This preview of the Tests of General Educational Development (GED) to be introduced in 1988 begins with a brief background of the review process that will result in the GED Test. An overview of committee recommendations then highlights five themes of Test Specifications Committee panel reports: the tests should (1) demand more highly developed levels of critical thinking and problem solving, (2) include a clear emphasis on the relationship of the skills to the aspects of the world of work, (3) represent awareness of the role and impact of computer technology, (4) address certain consumer skills, and (5) use settings that adult examinees could recognize. Descriptions of the five tests in the GED Tests battery follow: Writing Skills, Parts I and II; Social Studies; Science; Interpreting Literature and the Arts; and Mathematics. Each test is described in terms of some or all of the following: content, context, format, item types, and cognitive levels. Sample test items and answer keys are provided. More detailed information is included for Part II of the Writing Skills Test. For this section, a sample topic is presented and sample essays are provided. The GED Essay Scoring Guide, commentary on the sample essays, and a discussion of how the GED essay is scored follow. (YLB)