GED & ASVAB Guide

How to register, what's required, and where to study — for free.

This is a step-by-step guide to two things: earning your GED (your high-school equivalency credential in Texas) and taking the ASVAB (the military entrance and job-placement test). Each part covers exactly where to go, what it costs, what's required, and the best free places to study and take practice tests. Every underlined item is a clickable link.

Part 1 — The GED (Texas)

In Texas, passing the GED earns you the State of Texas Certificate of High School Equivalency (TxCHSE). It's accepted by most employers and the large majority of colleges as equal to a high school diploma. The test is given on a computer — either at an official test center or online — and it covers four subjects.

The four subjects

• Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) — reading, grammar, and a written essay
• Mathematical Reasoning — basic math, algebra, geometry, graphs (an on-screen calculator is provided)
• Science — life, physical, and earth/space science; mostly reading and interpreting data
• Social Studies — civics/government, U.S. history, economics, geography; reading-and-analysis based, not memorization

You need 145 or higher on each subject to pass that subject. You can take the four subjects one at a time, in any order, and on different days. Passing scores never expire, so banking one subject at a time is perfectly fine.

Requirements in Texas

Since you're now 18, you meet the main age rule easily. To test in Texas you must:

• Be at least 18 years old (you are) — 16–17 year-olds can test only with extra paperwork and permissions
• Be a Texas resident
• Not currently be enrolled in high school, and not already hold a high school diploma or equivalent
• Bring a valid, non-expired, government-issued photo ID on test day

What it costs

• At a test center: $36.25 per subject, or $145 for all four.
• Online (proctored from home): $42.25 per subject, or $169 for all four.
• Retakes: the first two retakes per subject are discounted at a test center, with no waiting period; after a third attempt on the same subject you wait 60 days.

Heads-up on fee help: Texas runs a subsidy that can cover test fees, but it's generally for residents 21 and older through the local Texas Workforce Commission Adult Education program. At 18 you likely won't qualify yet — but the free classes below are open to you regardless.

How to register — step by step

• Go to GED.com and create a free account on the MyGED portal.
• Confirm Texas rules and pricing on the official Texas GED policy page.
• Pick your subject(s), then choose a test center near Fort Worth or select online testing.
• Pay with a debit/credit card when you schedule. (No card? A reloadable prepaid card funded with cash works.)
• If testing online, you must first score in the “green” (likely-to-pass) zone on the official GED Ready practice test for that subject within the last 60 days. Test-center testing does not require this.
• After you pass all four, the Texas Education Agency issues your certificate — usually emailed within about three business days. Records and verification live at the Texas Education Agency GED page.

Free study materials

These cover the actual GED content. Khan Academy is the strongest free all-in-one option.

Free practice tests

Free in-person and local help (Texas)

Texas funds free adult-education and GED prep classes statewide. Two ways to find a class near Fort Worth:

• Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy & Learning (TCALL): call 800-441-READ (7323) or browse tcall.tamu.edu to locate a local program.
• Texas Workforce Commission — Adult Education & Literacy: free classes (and possible fee subsidies for 21+) through Texas Workforce Commission AEL.

Part 2 — The ASVAB

The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) is the test the military uses for two things at once: whether you can enlist, and which jobs you qualify for. It's free, it's the same test for every branch, and it's usually the first formal step after talking to a recruiter.

Two scores that come out of one test

• AFQT score (Armed Forces Qualification Test) — a percentile from 1–99 built from four subtests. This is your enlistment gate.
• Line / composite scores — combinations of all the subtests that decide which specific jobs (MOS / rating / AFSC) you're eligible for.

The AFQT comes from four subtests: Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), Word Knowledge (WK), and Paragraph Comprehension (PC). Since WK and PC carry double weight, reading/vocabulary and math are where studying pays off most.

AFQT minimum to enlist, by branch

These shift with recruiting needs, so confirm the current number with a recruiter. As a baseline:

Meeting the minimum only gets you in the door. A 50 or higher is widely considered a good score — it opens far more jobs and many enlistment bonuses.

The subtests

The computer version (CAT-ASVAB) has ten subtests and adapts to your answers. Beyond the four AFQT subtests above, it includes:

• General Science (GS), Electronics Information (EI), Auto Information, Shop Information, Mechanical Comprehension (MC), and Assembling Objects (AO).

These extra subtests don't affect whether you can enlist, but they decide which technical jobs you qualify for — so they matter if there's a specific job you want.

How and where to take it

• Talk to a recruiter for your branch of interest. They confirm basic eligibility (age, health, background) and schedule the test — there's no cost to you.
• You'll test at a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) or a satellite Military Entrance Test (MET) site. The closest MEPS to Fort Worth is in the Dallas–Fort Worth area; your recruiter sets the location.
• Ask about the PiCAT — an unproctored version you take at home, then verify with a short proctored check at MEPS. Useful if test anxiety or travel is a concern.

Test-day logistics

• The CAT-ASVAB is adaptive (questions get harder/easier based on your answers) and runs about 3 hours.
• No calculators — practice mental math and estimation.
• Scores are valid for 2 years for enlistment.
• Retakes: wait 1 month after your first test, another month for a third attempt, then 6 months for any attempt after that. Your most recent score is the one that counts.

Free study materials

March2Success is run by the U.S. Army and is completely free — a strong starting point.

Free practice tests

Quick-Start Checklist

GED

• Create your GED.com account
• Take a free practice test in each subject to find your weakest one
• Study on Khan Academy 20–30 min/day, starting with your weakest subject
• Find a free local class through TCALL (800-441-READ) if you want in-person help
• When a subject feels ready, take GED Ready, then schedule that subject

ASVAB

• Read the GED-tier note in Part 2 and aim for an AFQT of 50+
• Start free prep on March2Success and Khan Academy math
• Take a baseline practice test and focus on AR, MK, WK, PC
• Build vocabulary daily; practice math with no calculator
• Contact a recruiter to schedule the real test (ask about PiCAT)

You've got this. One subject, one section, one day at a time — that's how both of these get done.