GED Social Studies study plan
GED Social Studies · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Civics and Government
Identify the purposes of government stated in the Preamble and match each to a real policy example
Summarize the main arguments and compromises of the Constitutional Convention, including the Great Compromise and the Three-Fifths Compromise
Distinguish enumerated, reserved, and concurrent powers and sort 20 powers into the correct category
Explain how the Bill of Rights and later amendments expanded individual protections
Your checkpoint
A completed three-column powers chart (enumerated / reserved / concurrent) with at least 20 correctly sorted powers and a 150-word written summary of the Great Compromise
Civics and Government
Diagram the three branches of government and trace at least two checks each branch holds over the others
Sequence the steps of how a bill becomes a law and identify where a bill can die
Compare primary elections, general elections, and the Electoral College process
Interpret a short excerpt of a Supreme Court opinion and state the right at issue in plain language
Your checkpoint
A hand-drawn or digital checks-and-balances diagram plus a 10-question self-quiz scored at 80% or better
United States History
Order 12 key events from 1607 to 1800 on a timeline with a one-line cause and effect for each
Compare the economies and labor systems of the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies
Explain the grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence and connect them to specific British policies
Describe how the Articles of Confederation failed and what problems the Constitution was designed to fix
Your checkpoint
A 12-event annotated timeline spanning 1607-1800, with cause-and-effect notes for every entry
United States History
Analyze the territorial, economic, and political causes of the Civil War and rank them by significance
Summarize the provisions and effects of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments
Describe how Reconstruction ended and identify two consequences for African Americans in the South
Explain how industrialization, immigration, and urbanization reshaped American life after 1870
Your checkpoint
A timed 30-question practice set covering Civics and early-to-19th-century U.S. History, with every missed item written out and corrected
United States History & Geography and the World
Trace the causes and home-front effects of World War I and World War II on the United States
Sequence major events of the civil rights movement and connect them to constitutional amendments and court cases
Read a thematic map and state what the pattern shows and one limitation of the map
Locate major world regions, oceans, and the United States' principal trading partners on a blank map
Your checkpoint
A one-page synthesis sheet linking three 20th-century reform movements to the amendments or laws each produced, plus a completed blank world map labeled at 90% accuracy
Geography and the World
Interpret physical, political, and thematic maps and distinguish absolute from relative location
Explain how climate, resources, and geography shape where people live and how economies develop
Analyze push and pull factors behind migration and urbanization using concrete historical examples
Evaluate one environmental issue by describing its causes, effects, and a proposed response
Your checkpoint
A written response of 200-250 words interpreting a map or data set you drew or described yourself, stating a claim and supporting it with two pieces of evidence
Economics
Define scarcity, opportunity cost, and trade-offs and apply each to a personal spending decision
Draw and explain supply and demand curves, including what shifts each curve and what causes a price change
Compare the roles of government in a market economy, including taxation, regulation, and public goods
Distinguish the functions of money, types of financial institutions, and the purpose of a personal budget
Your checkpoint
A completed one-month personal budget with a labeled supply-and-demand diagram and a 100-word explanation of the opportunity cost of one budget choice
Civics and Government & United States History & Geography and the World & Economics
Take two full-length timed Social Studies practice tests and record the score for each domain
Review every missed item and classify the error as content gap, misread question, or time pressure
Re-study the two weakest domains using targeted notes and a second round of practice questions
Practice interpreting political cartoons, charts, and short text excerpts under a two-minute-per-item limit
Your checkpoint
A completed error log of at least 25 missed items with corrected reasoning, plus a second-attempt score showing improvement over the first practice test
Milestones
Week 2: Explain checks and balances and the lawmaking process aloud in under three minutes without notes, and score 80% or higher on a 20-question civics quiz
Week 4: Score 70% or higher on a 30-question mixed Civics and U.S. History practice set
Week 6: Interpret an unfamiliar map or chart correctly in under two minutes and name the amendment or law tied to two different reform movements
Week 8: Score 145 or higher (passing range on the GED Social Studies test is 145) on a full-length timed practice test, with no single domain below 60% accuracy