Language Arts in the GED
The Reasoning Through Language Arts, or RLA, portion of the GED test is designed to determine an individual's ability to read, write, edit, and understand the written language. Test-takers will analyze or compare the ideas within texts as well as the organization and structure of the writing itself. They'll need to be able to comprehend facts, summarize ideas, make generalizations, draw conclusions and support arguments.
RLA Test Details
The RLA exam is broken into three sections that take 150 minutes altogether, including one 10-minute break. Two of the sections call for test-takers to read texts, answer questions or complete tasks. Seventy-five percent of the texts are non-fiction or informational texts and the other 25% are from literature. The texts range from 450-900 words in length.
Question types include multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank. Because the test is taken on a computer at an official testing site, the exam makes use of tools such as 'drag and drop' and drop-down menus. For example, an individual can see a highlighted passage in a text and pull down a menu with different wording choices to select the best option. They will then see their choice reflected in the text.
Essay Portion
The middle section of the Reasoning Through Language Arts test calls for an extended responses, or essay. Test-takers will read a brief text that makes statements on both sides of an issue; they will then analyze the positions, choose the stronger argument and write a response to articulate their reasoning. The essay should be well organized and provide evidence and support for the stance taken. Forty-five minutes are allotted for the essay question.
