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oneview

(47 posts)

10. Thanks for this! I'm teaching a "pre-GED" class right now --

Tue Jan 13, 2015, 03:33 PM

Jan 2015

I've heard that the new test, which is the only one I have any experience with, is a lot harder. There was a piece on McNeill-Lehrer (the News Hour on PBS) a few days ago about this.

The only thing I would caution about this conclusion is this: the test found is NOT made by the testmakers, which is GEDtestingservice, which is part of Pearson, the big test people.

A lot of times, practice tests made by others, like this one, can in fact be a lot more DIFFICULT than the real test. I have taken a free practice math test from GEDtestingservice, which granted, was hard, but more in the presentation rather than the actual math (kind of ACT-like in a way, simple stuff made to look complicated).

There are also freely available a bunch of practice questions from GEDtestingservice at their website; working through the Science ones with my class, for example, we did find that most of the questions, the vast majority maybe, can be answered without any real particular scieince knowledge; test-skills, common sense/daily logic, reading ability and a little simple math can get you through a lot of them.

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Even an Ivy League Grad Can�t Pass the New GED [View all] cali Jan 2015 OP

Hmm...very interesting. NaturalHigh Jan 2015 #1

A community college student is living with us, who has been making excellent grades. pnwmom Jan 2015 #2

And you handily point to the reason for the new test. Keep an entire population at their disposal lonestarnot Jan 2015 #39

I think all of this test mania is for the sake of the profit of a few. It's disgusting. n/t pnwmom Jan 2015 #41

Certainly fucking is. Most assuredly is. Without a doubt is. lonestarnot Jan 2015 #42

it's also about ranking people and putting them into boxes so tight they can never escape. ND-Dem Jan 2015 #108

Yes, I think so, too. pnwmom Jan 2015 #112

Message auto-removed Name removed Jan 2015 #142

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ mountain grammy Jan 2015 #3

Then they will start a big war demwing Jan 2015 #8

"They will dine on our miseries, and drink from the wells of our sorrows." City Lights Jan 2015 #25

Shouldn't it be difficult to pass? LittleBlue Jan 2015 #4

first of all, those who take the GED have some high school cali Jan 2015 #7

and often, college ged courses as well. ND-Dem Jan 2015 #47

When's the last time you took one of those tests? F4lconF16 Jan 2015 #12

I took the SAT and didn't find it misleading LittleBlue Jan 2015 #17

The writer of the OP said he got his lowest score on the liberal arts section, pnwmom Jan 2015 #44

And if he took a comprehensive exam of the material from all his liberal arts programs LittleBlue Jan 2015 #87

Reading comprehension tests, unlike math tests, are not supposed to rely on prior or pnwmom Jan 2015 #90

You can study for those LittleBlue Jan 2015 #93

Again, reading comprehension tests are supposed to measure reading comprehension -- pnwmom Jan 2015 #102

Would that be the same challenge faced by children at high schools? LittleBlue Jan 2015 #103

But the new GED test is not pre-tested for biased or misleading questions pnwmom Jan 2015 #106

I'm attacking the conclusion in the OP, not giving blanket support for the test LittleBlue Jan 2015 #110

True, but the things he said he missed ARE covered in high school joeglow3 Jan 2015 #116

Pearson's test isn't pre-tested with actual students or backed by pnwmom Jan 2015 #129

Plenty of people graduate high school without having to pass calculus or trig. MADem Jan 2015 #82

you don't have to -- or didn't use to have to -- sit for all the tests at once. you could take ND-Dem Jan 2015 #50

Ah, okay, thanks for the clarification. F4lconF16 Jan 2015 #59

That's just insane n/t vive la commune Jan 2015 #67

You mean the $900? Agreed, and especially considering who the typical person sitting for ND-Dem Jan 2015 #69

Yeah, the $900 is insane vive la commune Jan 2015 #75

The one thing that used to be great about this country (as opposed to many other 1st-world ND-Dem Jan 2015 #76

Here is someone come along to defend it JonLP24 Jan 2015 #21

GEDs don't solve job shortages and poor pay LittleBlue Jan 2015 #22

More people are unemployed, more people earn less income JonLP24 Jan 2015 #24

That doesn't matter LittleBlue Jan 2015 #26

It does matter. Drop-outs can get into community college and certificate programs pnwmom Jan 2015 #45

Yes, but it has nothing to do with the existing number of jobs and their pay LittleBlue Jan 2015 #79

