GED Social Studies test: format, topics and how to prepare
Last checked October 15, 2026 · Sources: GED Testing Service test subjects and scores pages; Davis Technical College GED page for topic areas
The GED Social Studies test is the shortest GED subject at 70 minutes. It covers U.S. civics and government, history, economics and geography, but GED Testing Service says it isn’t about memorization: you’ll mostly read documents, interpret graphs and charts, and reason about historical events and arguments. You need 145 to pass.
What the GED Social Studies test measures
GED Testing Service lists three skill areas: reading for meaning in social studies, analyzing historical events and arguments, and using numbers and graphs in social studies. The goal is to apply American social studies concepts, read charts and data, and use reasoning to interpret information. Content draws on civics and government and U.S. history, as test centers such as Davis Technical College describe it, along with economics and geography.
Topics to review
| Area | Example topics |
|---|---|
| Civics and government | The Constitution and Bill of Rights, the three branches and checks and balances, rights and responsibilities of citizens |
| U.S. history | Founding documents, the Civil War and Reconstruction, civil rights, major 20th-century events |
| Economics | Supply and demand, basic personal finance, the role of government in the economy |
| Geography and the world | Reading maps, population and migration, how people and environments affect each other |
Content areas as described by GED test centers and prep providers; example topics are our selection.
Worked examples
Our own practice examples, not real GED questions:
- Civics. Congress passes a bill and the President vetoes it. Congress can still make it law with a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate. That’s an example of checks and balances.
- Economics. A frost destroys half an orange harvest while demand stays the same. With supply down, the price of oranges is likely to rise.
- Reading a graph. A line graph shows a town’s population rising from 20,000 to 25,000 over ten years. That’s an increase of 5,000, or 25% (5,000 ÷ 20,000).
- Fact or opinion. “The law was passed in 1965” is a fact you can check. “The law was the most important of the decade” is an opinion. Questions often ask you to tell them apart.
How to prepare for GED Social Studies
Take GED Ready in Social Studies to see your zone and which skills to focus on.
Read short excerpts from documents such as the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, and summarize each in a sentence.
Practice turning maps, charts and graphs into one-sentence conclusions, and doing simple percentage changes.
For any argument you read, identify the claim, the evidence, and whether the evidence is fact or opinion.
These reading and data skills overlap with GED Science and Language Arts, so practice in one helps the others. See our GED Ready guide and free GED resources.
Mistakes that cost GED Social Studies points
- Answering from background knowledge when the question asks what a specific document or graph shows.
- Treating an author’s opinion as a fact.
- Rushing: 70 minutes is the shortest time limit of any GED subject, so pace yourself.
Common questions about GED Social Studies
How long is the GED Social Studies test?
70 minutes, the shortest of the four GED subjects, according to GED Testing Service.
What is on the GED Social Studies test?
Civics and government, U.S. history, economics and geography, tested through reading, analyzing arguments and using numbers and graphs.
Do I need to memorize dates for GED Social Studies?
GED Testing Service says the test is not about memorization; most questions ask you to interpret information you’re given.
What score do you need to pass GED Social Studies?
145 out of 200, the same as every GED subject.
See our guides to GED Math, Language Arts and Science, or go back to the GED test guide. MockTestPrep is independent and is not affiliated with GED Testing Service.