The Science Flyover

Three domains, three pages — the shape of the science test in about fifteen minutes.

The GED science test is mostly a reading test wearing a lab coat: it hands you passages, tables, and experiments, and asks you to reason about them. Life science and physical science carry about forty percent of the questions each; earth and space science carries about twenty. These three pages give each domain its shape — the load-bearing ideas, in plain words — so that when the test hands you a passage, you recognize the room you’re standing in.

1. Domain One What is a living thing — and how does life keep going?

   Cells, the energy pyramid, DNA, and change — about forty percent of the test.

2. Domain Two What are matter and energy — and what rules do they follow?

   Atoms, changes, conservation, motion — about forty percent of the test.

3. Domain Three How do Earth and the sky work?

   Plates, cycles, weather versus climate, seasons — about twenty percent.