You are conflating two separate issues. pnwmom Jan 2015 #86

are you for real? ND-Dem Jan 2015 #51

The level of critical reasoning on this forum LittleBlue Jan 2015 #80

how can you not see that nobody said they were? Heal thyself, physician. Or work on ND-Dem Jan 2015 #81

That has absolutely nothing to do with what I replied to LittleBlue Jan 2015 #84

It may be. However, with GED at least some people from the bottom of the income distribution ND-Dem Jan 2015 #88

I would prefer we increase the number of well-paying jobs LittleBlue Jan 2015 #91

You set it up as a choice between the two when it's not and when there is no plan or programme ND-Dem Jan 2015 #96

Then why don't we just do away with the GED altogether? LittleBlue Jan 2015 #99

Actually, since you could take free classes, take the test multiple times, and it was free or ND-Dem Jan 2015 #100

I googled one of these so-called impossible math questions LittleBlue Jan 2015 #104

Maybe you don't get the fact that not every high school requires linear equations for ND-Dem Jan 2015 #107

You don't have to understand linear equations to pass the GED LittleBlue Jan 2015 #109

you have to pass each one of the tests. if linear equations aren't the standard for HS graduation ND-Dem Jan 2015 #111

I think the Oregon Department of Education would disagree whopis01 Jan 2015 #115

and i think you must have missed the star by the requirements that footnoted ND-Dem Jan 2015 #120

I did not miss that star at all - and last time I looked at the calendar it is 2015 whopis01 Jan 2015 #124

Point being, the requirement is NEW. I graduated HS in WA with intro to algebra too. ND-Dem Jan 2015 #125

I guess they didn't cover sarcasm either when you where in HS whopis01 Jan 2015 #127

may i ask why you decided to put sciences in scare quotes, usually used ND-Dem Jan 2015 #128

There are no scare quotes there - just plain old quotes indicating that the wording was not mine whopis01 Jan 2015 #132

you didn't quote the phrase, you quoted the word "sciences". that's a scare quote. ND-Dem Jan 2015 #133

I never claimed to have quoted the full phrase whopis01 Jan 2015 #134

You don't understand the meaning of backhanded. A backhanded compliment is really an ND-Dem Jan 2015 #135

You are not following what was said very clearly. whopis01 Jan 2015 #139

ah, but i clearly implied you were a math 1%er, so why the sarcasm and hostility? ND-Dem Jan 2015 #140

Exactly. They don't want us to have jobs. jen1980 Jan 2015 #29

It is obvious JonLP24 Jan 2015 #32

and some on this board feel the same. ND-Dem Jan 2015 #136

You're right that there aren't enough decent paying jobs. But GED is the first step for someone ND-Dem Jan 2015 #60

I understand that. It is an economic solution for an individual person LittleBlue Jan 2015 #83

Yes, it's a solution for individuals. Would you deny them that without any viable alternative? ND-Dem Jan 2015 #85

I would have the GED be a serious examination and not a joke LittleBlue Jan 2015 #89

It always was a serious examination, and people didn't "breeze through it" without studying ND-Dem Jan 2015 #92

You are a member who joined 2 days ago LittleBlue Jan 2015 #94

I'm a person who's taught GED to poor students. And who, knowing a bit of logic, knows ND-Dem Jan 2015 #97

Welcome to DU Fumesucker Jan 2015 #113

Thanks. I notice you have more posts than "Little Blue," too. ND-Dem Jan 2015 #137

I have never worked anywhere where GED applications didn't go... Sen. Walter Sobchak Jan 2015 #40

I don't understand JonLP24 Jan 2015 #43

+100 ND-Dem Jan 2015 #55

People use GED's to get into community college and from there into universities. pnwmom Jan 2015 #46

That's fine, all roads lead to Rome Sen. Walter Sobchak Jan 2015 #49

I don't have a GED. But those who do don't need to have them accepted pnwmom Jan 2015 #52

Yes, I've known a lot of people who took the same route and did very well. It seems this is ND-Dem Jan 2015 #58

Especially if you read the article JonLP24 Jan 2015 #63

I hear ya. I'm recovering from meningitis (infection of the covering of the brain) and am ND-Dem Jan 2015 #65

I know what you mean, very well. JonLP24 Jan 2015 #74

"the people who would be taking a GED test could probably figure out a smarter test" ND-Dem Jan 2015 #77

