.

  • Missed the no-calculator questions? Practice fractions, order of operations and exponents by hand for 15 minutes a day. These are quick points once they click.

  • Missed algebra questions? Practice solving one-step and two-step equations, then plug your answer back in to check it.

  • Missed geometry or formula questions? Learn where each formula sits on the formula sheet so you don't waste time looking for it.

  • Missed word problems? Underline what the question asks for before you start. Most mistakes come from answering a different question.

For a full study plan, see how to pass GED math fast. If math keeps holding you back, our GED math tutoring classes work through these exact skills with a tutor. You can also try the other subjects and the score checker on the free GED practice tests page.

Common Questions

How many questions are on the GED math test?

The GED Mathematical Reasoning test has about 46 questions and takes 115 minutes. The first few questions must be answered without a calculator. A calculator and a formula sheet are provided for the rest.

What score do I need to pass GED math?

You need at least 145 out of 200 on the math test, the same as every other GED subject. You don't need to get every question right.

Can I use a calculator on the GED math test?

Yes, for most of it. The GED uses the TI-30XS calculator, which is built into the test on screen. You can also bring your own TI-30XS to a test center. The first section of the math test is done without a calculator.

Is this the same as the official GED practice test?

No. These are original practice questions written in the style of the GED. The official practice test is GED Ready, sold on GED.com. It gives a score that predicts how you'd do on the real test.