THIS IS IT – The Pre-GED Assessment

Introduction · Congratulations, You Escaped · Reasoning Through Language Arts

“They expected me to look disappointed. Maybe they expected a lecture about responsibility. Instead, I would smile and say: “Congratulations!””

How does the author organize this part of the introduction?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
Structure is the shape of the writing, not its content. Notice the word “Instead” — a word like that always signals a turn.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The word “Instead” marks the hinge.

Chapter 4 · The Curse of Being Too Smart · Reasoning Through Language Arts

“You don’t blank out because you are empty. You blank out because you are flooded.”

Which statement best expresses the central idea of this chapter?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
The chapter’s own subtitle states the idea. Read it again before choosing.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The subtitle: Why You Talk Yourself Out of the Right Answer.

Introduction · Congratulations, You Escaped · Reasoning Through Language Arts

“But my own data tells a different story. Decades of it — from the admissions side of the desk, from my own GED, and from the students sitting in front of me right now.”

What type of evidence does the author use to support her argument?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
The passage names its own source out loud. Read the three things listed after the dash and ask what kind of evidence they are.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The three items listed after the dash are the whole answer.

Chapter 4 · The Curse of Being Too Smart · Reasoning Through Language Arts

“Listen to the Gut. (That first split-second answer). Shoot the Lawyer. (The voice that tries to argue you out of it).”

In this passage, what does “the Lawyer” represent?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
The author defines it herself, in parentheses, right after the words.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The parentheses after “Shoot the Lawyer.”

Chapter 1 · The Mutation · Science — Life

“You know that when a person loses their sight, their hearing often becomes superhuman? Because the brain can’t use energy for vision anymore, it redirects all that power to the ears.”

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new connections throughout life. When one sense is lost, brain regions that once processed that sense can be recruited to process other senses instead.

Which statement best describes what happens in the brain of a person who loses their sight and develops sharper hearing?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
The setup names what gets reorganized. It is happening in the brain, not in the ears.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The line “it redirects all that power to the ears.”

Chapter 4 · The Curse of Being Too Smart · Reasoning Through Language Arts

“Your Alien Brain: “Well, my gut says Washington. But I watched a documentary about the Articles of Confederation… Are they trying to trick me?””

Why does the author include the example about the first President?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
Compare the two brains side by side. One answers in two words. Notice what the other one does.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The contrast between Standard Brain and Your Alien Brain.

Chapter 1 · The Mutation · Science — Life

“It’s not a defect. It’s a Redirection of Power.”

The human body is organized into organ systems. The nervous system — the brain, spinal cord, and nerves — receives information from the senses and coordinates the body’s responses.

The redirection described in this chapter takes place mainly in which organ system?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
Ask where the change in this chapter actually happens. The setup tells you which system includes the brain.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
Every change in this chapter happens inside the brain.

Chapter 4 · The Curse of Being Too Smart · Reasoning Through Language Arts

“The test isn’t asking for The Cosmic Truth. It is asking for the Textbook Answer.”

What can be inferred about the author’s view of the GED?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
The author tells you what the test is asking for and what it is not. Stay close to her words.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The line “Be smart enough to give them the simple answer they want.”

Chapter 1 · The Mutation · Science — Life

“Because you weren’t using your energy to sit still and memorize dates, your brain redirected that power somewhere else.”

An inherited trait is passed from parents to children through genes. An acquired trait develops during a person’s own lifetime through experience, and is not passed to children through genes.

A person’s hearing sharpens after they lose their sight. This improved hearing is best classified as

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
Ask when the change happened. Before birth, or after something happened to the person?

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The word “redirected” — something that happened in response to a life.

Chapter 5 · What Planet Are You From? · Science — Earth & Space

“THE MERCURIAN (Frequency: Speed). You are the Speedster. Your brain moves at 1,000 miles per hour.”

Planets closer to the Sun travel shorter orbital paths and move faster. Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, followed by Venus, Earth, and Mars.

