Most GED candidates do not fail the reading section because they misunderstand passages - they fail because the clock empties while they re-read paragraph three for the fourth time. Reading speed is a trainable skill, and a week of deliberate practice buys back the ten to fifteen minutes that separate a rushed finish from a controlled one. The seven-day plan below does not chase raw words-per-minute vanity numbers; it builds purposeful speed - reading that moves quickly because you know what you are hunting, not because you are skipping understanding.
Day 1 to 2: Diagnose and Skim with Purpose
Start with a baseline: time yourself on one full practice passage, questions included, and note where the minutes go - first read, re-reads, or answer deliberation. Then learn purposeful skimming: read the first sentence of each paragraph at full speed, second sentences at a glance, and build a one-line map - paragraph one defines, two argues, three counters, four concludes. This map is what eliminates re-reads later, because you will know which paragraph holds the answer before you hunt. Do two passages each evening, skimming first, then answering. Expect no immediate score gain; you are building the structure habit that days three through seven convert into speed.
Day 3 to 4: Stop and Summarize
Add one discipline to every paragraph: pause and summarize it in five words or fewer, silently, before moving on. It sounds like it would slow you down - it does the opposite. The summary forces comprehension at first read, which is exactly what prevents the second and third reads that eat the clock. On day four, shrink the summaries to three words and introduce group skimming: read two paragraphs before summarizing the pair, training your memory to hold larger chunks. Continue timed practice passages, comparing completion times to your day-one baseline. By now the passage should feel like a guided tour instead of a maze - you know where each idea lives because you narrated it on the way through.
Day 5 to 6: Attack by Question Family
With the map skill solid, flip to question-led reading: skim the stems, identify families (main idea, detail, inference, vocab), then visit only the paragraphs that can answer them. Details and vocab questions get targeted visits - no full re-reads. Main idea and inference questions get the whole-passage map you built, not the passage text itself. Run two full timed sets each day and track three numbers: minutes per passage, accuracy, and re-read count. Speed gains that hold accuracy are real; speed gains that drop accuracy are just skipping. If accuracy dips, pull back to the day-four method for one evening - the speed returns within a day, this time built on comprehension instead of panic.
Day 7: Simulate and Lock In
Take a full timed RLA practice session under real conditions: no phone, one sitting, official break rules. Your only job is executing the method - skim-map, summarize, question-family visits - without watching the clock every two minutes. Afterwards, compare against day one: minutes saved, accuracy held. Most candidates see a fifteen to twenty percent time reduction by day seven, which translates to several extra questions answered correctly on the real exam. Keep the method alive through test day by using it on every reading you do between now and then - news articles, work emails, anything. Skills fade without reps.
GED Reading Speed - Frequently Asked Questions
How fast do I need to read for the GED?
About 250 words per minute with solid comprehension puts every passage comfortably inside the time budget. Most adults read 180 to 220 naturally, so a week of practice closes most of the gap.
Is skimming allowed if I need the details?
Skimming builds the map, not the answers. You still read the target sentences carefully - the speed comes from knowing which sentences those are before you commit attention to them.
Will faster reading hurt my score?
Only if you skip comprehension. The stop-and-summarize habit on days three and four exists precisely to keep understanding at first read - track accuracy alongside speed all week, and the two should rise together.
Pair speed with structure: the RLA section guide shows where the minutes live, and the four question types tell you what to hunt for. If reading time still does not add up, consult a professional test taker who sits the exam for you - confidential, 98.6% pass rate, results in 2 to 5 business days.