Find the question before the numbers
Read the last sentence first. It usually holds the actual question: how much, how many, how long, or which expression. Write a short label for what you are solving for on your scratch paper, such as “cost per month” or “hours worked,” and include the unit. That label keeps you from answering a different question than the one asked, which is one of the most common ways to lose points.
Then read the whole problem once at normal speed and a second time slowly. On the second pass, list each number with its unit next to it. Cross out any detail that has nothing to do with the question. GED problems sometimes include extra information on purpose, such as a store’s opening hours in a problem about prices, to check that you can tell what matters.
- What is being asked, and in what unit?
- Which numbers are given, and what does each one describe?
- Is any of the information extra?
- Does the answer take one step or several?
Translate words into operations
Certain phrases point to specific operations, but read them in context instead of matching words blindly. “Less than” reverses the order: “5 less than a number” is n − 5, not 5 − n. “Per” almost always signals division or a rate. “Of” after a fraction or percent usually means multiply.
When the problem describes an unknown, give it a letter and write down what the letter stands for. “Let h = hours worked” is a small step, but it prevents confusion when a problem involves more than one quantity.
- Sum, total, combined, more than, increased by: addition.
- Difference, fewer, less than, decreased by, how much more: subtraction.
- Product, times, twice, of (with a fraction or percent): multiplication.
- Per, each, split equally, ratio: division.
- Is, equals, results in, will be: the equal sign.
Worked example
A plumber charges a $65 service fee plus $48 per hour. A customer’s bill was $281. How many hours did the plumber work?
- Name the unknown: let h = hours worked.
- Translate: the fee plus the hourly rate times the hours equals the bill, so 65 + 48h = 281.
- Subtract the fee from both sides: 48h = 216.
- Divide both sides by 48: h = 4.5.
- Check in the story: $65 + $48 × 4.5 = $65 + $216 = $281. The plumber worked 4.5 hours.
Break multi-step problems into pieces
Many GED problems take two or three steps, and the answer choices often include the result of stopping after the first one. If a choice matches a number you found partway through, ask whether it actually answers the question you labeled at the start.
Write each step on its own line with its unit. When you finish a step, say in words what the number means, such as “840 is the total miles for the month.” That habit makes it easy to see what comes next and to spot a wrong turn.
Worked example
Dana drives 42 miles round trip to work, 5 days a week. Her car gets 28 miles per gallon, and gas costs $3.60 per gallon. How much does she spend on gas for commuting in a 4-week month?
- Total miles: 42 × 5 × 4 = 840 miles.
- Gallons used: 840 ÷ 28 = 30 gallons.
- Cost: 30 × $3.60 = $108.
- Check the trap: one week is 210 miles, or 7.5 gallons, which costs $27. The question asks about the month, so the answer is $108.
Watch units, rates, and setup questions
Units cause quiet errors. If one measurement is in feet and another in inches, or one time is in minutes and another in hours, convert before you calculate. A speed of 15 miles per hour multiplied by 40 minutes gives a meaningless number until you change 40 minutes to 2/3 of an hour, which gives 10 miles.
Some questions do not ask for a number at all. They ask which equation or expression models the situation. Test each choice with a simple case. If a gym charges $30 to join plus $25 a month, try 2 months: the total should be $80. Only 30 + 25m gives 80. The choice 25 + 30m gives 85, and 55m gives 110.
Proportions handle many “if this, then that” problems. If 3 cans of paint cover 750 square feet, set up 3/750 = x/1,250 to find how many cans cover 1,250 square feet. Cross multiply: 750x = 3,750, so x = 5 cans. Keep the same unit on top of both fractions.
Check your answer before you move on
A ten-second check catches most errors. First, ask whether the answer is reasonable. An hourly wage is not $0.15, and a living room is not 400 feet wide. Second, plug your answer back into the original story, not just your equation, because a setup mistake will also pass a check against the wrong equation. Third, confirm the unit and form the question wants, such as rounding to the nearest dollar or giving a percent instead of a decimal.
If you get stuck, work backward from the answer choices. Start with a middle value, test it in the story, and decide whether you need a larger or smaller choice. On a timed test, flag a problem that is taking too long, make your best guess so nothing is left blank, and come back to it if time allows.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the hardest part of GED math word problems?
- For most people it is the setup, not the arithmetic. Deciding what is asked, which numbers matter, and which operation fits is where most points are lost.
- Should I use the calculator on every word problem?
- Use it where it is allowed and the numbers are messy, but set up the problem on paper first. The calculator cannot tell you which operation to use, and the first part of the math test does not allow one.
- What should I do when a word problem has extra numbers?
- List every number with its unit, then cross out any that do not connect to the question. Extra details are there to test whether you can pick out the information that matters.