Overview of the GED Extended Response—Video 1 of How to Pass the GED Extended Response

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

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

and I'd like to help you pass too.

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

from New Readers Press.

Practicing with these books
boosted my confidence

and helped me to write
a great extended response.

In this video, I'll share some tips

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

maximize your score
on the extended response.

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

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

and what tools you can use
during the test.

What is the extended response?

It's the writing portion
of the "GED Reasoning

Through Language Arts" test
or RLA test.

Here's what the extended response
looks like.

This is the prompt.

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

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

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

Don't worry about running out of space.

As you type your response,
the text will scroll

to make room for more.

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

Click the tabs at the top
to read every page.

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

Make sure to read both passages.

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

to move sentences around
within your response.

You can also use the Undo
and Redo buttons.

You cannot use these buttons
to copy text

from the reading passages.

You will have some access
to some tools,

both on screen
and at your testing station,

while you work on your response.

The first tool
is an on-screen highlighter.

You can use the highlighter
to mark important information

in the reading passages.

When you take the GED test,

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

You can use these to write notes
during the test.

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

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

You will need to use the note boards

to make any notes during the test.

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

of the extended-response
answer guidelines.

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

to refer to the guidelines
during the test.

The guidelines give you some tips

for maximizing your score
on the extended response.

For example, you should write four
to seven paragraphs

and about 300 to 500 words.

The other videos in this series

will cover many of the points
included in the guidelines.

When the extended response begins,

a clock will appear on the screen,

showing that you have 45 minutes.

The clock will count down as you work.

If the clock is distracting,
you can hide it

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

The clock will reappear
when there are three minutes left,

so you'll know
that time is running out.

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

reading and analyzing the passages,

then spend the next 25 minutes
writing your response.

Save about five minutes at the end

to check and revise your writing.

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

Here's a tip to improve your score.

Read the guidelines before test day
and refer to them

while you practice
and prepare for the test.

You will save time
if you're already familiar

with the guidelines
before you take the test,

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

You can read or print a copy
of the guidelines

by clicking the link
in the description.

The rest of the videos in the series

will help you meet the expectations
described in the guidelines.

Now you know
what the extended response looks like.

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