GED Social Studies Practice Test 1

Sep 14, 2026

Upload by Elsa

GED Social Studies Practice Test 1 provides assessment-style questions that test understanding of civics, citizenship and voting processes, environmental causes and impacts like acid rain, and the practical effects of time zones on travel and daily schedules. The test also evaluates reasoning about media predictions during elections, historical economic power and its market effects, and interpretation of a historical passage about Native American experiences and settler actions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

GED Social Studies Practice Test 1

Civics and voting

Acid rain causes and impacts

Elections, media predictions, and public response

Time zones and clock reasoning

Historical reading comprehension and cause-effect

GED Social Studies Practice Test 1 1. Which of the following expresses a fact rather than an opinion? a. States have different requirements about who is eligible to vote b. The voting age should be changed from 18‐21 years of age. c. Every state should institute a “voter‐motor” program in which people can register to vote atthe same time that they are registering their motor vehicle. d. The government should allow noncitizens to vote. e. Voting should be considered a privilege not a right 2. Which of the following is NOT a purpose of “Voter Registration Application” from? a. notifying the government that you have changed your name. b. registering with a political party c. applying for U.S. citizenship d. registering to vote in an upcoming local election e. indicating that you have moved and will be voting in another district 3. Which of the following is NOT a cause of acid rain? a. human activity b. natural phenomena c. volcanoes d. lakes and streams e. traffic 4. Which of the following natural resources is least likely to be affected by acid rain? a. animal life b. plant life c. coal reserves d. water e. forest 5. In past presidential elections, television networks have made predictions about which candidate is likely to win BEFORE the polls closed throughout all of the nation’s time zones. Which of the following statements explains why this would anger some voters? a. The polls close later in New York than in Chicago b. Voters in the Central time zone want to know who won in the eastern states c. Polls in the Pacific Time zone open earlier if voters want their votes to be counted d. Polls close one hour later in the Mountain Time zone than in the Central Time zone e. Predictions based on voting in Eastern Time zones influence those who have not yet voted in the more western time zones Time Zones across the Continental United States. Use the map to answer 6‐8. 6. As Pablo travels, he is moving west. He can expect to a. change time zones b. move into an earlier time zone for every 15 degrees latitude he travels c. experience motion sickness d. move into an earlier time zone for every 15 degrees of longitude he travels 7. What time is it in Portland, Oregon when it is midnight in Orlando, Florida? a. 1:00 am b. 12:00 pm c. 9:00 am d. 9:00 pm e. 10:00 pm 8. According to the map, what time is it in Oklahoma City when it is 10:00 am in Seattle? a. 3:00 pm b. 1:00 pm c. 12:00 pm d. 10:00 am e. 2:00 pm 9. By 1878, the Standard Oil Company, owned by John D. Rockefeller, had bought out most of its business rivals and controlled 90% of the petroleum refineries in the United States. Which of the following was a likely effect of Standard Oil’s business practices? a. The company set limits on its prices b. The company increased oil prices c. Competition in the oil market flourished d. Standard Oil increased its efforts to attract needed customers e. The federal government offered a subsidy to make the company more competitive abroad 10. When European settlers arrived on the North American continent at the end of the fifteenth century, they encountered diverse Native American cultures; as many as 900,000 inhabitants with over 300 different languages. These people, whose ancestors crossed the land bridge from Asia in what may be considered the first North American immigration, were virtually destroyed by the subsequent immigration that created the United States. This tragedy is the direct result of treaties, written and broken by foreign governments, or warfare, and of forced assimilation. Source: The Library of Congress, American Memory What does the author of this passage believe? a. The U.S. government was faithful to its treaties with Native Americans b. Native Americans made up a homogenous group c. The European settlers were responsible for the decimation of Native people d. Native cultures were unsophisticated e.

FAQs

How do you choose the fact rather than an opinion in Question 1?

A fact describes a verifiable reality, while an opinion argues for or judges a preference. Options stating general requirements or observable policies are more fact-like than statements urging change or asserting what people should think.

Which type of option is NOT a cause of acid rain in Question 3?

The correct answer is the option that does not produce acid rain. Natural phenomena and human activity may contribute, while items that are not linked to acid precipitation formation should be excluded.

What reasoning is used for time zone questions like Questions 6–8?

Time zone questions rely on the idea that moving west generally involves earlier local times in standard time zone maps. The test expects applying map differences and converting between locations to determine the matching local clock time.

Sep 14, 2026

Upload by Elsa