Of the planets named in this chapter — Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Saturn — which completes its orbit around the Sun in the shortest time?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
The setup tells you which planet sits closest to the Sun, and that closer means faster.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The Mercurian profile — the Speedster.

Chapter 1 · The Mutation · Reasoning Through Language Arts

“So, what did your brain do? It Mutated.”

In this chapter, the author uses the word mutated to mean that the reader’s brain

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
Scientists use this word one way. The author is using it another way. Read the paragraphs after it to see what she means.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The three bulleted paths under “The Trade-Off.”

Chapter 5 · What Planet Are You From? · Science — Earth & Space

“THE VENUSIAN (Frequency: Connection). You run on Vibes.”

Venus has a very thick atmosphere made mostly of carbon dioxide. This atmosphere traps heat in a process called the greenhouse effect. Mercury is closer to the Sun than Venus, but has almost no atmosphere to hold heat.

Based on the passage, why is Venus hotter than Mercury, even though Mercury is closer to the Sun?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
The setup names what Venus has that Mercury lacks. That difference is the whole answer.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The Venusian profile.

Chapter 2 · The Hijack · Science — Life

“The Security Guard (The Amygdala): Ancient. Fast. Doesn’t know math. Only cares about Survival.”

The amygdala is a small brain structure that detects threats and triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response. The prefrontal cortex, at the front of the brain, handles reasoning, planning, and problem-solving.

According to the passage, which part of the brain detects a threat and sets off the fight-or-flight response?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
The setup gives each brain part one job. Match the job in the question to the part that does it.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The description of the Security Guard.

Chapter 5 · What Planet Are You From? · Science — Earth & Space

“THE SATURNIAN (Frequency: Systems). You are the Boss. You like Blueprints.”

The inner planets — Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars — are rocky, with solid surfaces. The outer planets, including Saturn, are gas giants made mostly of hydrogen and helium, with no solid surface to stand on.

Which statement correctly compares Saturn with Mars?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
The setup sorts the planets into two groups. Find which group each one belongs to.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The Saturnian and Martian profiles.

Chapter 2 · The Hijack · Science — Life

“He cuts the power to the CEO’s office to save energy for running away.”

During the fight-or-flight response, the body releases stress hormones such as adrenaline. Heart rate and breathing speed up, and blood flow shifts toward the large muscles. Under intense stress, the prefrontal cortex — which handles reasoning — works less effectively.

Based on the passage, why might a person who knows an answer go blank during a stressful test?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
The last sentence of the setup answers this. The information is still there — something is blocking the route to it.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The line “The Thinking part of your brain has literally been turned off.”

Chapter 5 · What Planet Are You From? · Science — Earth & Space

“THE MARTIAN (Frequency: Action). You are the Warrior.”

Mars is often called the Red Planet. Its surface contains large amounts of iron oxide — the same compound that forms rust on Earth — which gives the planet its reddish color.

According to the passage, what causes the reddish color of Mars?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
The setup names one compound and tells you what it does. Find it in the list.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The Martian profile.

Chapter 2 · The Hijack · Science — Life

“Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds. Hold it for 4 seconds. Exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds. Wait for 4 seconds.”

The nervous system has two opposing branches. The sympathetic branch activates fight-or-flight. The parasympathetic branch calms the body and restores rest. Slow, controlled breathing activates the parasympathetic branch.

Which branch of the nervous system does the 4-Second Reset activate?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
The setup tells you what slow breathing activates. Match it by name.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The line “This sends a code to the Security Guard that says: We are safe.”

Why Dusty Did It · Social Studies

“Most of the people running them are W-2 employees reading a script to keep next year’s grant money coming.”

In the United States, a W-2 employee works for an employer who withholds income taxes from each paycheck and reports wages to the government on a Form W-2. An independent contractor is paid without taxes withheld and handles their own tax payments.

Based on the passage, what is a defining feature of a W-2 employee?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
The setup draws a line between two kinds of workers. Read which one has taxes withheld.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The line about W-2 employees reading a script.

