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The GED Social Studies test: what's covered and how it works

It's the shortest subject: 70 minutes with no break and about 35 questions. Civics and government is the biggest part of the GED Social Studies test, followed by U.S. history, economics, and geography and the world. GED.com is clear that it isn't a memorization test, so you won't be asked for dates or capitals out of nowhere.

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Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What's on the GED Social Studies test?

GED Testing Service's Assessment Guide for Educators (June 2016 edition) gives the split in the table. The skills matter as much as the topics: drawing conclusions from a source, spotting an author's point of view or bias, putting events in order, and reading maps, charts and graphs. About half the questions come in sets of two or three that share one source.

Content areaShare of the test
Civics and governmentAbout 50%
U.S. historyAbout 20%
EconomicsAbout 15%
Geography and the worldAbout 15%

How it works

70 minutes, including 2 minutes of instructions and review. There's an on-screen calculator and a calculator reference sheet, and at a test center you can bring your own TI-30XS. There's no essay; GED Testing Service removed the Social Studies essay in 2016.

Questions are multiple choice, drag and drop, fill in the blank, select an area and drop down.

How to study for it

Because civics is the biggest share, start with the Constitution, the three branches, checks and balances and the Bill of Rights. Then practice with real-looking sources, such as a government report, a speech or a chart. The free Social Studies study guide on GED.com and the free test preview are good first steps.

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Sources: GED Testing Service, GED Testing Service blog and 2 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.