GED Scores Explained: What 145, 165 and 175 Mean for You

Your GED score report has four numbers on it, one for each subject.

The catch? They don’t work like school grades. A 145 isn’t a percent, and the four scores are never added up or averaged.

Every scoring rule here comes from GED Testing Service’s own score pages, guides and policy manual, checked in October 2026.

The GED score scale: 100 to 200, with 145 to pass

Each subject is scored from 100 to 200. The passing score is 145 in every subject: math, Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA), science and social studies.

Each subject passes on its own. Think of the four tires on a car: one flat stops you, however good the other three are. A 190 in RLA can’t carry a 140 in math.

And 145 is a scaled score. GED Testing Service turns your right answers into a point on the 100 to 200 scale, and it doesn’t publish how. So 145 isn’t 145 right answers, and it isn’t 72.5%.

Wondering how many math questions it takes? Our GED math passing score page has an estimate and a tool that turns a practice result into a likely score.

What each GED score level means

You get a level in each subject. So you could be College Ready in RLA and just passing in math. Here’s what each range means:

Is 145 good enough? Yes. Any mix of 145s and up earns the same high school equivalency credential, and there’s no fancier version for higher scores.

College Ready (165 to 174): skip the placement test

A score here shows you have the skills to start college-level courses in that subject. Some colleges then let you skip placement tests or remedial (non-credit) classes.

GED Testing Service says that saves you money and helps you finish a degree faster. Skipping a class that earns no credit is a real head start.

College Ready + Credit (175 to 200): up to 10 credit hours

At 175 or above, you may be able to earn college credit. The credit comes from recommendations by the American Council on Education (ACE). Its current recommendations (checked October 2026) are:

• Math: 3 semester hours. ACE now lists them as technical mathematics at the certificate level, while GED Testing Service’s 2016 guide for colleges said college algebra, so ask how your college counts them.
• Science: 3 semester hours in introductory physical science
• Social studies: 3 semester hours in interdisciplinary social sciences
• RLA: 1 semester hour in the humanities

Each college decides whether to accept it, and how: ACE says the credit awarded is up to the college. Check with the admissions office before you count on it. Our GED vs high school diploma guide covers how colleges treat a GED.

Bottom line: if college isn’t in your plans yet, 145 is the only number you need.

Check your four scores

Type in your scores, or the ones you’re aiming for. You’ll see right away whether they earn the credential, the level of each subject and any possible credit.

The calculator also gives an unofficial GPA-style estimate. Our GED score calculator page shows how that estimate works.

GED Ready scores: are you likely to pass?

GED Ready is GED Testing Service’s official practice test. It’s timed, half the length of the real test, and costs $7.99 per subject or $25.99 for all four.

Its results use the same 100 to 200 scale, split into three bands:

A Likely to Pass result (GED Testing Service calls it “green”) is also what you need to test online. It has to be in that subject and from the last 60 days. Our GED Ready math guide covers the math test in detail.

When your scores arrive, and what the report shows

Scores usually post within 24 hours, and sometimes take up to 3 business days. You’ll get an email when they’re ready.

Log in at GED.com and open My Scores. Each subject has a detailed score report with a list of skills to work on.

Keep that list, even if you passed. It tells you exactly what to review next.

Your passed scores on the current test don’t expire, says the GED Policy Manual. A state can set its own rule, so check with yours if it’s been years.

Think your essay score is wrong? The $50 re-score

You can challenge the score on your RLA essay. Here are the rules from GED Testing Service:

• Ask within 60 days of your RLA test date by calling GED customer support (1-877-EXAM-GED).
• It costs $50 per essay. You get the $50 back only if your score changes.
• The review takes about 3 to 5 weeks.

Go in with clear eyes. GED Testing Service says there’s “a strong likelihood your score will remain unchanged.” If you’re a few points short, weigh that wait against a retake: at a test center, your first two retakes have no waiting period.

Passed, but want a higher score? Ask to retest

Say you passed science with a 150 but want 165 for college placement. Most states let you retest a subject you’ve already passed, with approval. Here’s how it works:

1. Email help@ged.com with a short note on why you want to test again.
2. If GED Testing Service approves, you’ll get an email with steps to schedule.
3. Book it at a test center. The GED Policy Manual doesn’t allow a retest for a higher score online.

A waiting period may apply. And the discounted retake price only covers subjects you didn’t pass, so expect the full price, which varies by state.

Old (and wrong) GED score numbers to ignore

The GED has changed its scoring a few times, and old numbers still float around online. Here’s what each one means:

• “You need 150.” That was the pass mark when today’s test began in 2014. It dropped to 145 in 2016, and GED Testing Service recommended applying the change back to 2014. Most states did.
• “GED with Honors” at 170. Also from 2014. The 2016 change brought in College Ready (165) and College Ready + Credit (175) instead.
• “410 out of 800.” That’s the 2002 to 2013 test, scored from 200 to 800, which also needed an average of 450.
• “580 total.” There’s no total to reach. 580 is just four times 145, and every subject still has to pass on its own.

Passed a test on the old 2002 series? It doesn’t carry over to the current GED. The GED Policy Manual says you must pass all four subjects on the current test. A few states have their own rules for older scores, though: New York, for one, still counts some of them toward its own diploma.