GED tests are conducted by the American Council on Education (ACE) and are along the lines of regular high school graduation exams. Basically, they are designed for individuals who, for some reason, are not able to graduate high school, or whose alternate educational qualifications are not at par with a high school certificate. GED tests aim to provide such individuals with a certification that is officially recognized to be equivalent to a proper high school degree. This certificate is very important to such individuals, as it can improve their employment options, thereby boosting their careers. Eligibility Criteria In order to be eligible to take the GED test, an applicant must be at least 18 years of age. Applicants above 16 and below 18 may take the test only if they satisfy certain additional requirements. The applicant should neither have graduated high school nor be enrolled in school at the time of taking the test. Free Online GED Tests Although the actual GED test can be taken only at the official test centers (there are more than 3,000 of them all over the world), candidates can take several online mock tests and hone their skills along the way. Mock tests are widely available on various websites, online education forums, and are offered free of cost in most cases. These tests are more or less designed in the same format as the actual test, and thereby serve as good practice. The entire GED test is divided into 5 sections, namely:

• Mathematics
• Science
• Social Studies
• Language Arts (Reading)
• Language Arts (Writing)

Usually, the entire test takes around seven hours to complete, if attempted in a single sitting. Online GED tests are designed in such a way that users can attempt individual sections at a time or take the entire test at one go. Excluding essay writing, the entire test consists of multiple-choice questions. This makes it very convenient for a candidate to take multiple tests and thereby strengthen his preparation. Additionally, to make the test experience even more realistic, there is the option of attempting the timed test which, as the name suggests, displays a countdown timer and automatically terminates at the end of the stipulated time period. Test-saving features allow candidates to pause their online tests at a particular stage and resume them later. Online tests also provide candidates with different sets of question banks for each of the 5 test sections. This is of great help, especially for those candidates who find themselves to be weak in a particular section, and wish to focus on that area alone. As per the rules laid down by the ACE, in order to successfully clear the GED test, a candidate must score a minimum combined total of 2250, along with a minimum score of 410 in each section. Mock tests follow the same marking procedure and display a detailed score sheet at the end of the test. The detailed breakdown of the test result serves as an eye opener for candidates, who are then able to judge their performance for themselves. Additionally, some websites also store scores and records in their databases. They can be sorted and organized based on the county, city, state, etc. Using this feature, a candidate can compare his test score with the average score in his county, city, as well as his state. This is of tremendous help while evaluating one's percentile. With GED tests having significant importance in colleges, universities, and companies, it is imperative that candidates succeed in the exam. Online practice tests are an ideal way for candidates to prepare themselves well and come up trumps.