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Hey, GED test-takers, I'm Alice.

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I passed the "GED Reasoning
Through Language Arts" test,

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and I'd like to help you pass too.

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I studied with the "Writing
for the GED Test" series

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from New Readers Press.

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Practicing with these books
boosted my confidence

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and helped me to write
a great extended response.

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In this video, I'll share some tips

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from "Writing for the GED Test"
that will help you

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maximize your score
on the extended response.

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I'll show you what you will see
on the extended-response portion

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of the test,
how to move around a computer screen,

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and what tools you can use
during the test.

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What is the extended response?

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It's the writing portion
of the "GED Reasoning

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Through Language Arts" test
or RLA test.

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Here's what the extended response
looks like.

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This is the prompt.

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The prompt tells you the topic you
will be asked to write about.

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It explains what you need to do
in your written response.

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And on the bottom right,
this is where you type your response.

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Don't worry about running out of space.

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As you type your response,
the text will scroll

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to make room for more.

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On the left,
you'll see two text passages.

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Click the tabs at the top
to read every page.

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Each passage gives an author's position
on a similar topic.

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Make sure to read both passages.

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While you type, you can use the cut,
copy, and paste buttons

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to move sentences around
within your response.

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You can also use the Undo
and Redo buttons.

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You cannot use these buttons
to copy text

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from the reading passages.

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You will have some access
to some tools,

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both on screen
and at your testing station,

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while you work on your response.

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The first tool
is an on-screen highlighter.

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You can use the highlighter
to mark important information

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in the reading passages.

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When you take the GED test,

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you will be given three note boards
and a dry-erase pen.

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You can use these to write notes
during the test.

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Remember that you
won't be able to take a pen

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or a pencil and scratch-paper
into the testing center.

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You will need to use the note boards

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to make any notes during the test.

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When you arrive at the testing center,
you will receive a copy

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of the extended-response
answer guidelines.

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You can also click on this button
at the top right of the screen

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to refer to the guidelines
during the test.

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The guidelines give you some tips

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for maximizing your score
on the extended response.

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For example, you should write four
to seven paragraphs

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and about 300 to 500 words.

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The other videos in this series

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will cover many of the points
included in the guidelines.

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When the extended response begins,

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a clock will appear on the screen,

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showing that you have 45 minutes.

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The clock will count down as you work.

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If the clock is distracting,
you can hide it

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and check it occasionally
to make sure you're on track.

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The clock will reappear
when there are three minutes left,

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so you'll know
that time is running out.

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To use your time wisely,
plan to spend the first 15 minutes

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reading and analyzing the passages,

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then spend the next 25 minutes
writing your response.

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Save about five minutes at the end

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to check and revise your writing.

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I'll talk more about these three steps
in the upcoming videos.

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Here's a tip to improve your score.

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Read the guidelines before test day
and refer to them

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while you practice
and prepare for the test.

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You will save time
if you're already familiar

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with the guidelines
before you take the test,

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but you can also refer to them
on test day by clicking the button.

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You can read or print a copy
of the guidelines

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by clicking the link
in the description.

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The rest of the videos in the series

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will help you meet the expectations
described in the guidelines.

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Now you know
what the extended response looks like.

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In video two, I'll talk about
how to get started on your response.