In this Letter, we have proposed a generalized Gaussian probability density function (GGPDF)-based method to estimate the symbol error ratio (SER) for pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-4) in an intensity modulation/direct detection (IM/DD) system. Furthermore, a closed form expression of SERGGD for PAM-4 has been derived. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated through simulation as well as experimental work. The fitting of probability density functions of the received signal is applie