GED Social Studies Practice Test
Updated October 27, 2026
The GED Social Studies test takes 70 minutes. Most questions give you something to read or look at first, such as a short passage, a quote from a founding document, a map or a graph, and then ask what it shows. So it tests reading and reasoning more than memorizing dates. Try the free questions below.
What GED Social Studies covers
- Civics and government: the Constitution, the three branches, checks and balances, federalism and rights.
- U.S. history: key documents and turning points, from the founding to the modern era.
- Economics: supply and demand, markets, and how government affects the economy.
- Geography and the world: reading maps, and how people and places interact.
Free GED Social Studies practice questions
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Which part of the U.S. government interprets the laws?Answer: CThe judicial branch, headed by the Supreme Court, interprets the laws. Congress makes them, and the President carries them out.
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The Constitution divides power between the national government and the state governments. This principle is called:Answer: AFederalism is the sharing of power between the national and state governments. Separation of powers divides power among the three branches of the national government.
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"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press." This text is from:Answer: DThese words open the First Amendment, part of the Bill of Rights, which protects freedom of religion, speech and the press.
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A new technology makes it much cheaper to produce solar panels. If demand stays the same, what will most likely happen to their price?Answer: BCheaper production increases supply. With more supply and the same demand, the price tends to fall.
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A graph shows a state's unemployment rate rising from 4% in 2019 to 9% in 2020, then falling to 5% in 2022. Which conclusion is supported by the graph?Answer: CThe rate went from 4% to 9%, a sharp rise, then fell to 5%. The other choices don't match the data.
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Which document declared the American colonies independent from Great Britain in 1776?Answer: AThe Declaration of Independence, adopted on July 4, 1776, declared the colonies independent. The Constitution came later, in 1787.
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For a bill to become a federal law, it must usually be passed by:Answer: BA bill must pass both the House of Representatives and the Senate and then be signed by the President. Congress can override a veto with a two-thirds vote in both houses.
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Which amendment abolished slavery in the United States?Answer: AThe Thirteenth Amendment (1865) abolished slavery. The Fourteenth guaranteed equal protection, the Fifteenth protected voting rights regardless of race, and the Nineteenth gave women the right to vote.
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Which branch of government is led by the President?Answer: BThe President leads the executive branch, which carries out and enforces the laws.
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A central bank raises interest rates. What is the most likely short-term effect?Answer: DHigher interest rates make loans more expensive, which tends to reduce borrowing and spending and can help slow inflation.
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The system that lets each branch of government limit the powers of the other branches is called:Answer: BChecks and balances lets each branch limit the others, such as the President's veto or Congress overriding it.
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What was the main goal of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s?Answer: BThe civil rights movement worked to end segregation and secure equal rights, leading to laws such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
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A quote says: "No taxation without representation." This slogan expressed colonists' anger that:Answer: BAmerican colonists objected to being taxed by the British Parliament, where they had no representatives of their own.
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A tariff is:Answer: AA tariff is a tax on imports, which raises their price and can protect domestic producers.
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Which document established the framework of the U.S. government and took effect in 1789?Answer: DThe Constitution set up the structure of the federal government and took effect in 1789, replacing the Articles of Confederation.
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A map's scale shows that 1 inch equals 50 miles. Two cities are 3 inches apart on the map. How far apart are they?Answer: C3 inches × 50 miles per inch = 150 miles.
Tips for GED Social Studies
When a question includes a passage or a graph, answer from what it shows, not from what you remember. For civics, know the basics well: the three branches and their powers, checks and balances, the Bill of Rights and how a bill becomes a law. Practice the GED Math and Science tests too.
Pass the GED test, one subject at a time
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