Ace the GMAT Verbal Section

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Here, <a href="https://www.kaplan.co.uk/" target="_blank">Kaplan</a> Test Prep and Admissions explain the <a href="https://www.gmat.org" target="_blank">GMAT test</a> and how best to pass it.The GMAT is the internationally recognized qualification for business schools to judge the potential of the candidates applying to them. Though this is only a part of the methods schools use to accept candidates, it is an important part and a lot of practice is required to get a decent GMAT score. In the Verbal Section of the test, takers have 75 minutes in which to answer 41 questions with question types consisting of sentence correction, reading comprehension, and critical reasoning, all of which are in multiple-choice format.Many GMAT test takers are less worried about the verbal section of the GMAT than they are about the quantitative section.  Do not underestimate the verbal section: many people end up having difficulties with this part of the test, and you will still need to prepare for it thoroughly – particularly if English is not your first language.  Native English speakers must learn the formal grammar rules required to ace this part of the GMAT, and ensure they practice with the test’s unique question types.As with all sections on the GMAT, timing and strategy are also vital.  Due to the computer adaptive testing format, your ability to score highly depends on answering as many questions correctly as possible in order to progress to the most difficult questions which are worth the most points.  On the other hand, you will be heavily penalized if you do not finish a section, so you must pace yourself to avoid running out of time.  Practice is the key here.

Verbal section question types

You will not see even numbers of all the different question types – for example you are likely to see more sentence correction questions than critical reasoning, but due to the computer adaptive nature of the GMAT, there are no exact figures here as it can vary between test takers. Remember that the exact questions you will see are based on your performance as you progress through the test.

Sentence correction questions

Sentence correction questions are designed to test your knowledge of written English. You will be shown a sentence, often long and complicated, and either a part of this sentence, or the entire sentence, will be underlined. You will then see a set of answer choices which consist of different versions of the same sentence. You must choose from amongst the answer choices to find the most grammatically correct version of the underlined section in the question.In sentence correction questions, read the original sentence in the question carefully before looking at the answers. If you spot an error, you can eliminate choice (A) immediately, because choice (A) always repeats the original version of the sentence in the question.You will not be tested on grammar terminology here. Instead you must identify correct grammar, good style and efficiency. You may be able to instinctively "hear" whether the sentence is correct by using the intuitive "ear" that you have developed by speaking and reading English.You will see approximately 15 sentence correction questions in the verbal section.

Reading comprehension questions

Reading comprehension questions are a classic type of question on standardized tests – and you are likely see four reading comprehension passages on the GMAT. Each passage will be 200-300 words and will have three to four questions relating to it.The passages are written in difficult, often technical prose, adapted from books and journals in the broad areas of business, social sciences, and the natural sciences. You don’t need to memorize all the information in the passage. Instead, read through it quickly once before looking at the questions, to try to get a feel for the topic, the author's purpose, and the scope of the passage, such as how broadly or narrowly the writer treats a subject.Then you should read the questions and go back to the passage to review the information.

Critical reasoning questions

The third type of question on the GMAT verbal section is critical reasoning, and you will see approximately 13 of these. Critical reasoning questions are designed to test your analytical skills. You will be presented with a short piece of text in which the writer makes an assertion or states a point of view and then tries to support it. You will be given a question relating to the text and you must select the answer choice that strengthens or weakens the argument. You may also be asked to find an assumption that the argument makes or to make an inference yourself.To do well on the critical reasoning questions, you need to understand the structure of the argument. Identify the writer’s conclusion, what evidence they use to support it, and what assumptions are made to reach this conclusion. Think about these steps before you look at the answer choices or the intentionally tricky wording of the answers can confuse you.