Introduction · Congratulations, You Escaped · Reasoning Through Language Arts

“See, everyone has a different story why they didn’t walk across that graduation stage, but instead everyone has the same story of walking the path of shame, because the world tells you that dropping out means you failed.”

Which statement best expresses the central idea of the introduction?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
A central idea has to cover the whole passage, not one sentence of it. Test each option against the beginning AND the end.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
Look at the line about a “custom build in a mass-production line.”

Chapter 2 · The Hijack · Science — Life

“The alarm turns off. The power comes back on.”

Homeostasis is the body’s process of keeping its internal conditions stable. When something pushes the body away from its normal state, the body responds in a way that returns it to balance.

The 4-Second Reset helps the body return from a stressed state to a calm one. This is an example of

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
Look for the word in the setup that means returning to balance.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The line “The alarm turns off. The power comes back on.”

Why Dusty Did It · Social Studies

“People got a paycheck to say exactly what needed to be said to meet the grant requirements so the funding kept their jobs alive.”

In economics, an incentive is anything that motivates a person to act in a certain way. When an organization depends on grant funding, the people who work there have an incentive to meet the conditions the grant requires.

According to the author, what incentive shapes the behavior of staff in grant-funded programs?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
Follow the money in the passage. The author says what the paycheck depends on.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The line about meeting the grant requirements.

Introduction · Congratulations, You Escaped · Reasoning Through Language Arts

““Congratulations,” I’d tell them. “You couldn’t be institutionalized.””

As used in this sentence, the word institutionalized most nearly means

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
You already know one common meaning of this word. The passage is using a different one. Let the surrounding sentences decide, not your first instinct.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
Read the next section, where the school system is called a factory.

Chapter 2 · The Hijack · Reasoning Through Language Arts

“You aren’t dumb. You are experiencing a Biological Hijacking.”

Why does the author describe going blank on a test as a “Biological Hijacking”?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
Read the sentence right before the phrase. The author is replacing one explanation with another.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The two short sentences beginning “STOP.”

Why Dusty Did It · Social Studies

“A company would’ve needed a fifteen-person team and well over half a million dollars to replicate what we created.”

The cost of production includes everything required to create a good or service — labor, materials, equipment, and time. Labor costs are often the largest part.

The author estimates the cost of building the program with a fifteen-person team. This estimate is an example of

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
The setup defines the term. The author is describing what it would take to create something.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The line estimating a fifteen-person team.

Introduction · Congratulations, You Escaped · Reasoning Through Language Arts

“They would lower their voice, look around to make sure no one was listening, and whisper: “I don’t have a diploma. I dropped out.””

Why does the author open with this scene in the admissions office?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
Ask what the scene sets up. The author replies to that whisper on the very next line — that reply is what the scene exists to deliver.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
Notice the two lines that follow the whisper.

Chapter 3 · The Toaster and the Dryer · Science — Physical

“Now, imagine you try to plug that machine into a regular kitchen outlet meant for a toaster. POP. The fuse blows. The lights go out.”

A fuse is a safety device placed in an electrical circuit. It contains a thin wire designed to melt when the current flowing through it exceeds a safe level. When the wire melts, the circuit is broken and current stops flowing.

What is the purpose of the fuse described in the passage?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
The setup describes what happens when the wire melts. Follow that to what the fuse is for.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The moment “POP. The fuse blows.”

Why Dusty Did It · Reasoning Through Language Arts

“Forty percent of the American population doesn’t pass that standardized test. Forty percent. And the answer on the table is to offer them “Grade 13”?”

Why does the author repeat the phrase “Forty percent”?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
A repeated phrase is a spotlight. Read the sentence that comes right after the repetition.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The line “the problem was never the people — it’s the bar.”

Introduction · Congratulations, You Escaped · Reasoning Through Language Arts

“Over the decades, people ask me all the time: How did you become a millionaire? But what they didn’t know is that I was a person who received a General Education Diploma (GED) before I became a millionaire.”

