Quick Answer
Begin GED math practice with fractions, percentages, ratios and basic equations, then combine those skills in geometry, graphs and word problems. Attempt each original question below before reading its worked answer. Write the method, check the units and estimate whether the result is sensible. Understanding your mistakes matters more than completing questions quickly.
If you have been away from mathematics for several years, a page of symbols can feel harder than the underlying idea. Start by translating each problem into ordinary language: What is known? What is missing? Which quantities are connected?
The questions in this guide are original teaching exercises, not official GED examination items. They use simple numbers to make the reasoning visible. Some examples use AED for familiarity to Dubai learners; the amounts are fictional and are not course prices or statements about local market costs.
What should beginners know about GED mathematics?
The official Mathematical Reasoning overview emphasises applying concepts, measurements and equations to problems. The supplied formula sheet is useful, but it cannot decide which formula fits the situation for you.
The official subject information lists 115 minutes and calculator access for the second part. Prepare both with and without a calculator. Learn the permitted calculator rather than relying on a phone interface that behaves differently.
Use this set untimed first. Cover the solution, write a complete attempt and then compare methods. If you get the answer right by guessing, mark the topic for review anyway.
Can you work accurately with numbers and percentages?
Question 1: Add unlike fractions
A learner completes 2/3 of one worksheet and then completes another 1/6 of that same worksheet. What fraction is completed altogether?
Worked answer: express both fractions in sixths. Since 2/3 = 4/6, the total is 4/6 + 1/6 = 5/6. The answer is already in simplest form because five and six have no common factor greater than one.
Check: two-thirds is already more than one-half, so the final answer should be larger than two-thirds but smaller than one. Do not add the denominators: 3/9 would incorrectly make the completed fraction smaller.
Question 2: Compare decimals and fractions
Place these values in ascending order: 0.45, 3/5, 0.08 and 1/4.
Worked answer: convert the fractions to decimals. Three-fifths equals 0.60 and one-quarter equals 0.25. The order is 0.08, 1/4, 0.45, 3/5.
Check: writing 0.60 rather than 0.6 makes the hundredths positions easier to compare. More decimal digits do not automatically mean a larger value. Eight hundredths is less than twenty-five hundredths.
Question 3: Apply a percentage discount
A fictional calculator has a listed price of AED 160 and a discount of 15%. What is the price after the discount, ignoring tax or other charges?
Worked answer: calculate the reduction first: 0.15 × 160 = AED 24. Subtract it from the original price: 160 − 24 = AED 136. Alternatively, pay 85% of the price: 0.85 × 160 = AED 136.
Check: a discount must reduce the price. AED 24 is the discount amount, not the final price. Label intermediate results so that you answer the quantity requested.
Question 4: Find percentage increase
A club's membership rises from 80 to 100. What is the percentage increase?
Worked answer: the increase is 100 − 80 = 20 members. Divide by the original membership and multiply by 100: 20 ÷ 80 × 100 = 25%.
Check: one-quarter of 80 is 20. Dividing by the new total would produce 20%, which answers a different comparison. For percentage change, identify the starting value before calculating.
Question 5: Use a ratio
A mixture uses red and blue beads in the ratio 2:3. How many blue beads are needed for a total of 35 beads?
Worked answer: the ratio contains 2 + 3 = 5 equal parts. Each part represents 35 ÷ 5 = 7 beads. Blue accounts for three parts, so 3 × 7 = 21 blue beads.
Check: the remaining 14 red beads give 14:21, which simplifies to 2:3. Do not calculate 3/2 of the total; the denominator for the blue share is the five combined parts.
How do you turn words into algebra?
Question 6: Solve a two-step equation
Solve 4x + 7 = 31.
Worked answer: subtract seven from both sides to obtain 4x = 24. Divide both sides by four: x = 6.
Check by substitution: 4 × 6 + 7 = 24 + 7 = 31. An equation stays balanced when the same valid operation is applied to both sides. Avoid moving symbols mechanically without understanding what operation has changed.
Question 7: Simplify an expression
Simplify 3(2x − 4) + 5x.
Worked answer: multiply three by every term inside the brackets: 6x − 12 + 5x. Combine the like terms 6x and 5x to obtain 11x − 12.
Check: when x = 2, the original expression gives 3(4 − 4) + 10 = 10. The simplified expression gives 22 − 12 = 10. This spot check supports your work, though it does not replace the algebraic steps.
Question 8: Model a fixed and variable charge
A fictional equipment rental costs AED 25 plus AED 12 per hour. A customer has AED 85 available. What is the greatest whole number of hours the customer can rent it?
Worked answer: write 25 + 12h ≤ 85. Subtract 25: 12h ≤ 60. Divide by 12: h ≤ 5. The greatest whole number of hours is five.
Check: five hours costs AED 85 exactly. Six would cost AED 97 and exceed the budget. The fixed charge is paid once, not once per hour.
Question 9: Read the meaning of a line
A tank contains y litres after x minutes, described by y = 40 − 3x while it drains. What does the number −3 represent?
Worked answer: the water volume decreases by three litres each minute. The negative sign represents a decrease; the magnitude gives the rate. The starting amount is 40 litres, represented by the constant term.
Check: at zero minutes the model gives 40 litres. At one minute it gives 37 litres. The model only makes physical sense while water remains; do not interpret a later negative result as an actual negative volume.