I have a GED vive la commune Jan 2015 #66

+100 ND-Dem Jan 2015 #70

I don't think the unconventional student is the typical GED situation Sen. Walter Sobchak Jan 2015 #101

There are two worlds though the one with the GED or the one without JonLP24 Jan 2015 #62

Well, I have. Any low-level job will take a GED: janitor, restaurant work, etc. And for people ND-Dem Jan 2015 #54

I have never worked anywhere that actually looked to see if you actually graduated Egnever Jan 2015 #61

He has a Masters Degree in a liberal arts subject from Columbia University pnwmom Jan 2015 #57

Within Reason BlueinOhio Jan 2015 #121

Point taken, but... MannyGoldstein Jan 2015 #5

Exactly. It's like "Are you smarter than a fifth grader." nichomachus Jan 2015 #6

I certainly agree with some of that MannyGoldstein Jan 2015 #11

I agree nichomachus Jan 2015 #15

Me, Manny. Some of us weren't handed an Ivy League education..... msanthrope Jan 2015 #23

Can you translate that into common, direct language MannyGoldstein Jan 2015 #30

I am sure, with your self-professed Cornell education, you know msanthrope Jan 2015 #34

You're pretty impressed by my education. MannyGoldstein Jan 2015 #36

Impressed? Not in the least. msanthrope Jan 2015 #38

Achingly-beautiful campus MannyGoldstein Jan 2015 #53

Could we not just have ,,, Cryptoad Jan 2015 #9

Thanks for this! I'm teaching a "pre-GED" class right now -- oneview Jan 2015 #10

This. F4lconF16 Jan 2015 #13

i need to work on my reading comprehension Enrique Jan 2015 #14

I flunked my 7th grade kid's English comprehension test perdita9 Jan 2015 #16

Many things we learn in high school are simply not applicable to life Warpy Jan 2015 #18

This is sad to learn about. logosoco Jan 2015 #19

I wonder who came up with the new GED JonLP24 Jan 2015 #20

How about people just finish high school? woolldog Jan 2015 #27

In the end JonLP24 Jan 2015 #31

Life events don't always make it simple. Starry Messenger Jan 2015 #37

says the man of limited experience ND-Dem Jan 2015 #72

High school can be a horrible nightmare for many kids. roody Jan 2015 #95

Chuckle..."I'm glad we don't have to play the Rams anymore," wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. madinmaryland Jan 2015 #35

He should try taking the Grade 5 Math Common Core test oberliner Jan 2015 #28

He says the Math questions in the GED test are consistent with the Common Core JonLP24 Jan 2015 #64

Considering it is equivalent to getting a high school diploma, yeoman6987 Jan 2015 #33

There is a recent push to make it dramatically tougher than previous edition JonLP24 Jan 2015 #48

One more way to fuck the poor..welcome to Randian Amerika! /nt workinclasszero Jan 2015 #56

Of course they made it almost impossible to pass.. KyleMcShades Jan 2015 #68

Only 1/2 college grads have jobs so why let all into college. CK_John Jan 2015 #71

Pretty sure graduate unemployment <50%.....<5% even. whatthehey Jan 2015 #144

I quit high school before the GED. hunter Jan 2015 #73

+100 ND-Dem Jan 2015 #78

I Left After Three Years ProfessorGAC Jan 2015 #118

My own kids, straight A honors students, staged a few high school rebellions... hunter Jan 2015 #123

Yeah, Real Brazen! ProfessorGAC Jan 2015 #126

I have no doubt that I would flunk any test with algebrea. cwydro Jan 2015 #98

Also, the new GED has not been pre-tested for fairness with actual high school students pnwmom Jan 2015 #105

Cute anecdote by ONE Ivy League grad. GeorgeGist Jan 2015 #114

Sounds contrived Android3.14 Jan 2015 #117

Testing Thespian2 Jan 2015 #119

As far as High School goes, BubbaFett Jan 2015 #122

I took mine in 1965 without any preps and passed all the test with my lowest being math. Went on jwirr Jan 2015 #130

"the door to higher education is being closed to a lot of people who may do just fine in college" ND-Dem Jan 2015 #138

Yes, but there is going to come a time in the near future when the older workers start to retire and jwirr Jan 2015 #141

I agree, we need to get rid of the visa program. But it doesn't exist for lack of qualified ND-Dem Jan 2015 #143

Well, at least one Ivy League grad couldn't pass it. MineralMan Jan 2015 #131