What can reasonably be inferred from the phrase “what they didn’t know”?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
An inference is what the text makes likely, not what it states outright and not what you could imagine. Stay close to the words.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
Focus on the phrase “what they didn’t know.”

Chapter 3 · The Toaster and the Dryer · Science — Physical

“Imagine a heavy-duty industrial clothes dryer. It requires massive power.”

Electrical power is calculated by multiplying voltage by current: Power (watts) = Voltage (volts) × Current (amperes).

A clothes dryer operates at 240 volts and draws 20 amperes of current. How much power does it use?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
The setup names the operation: multiply. Two of the wrong answers come from dividing and from adding.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The line “It requires massive power.”

Why Dusty Did It · Social Studies

“Traditional programs have real strengths — reach, cost, and recognition.”

The comparison chart in this section lists features of Traditional GED Programs and Seeds of Success. On the row labeled “Free / low-cost options,” Traditional GED Programs are marked with a check, while Seeds of Success is labeled “premium.”

Based on the chart, which statement is accurate?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
Find the row by its label. Read across it and see which column holds the check.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The row labeled “Free / low-cost options” in the chart.

Introduction · Congratulations, You Escaped · Reasoning Through Language Arts

“Most of the people I met didn’t leave because they were “bad kids” or “slow.” They left because they had Different Options.”

Which detail from the passage most directly supports this claim?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
Supporting evidence has to prove the specific claim. The claim here is about WHY people left. Find the option that gives a reason.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
Check the three bulleted lines directly beneath the claim.

Chapter 3 · The Toaster and the Dryer · Science — Physical

“An Electrician wouldn’t look at the dryer and say, “This machine is broken.” He would say, “The outlet is too weak.””

Every household circuit is rated for a maximum current. If a device draws more current than the circuit is rated to carry, the circuit becomes overloaded, and a fuse or breaker cuts the power.

Based on the passage, why does the fuse blow when the dryer is plugged into the toaster outlet?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
The electrician in the chapter already told you the machine is fine. The problem is on the other side of the plug.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The electrician’s line “The outlet is too weak.”

Introduction · Congratulations, You Escaped · Reasoning Through Language Arts

“The school system is a factory. It is designed to mass-produce workers who follow rules. If you didn’t fit, it’s not because you were broken. It’s because you were a custom build in a mass-production line.”

What does the author suggest by comparing school to a factory and the reader to a “custom build”?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
A comparison is making one point. Ask what the two halves have in common, then read the sentence right before it: “it’s not because you were broken.”

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The sentence beginning “If you didn’t fit” states the point directly.

Chapter 3 · The Toaster and the Dryer · Science — Physical

“You think fast. You ask deep questions. You want to move, build, and do.”

Devices transform energy from one form into another. A clothes dryer takes in electrical energy. It heats the air inside and spins a drum to tumble the clothes.

Which energy transformation takes place in a working clothes dryer?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
Follow the direction: what goes in through the cord, and what two things does the machine produce?

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The description of the heavy-duty machine at the start of the chapter.

Introduction · Congratulations, You Escaped · Reasoning Through Language Arts

“So, stop explaining yourself. Stop apologizing. You escaped the institution. Now, let’s figure out what your Superpower is.”

Which word best describes the tone of this closing passage?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
Tone is how the author sounds, not what the subject is about. Read the lines aloud in your head and notice what they are doing to the reader.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The final two sentences set the tone for the rest of the book.

Chapter 3 · The Toaster and the Dryer · Reasoning Through Language Arts

“You are the Dryer. School is the Toaster Outlet.”

What is the author’s main point in comparing the reader to a dryer and school to a toaster outlet?

—— SNIPER WORDS ——
An analogy makes one point. Read the chapter’s final section, titled The Truth, where the author states it plainly.

—— FIND IT IN THE CHAPTER ——
The section “The Truth” at the end of the chapter.