A Graduate Equivalency Diploma (GED) is a certification for people who have not yet completed high school. The GED is considered a high school equivalency exam.

If you've only recently dropped out of 11th or 12th grade and the subjects are still fresh in your mind, you may take the GED without a lot of advance preparation. Otherwise, you need to study and prepare yourself with help from the following:

1. Locate a GED Prep course at a school or training facility near you by contacting any public high school or college guidance counselor. For more help, reach out to the GED hotline at 1-800-626-9433.

2. Head to a local or online bookstore or the public library for GED Prep books to study at home.

3. Search your favorite search engine and find online GED study courses. They generally require payment.

4. Check your local and cable television listings got GED study courses. You can call: 1-800-354-9067 for help with this.

About the GED Test

The test covers basic reading and understanding fundamentals as well as math, science and social studies. It covers the following areas:

Writing - Grammar, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure; with multiple-choice questions and a 200-word story to write.

Math - decimals, fractions, percentages and basic math problems; multiple-choice problems where you need to add, subtract, multiply and divide without using a calculator.

Social Studies - Geography using maps and charts, history; with 66 multiple-choice questions.

Science - biology, chemistry, earth and physical sciences; with multiple-choice questions.

Literature and the Arts: Reading and comprehension; with multiple-choice questions.

The test lasts roughly 7 hours and 35 minutes. Ask in your state if you can:

- take the test in parts- retake the test if you fail (and if so, the costs involved and time needed to wait to re-test)

Getting your GED is an important step in your career and your education. Make the time to look into getting your GED now!