Question 10: Find a missing coordinate value
A relationship follows y = 2x + 1. What is y when x = −3?
Worked answer: substitute −3 for x: y = 2(−3) + 1 = −6 + 1 = −5. The corresponding point is (−3, −5).
Check: multiply before adding. The answer is not −4, which would come from incorrectly calculating 2(−3 + 1) instead of 2(−3) + 1. Parentheses make substitution with negative numbers easier to read.
Can you choose and use a geometry formula?
Question 11: Distinguish area from perimeter
A rectangular study room is six metres long and four metres wide. Find its floor area and its perimeter.
Worked answer: area = length × width = 6 × 4 = 24 square metres. Perimeter = 2(length + width) = 2(6 + 4) = 20 metres.
Check: area describes the surface covered, so its units are squared. Perimeter describes the boundary length. If a question asks for flooring, area is relevant; if it asks for edging around the room, perimeter is relevant.
Question 12: Find the volume of a rectangular box
A box measures 30 cm by 20 cm by 10 cm. What is its volume in cubic centimetres?
Worked answer: volume = length × width × height = 30 × 20 × 10 = 6,000 cm³.
Check: all measurements use the same length unit. Multiplying three lengths produces cubic units. Adding the three dimensions gives 60 cm, which is not a volume and cannot answer the question.
Question 13: Use a right-triangle relationship
A right triangle has perpendicular sides of six metres and eight metres. Find the hypotenuse using a² + b² = c².
Worked answer: 6² + 8² = c², so 36 + 64 = 100 = c². Taking the positive square root gives c = 10 metres.
Check: the hypotenuse is opposite the right angle and must be the longest side. Ten is longer than both six and eight. Do not stop at 100: that is c squared, not the side length.
How do you interpret a small data set?
Question 14: Compare mean and median
Five practice-session lengths, in minutes, are 20, 25, 25, 30 and 50. Find the mean and median.
Worked answer: the total is 150 minutes, so the mean is 150 ÷ 5 = 30 minutes. The values are already ordered, and the middle value is 25, so the median is 25 minutes.
Check: the longer 50-minute session pulls the mean above the median. Do not confuse “middle value” with “half of the largest value”; that coincidence happens to give 25 here but is not a valid method.
Question 15: Read a constant rate from a table
| Hours worked | Fictional items packed |
|---|---|
| 2 | 48 |
| 3 | 72 |
| 5 | 120 |
At the same rate, how many items would be packed in seven hours?
Worked answer: divide output by time: 48 ÷ 2 = 24 items per hour. The other rows confirm that rate. Multiply by seven: 24 × 7 = 168 items.
Check: seven hours should produce more than the 120 items packed in five hours. The problem states a constant rate; without that condition, extending the pattern would require caution.
What should you do after checking your answers?
Group mistakes by cause. If you chose the wrong calculation, work on translating words into a model. If your setup was right but arithmetic failed, practise number operations. If you forgot units, write them beside every quantity during the next session.
Choose three missed questions and change the numbers. Solve the new versions without looking at the worked answers. Then explain the method aloud. This distinguishes understanding from recognising a solution you have just read.
A useful 40-minute session might contain ten minutes of foundation review, twenty minutes of fresh problems and ten minutes of correction. Increase time pressure only after accuracy improves. Use the official GED Ready mathematics practice test when you need a readiness indicator; this teaching set does not produce a GED score.
Key Takeaways
- Write a model before reaching for a calculator.
- Check fractions, percentages and rates carefully; they support harder topics.
- Substitute answers back into equations when possible.
- Use units to distinguish length, area, volume and rates.
- Redo mistakes with new numbers rather than memorising the answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pass GED maths if I struggle with basic arithmetic?
Basic arithmetic difficulties can be addressed through focused preparation, but they should not be ignored. Start with fractions, negative numbers and order of operations, then connect them to equations and word problems. Your timeline will depend on progress; no short exercise set can guarantee a passing result.
Should I use a calculator for all practice?
No. Practise the permitted calculator for tasks where it is allowed, but also maintain non-calculator number skills. Estimation helps you catch an incorrect entry. A calculator can compute a percentage or square root, but you still need to identify the right quantities and interpret the result.
Do I have to memorise every geometry formula?
The official mathematics information explains that a formula sheet is provided. Your preparation should focus on recognising the shape, selecting the relevant formula and substituting values correctly. Know what each symbol means and keep units consistent. A formula sheet is support, not a substitute for understanding.
How many correct answers here mean I am exam-ready?
No particular total does. These questions are intentionally introductory and are not an official scaled assessment. Use your results to select topics for further study. Readiness also requires unfamiliar multi-step tasks, time management and computer familiarity, supported by official practice feedback where appropriate.
What if I understand the solution but cannot start alone?
Hide the worked answer and write only the first step: the unknown, the useful information or a suitable equation. If that remains difficult, use a simpler example of the same type. Ask for feedback on your setup rather than repeatedly rereading a finished solution.
Make your next practice session specific
Choose the two topics that caused the most difficulty and build a short revision plan around them. For structured support, explore the BFTI GED preparation course in Dubai. Ask about Miss Tessie Ragadio's current availability and bring your attempted work so that an initial discussion can focus on your actual maths gaps.