Skip to content

Course Description: GED Science Assessment Targets

Course Overview

This course covers the fundamental assessment targets and practices for the GED Science Test, focusing on scientific reasoning, investigation design, data interpretation, and content knowledge across three major domains: Life Science, Physical Science, and Earth and Space Science.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion, learners will be able to:

  1. Comprehend Scientific Presentations - Understand and analyze both textual and non-textual scientific materials including graphs, tables, and diagrams
  2. Design Scientific Investigations - Identify hypotheses, variables, sources of error, and create experimental designs
  3. Reason from Data - Draw conclusions from evidence, make predictions, and use sampling techniques
  4. Evaluate Scientific Claims - Assess whether conclusions are supported or challenged by evidence
  5. Express Scientific Information - Communicate findings visually, numerically, and verbally
  6. Apply Scientific Models and Theories - Use established scientific concepts and formulas in context
  7. Use Probability and Statistics - Analyze data sets statistically and determine probabilities

Content Domains

  • Life Science (40%) - Human body and health, energy flows in ecosystems, cellular organization, heredity, and evolution
  • Physical Science (40%) - Energy conservation and transformation, work and motion, chemical properties and reactions
  • Earth and Space Science (20%) - Earth systems interactions, atmospheric and oceanic characteristics, cosmic structures

Focusing Themes

All content is organized around two cross-cutting themes:

  1. Human Health and Living Systems - Topics vital for health and safety of living things
  2. Energy and Related Systems - Sources, transformations, and uses of energy

Assessment Approach

The GED Science Test balances: - Deeper conceptual understanding - Procedural skill and fluency - Application in realistic situations - Multiple Depth of Knowledge (DOK) levels with 60% at DOK level 2 or 3

Target Audience

Adult learners preparing for the GED Science Test who need to demonstrate college and career readiness in scientific reasoning and content knowledge.