RLA GED Practice Test: What Most People Get Wrong About Passing

You're sitting there staring at a screen full of text about 19th-century irrigation or some dense essay on civil liberties, and your brain just freezes. It happens. Most people think the Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) section of the GED is just a basic reading test, but honestly, that’s the first mistake. If you treat your RLA GED practice test like a simple vocabulary quiz, you’re probably going to fail. This isn't about memorizing big words. It's about stamina.

The test is 150 minutes long. That is two and a half hours of your life spent hunting for evidence and fixing comma splices. It’s brutal.

Most students walk into the testing center thinking they can wing it because they speak English every day. Big mistake. Huge. The RLA is a beast that demands you think like an editor and an investigator at the same time. You’ve got to navigate three distinct sections, including a written essay (the Extended Response) that scares the absolute daylight out of almost everyone. But here's the thing: you don't actually need to be a "good writer" to pass. You just need to know how the machine works.

Why Your RLA GED Practice Test Scores Might Be Lying to You

Not all practice tests are created equal. You’ll find a million "free" tests online that are basically just middle-school reading comprehension quizzes. They give you a false sense of security. Then, you sit down for the real thing and realize the passages are way longer, the language is more academic, and the "best" answer is tucked behind three "almost right" answers.

Real RLA questions focus on Inference.

The test doesn't usually ask "What color was the house?" It asks "What does the author imply about the homeowner’s social status based on the description of the porch?" See the difference? One requires eyes, the other requires a brain that can connect dots. When you use a high-quality RLA GED practice test, you should be looking for questions that force you to evaluate the relationship between ideas.

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Look at the way the GED Testing Service (GEDTS) actually weights the content. About 75% of the test is based on informational texts. That means workplace documents, historical speeches, and science articles. Only 25% is literature. If you're spending all your time reading short stories to prepare, you're doing it wrong. You need to be reading the Federal Register or opinion pieces in the New York Times. Serious stuff.

The Extended Response: Stop Trying to be Shakespeare

The essay is worth roughly 20% of your total score, yet it causes 90% of the stress. People panic. They try to use flowery language and "big" words they aren't quite sure how to spell. Stop.

Basically, the graders (and the automated computer system that often scores these) want to see one thing: Evidence-based writing.

You’ll be given two opposing viewpoints on a topic. Maybe it’s about whether self-driving cars should be mandatory or if school uniforms improve grades. You don't pick the side you actually agree with. You pick the side that has the stronger argument in the provided text. Seriously. Even if you think school uniforms are the worst idea in history, if that author provided better statistics and clearer logic than the opponent, you write your essay on why their argument is superior.

• State your claim clearly. Don't be wishy-washy.
• Use quotes. But don't just "dump" them. Explain why the quote matters.
• Focus on the flaws. Point out why the other side’s argument is weak. Did they use biased sources? Is their logic circular?

I've seen students write three paragraphs of "okay" English and get a better score than someone who wrote six paragraphs of beautiful poetry that didn't actually answer the prompt. It’s a logic test disguised as a writing test.

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Grammar Isn't About Rules; It's About Clarity

The "Language" part of the RLA focuses heavily on "Standard English Language Conventions." This is the section where you have to edit a letter or a memo. It’s usually the shortest part of the exam, but it’s where easy points go to die.

You’ve got to understand subject-verb agreement. "The box of oranges (is/are) on the table." Most people say "are" because "oranges" is right there. But the subject is "box." It’s "is." That’s a classic GED trap. You’ll see it on every reputable RLA GED practice test.

Also, watch out for pronouns. If the text is talking about a company, is it "they" or "it"? (It’s "it," by the way). These little things add up. The test makers love to throw in "run-on" sentences that look perfectly fine if you read them quickly, but they’re actually three sentences mashed together with a lonely comma.

Managing the 150-Minute Clock

Time is your biggest enemy. You have a 10-minute break between sections two and three, but that goes by in a blink. Most people lose too much time on the first few reading passages and then have to rush the essay.

Try the "Skim and Scan" method.

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1. Read the question first. Don't read the passage yet. Know what you're looking for.
2. Skim the first and last sentences of each paragraph. This gives you the "map" of the argument.
3. Go back to the text only when you have a specific target. If you spend 10 minutes reading a passage about the history of the steam engine before even looking at the questions, you've wasted about 6 minutes. You don't get bonus points for "knowing" the material; you get points for answering the questions. It's a business transaction. Your time for their points.

Finding Real Resources That Actually Work

Don't just trust any random PDF you find on a forum. Use sources that align with the 2014 GED revision standards.

• GED Ready: This is the official practice test from the GED Testing Service. It costs a few bucks, but it’s the only one that actually tells you "Likely to Pass" or "Too Close to Call." It uses the same software as the real exam.
• Khan Academy: They don't have a specific "GED" section, but their SAT Reading and Writing prep is almost identical in difficulty and style.
• ReadTheory.org: This is a hidden gem. It adapts to your reading level. If you're struggling with the dense passages on your RLA GED practice test, this will help build your "reading muscles" gradually.

Some people think they need to go back and relearn everything from 9th-grade English. You don't. You need to learn how to find a "Main Idea" and how to spot a "Supporting Detail." That’s really the core of it.

The "Secret" to the RLA Reading Passages

There is a specific rhythm to these questions. Usually, they follow the order of the text. Question 1 is likely about the first paragraph. Question 5 is likely about the conclusion. If you're stuck on a question about the middle of the text, don't go looking at the very beginning.

Also, watch out for "Extreme Language." If an answer choice uses words like always, never, everybody, or none, it’s almost certainly wrong. Real life—and real academic writing—is full of "maybes," "oftens," and "under certain circumstances." The GED likes nuance. If an answer choice sounds too aggressive or too absolute, tread carefully.

Another tip? Pay attention to the transitions. Words like "however," "consequently," and "notwithstanding" are road signs. They tell you the direction the author is turning. If you see "However," you know a "But" is coming. That "But" is usually where the test question lives.

Actionable Next Steps for Your GED Success

Stop Googling "easy way to pass the GED." It doesn't exist. Instead, do this:

1. Take a timed diagnostic test. Don't use a dictionary. Don't check your phone. See where you actually stand when the pressure is on.
2. Read one "opinion" article a day. Go to a major news site, find the "Opinion" or "Editorial" section, and read one piece. Then, try to summarize the author’s main argument in exactly two sentences. This builds the exact skill needed for the RLA.
3. Practice the Essay on a computer. Hand-writing is different from typing. You need to be comfortable moving blocks of text around and fixing typos on the fly.
4. Analyze your mistakes. When you get a question wrong on an RLA GED practice test, don't just say "Oh, I'm dumb." Look at why. Did you misread the question? Did you not know the vocabulary word? Did you fall for a "distractor" answer?
5. Focus on the "Big Three" Grammar Rules: Subject-verb agreement, pronoun usage, and punctuation (specifically commas and semicolons). Mastering these three will get you through the majority of the language questions.

Passing the RLA isn't about being a genius. It's about being a detective who doesn't get tired. Focus on the evidence, watch the clock, and stop overthinking the essay. You’ve got this.