GMAT Verbal Reasoning Preparation: How to Prepare for GMAT Verbal Reasoning 2023 PDF Download

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a standardized computer-adaptive test used to assess the Analytical Writing, Quantitative, Verbal, and Integrated Reasoning skills of prospective business school students.

The Verbal section of the GMAT exam is designed to assess your ability to read and comprehend written material and your ability to reason and evaluate arguments. Preparing for the GMAT Verbal section can seem intimidating, but with the right resources and strategies, you can make sure you are well-prepared for test day.

GMAT Verbal Reasoning Key Highlights

In the Verbal Reasoning section, you will be provided with a passage or an argument, and you will be expected to analyze the passage or argument and draw logical conclusions and determine the best answer.
To answer these questions correctly, you must be able to analyze the material, draw logical conclusions, and determine the best response..

Step-by-Step GMAT Verbal Reasoning Preparation Tips

 Every GMAT aspirant talks about preparing for V51, and the importance of it. So, what is V51? Put simply, V51 is the highest score that one can get on the Verbal section. Achieving this perfect score can be challenging, but with a good practice plan, you can come close to the coveted V51

The main thing to remember when preparing for the Verbal Reasoning section of the GMAT is that Practice is the most important aspect of it. Knowing all the basics won’t be worth anything if you don’t practice how to implement them.
While preparing for the Verbal Reasoning section, you can implement the following techniques into your own preparation strategy to improve your chances of success.

EduRev is a great platform to kickstart your GMAT preparation according to GMAT Syllabus.

Step 1: Expand your Knowledge by Reading

• The more you read, the better you’ll become at understanding and analyzing complex passages.
• Try to read a variety of materials, including fiction, non-fiction, newspapers, magazines, and online articles.
• When reading, try framing questions for important sections, and look for answers in the passage. This will help with your Reading Comprehension skills
• If you make reading a habit, you can grasp the finer details in the questions better.

Step 2: Develop a Strong Vocabulary

• Learn the keywords: Become familiar with keywords in the GMAT exam questions and passages, such as the following:
  • Infer: to draw a conclusion based on evidence
  • Assume: to take something as true without proof
  • Illustrate: to show something using an example
• Reading dictionaries is a great way of expanding your vocabulary. The main motive of this is to help you better understand the question statements.
• Keep notes of new words that you learn, so that you can better implement them in the actual exam.
• Make sure you understand the basics of English grammar, such as verbs, tenses, subject-verb agreement, and pronoun usage.
• Making grammatical errors at any point would be detrimental to your dreams of achieving a V51 score.

Step 3: Understand the Question Types

• Read and understand the instructions that accompany each question. Familiarize yourself with the different question types on the GMAT exam's Verbal section, that is, sentence correction, critical reasoning, and reading comprehension.
• Go through sample questions for each section to ensure that you have knowledge of the type of questions asked in the exam.
• Refer to GMAT handbook by EduRev to become familiar with the exam and its structure.
• EduRev offers GMAT Mock tests and Practice tests for reading comprehension, sentence correction, and critical reasoning sections, which can familiarise you with the question format.

Also read: How to Prepare for GMAT Verbal Reasoning

Step 4: Take Mock Tests and Practice Questions

• Practicing is the most important part of the preparation for Verbal reasoning.
• Taking mock tests and practice questions in a similar environment to the actual test can help identify your weak areas.
• You must work on improving on your weak areas because getting a good score in the GMAT exam offers a low room for error.
• Taking EduRev’s Practice Questions and GMAT Mock Tests can help build your skills and confidence. Most importantly, they put you under the same time constraints as the ones in the actual exam. This will improve your test-taking ability.

Step 5: Review Your Mistakes

• Once you’re done with the tests, EduRev will show you a report of the mistakes you’ve made.
• It is good practice to review your mistakes and see what went wrong and how you can avoid these mistakes.
• It is extremely important to keep track of recurring mistakes and put in extra effort in improving them.
• Using EduRev’s Mock Tests has a huge benefit, after you’ve submitted the exam, it not only reports your score but also gives you a choice of attempting the questions that you answered wrong.
• On top of that, properly explained answers to all of the questions are also available.

How to approach GMAT Sentence Correction Questions

• It is your job to determine if the underlined section contains any mistakes in grammar or conveying the message.
• If you can’t spot any error, then you must go with answer choice A; otherwise, we must find the best selection of the given possibilities.
• One thing you can do to make the question easier is to identify what kind of mistake is present in the statement.
• The error present in the question statement can be one of the following
  • Agreement between the subject and verb 
  • Agreement between a pronoun and its antecedent 
  • Errors in modifying phrases or clauses
  • Errors in the use of tenses
  • Consistency in sentence structure
  • Idiomatic expressions
  • Sentence structure, and 
  • Error in meaning.
• Again, analysing the options is a good idea, as you can make your job easier. Look at the following question for reference:

A risk corridor is one of the main provisions, albeit not the only one, that protects the insurance industry from hitting rock bottom as it did earlier in the decade.
(a) protects the insurance industry from hitting rock bottom, like it did
(b) protect the insurance industry from hitting rock bottom, as it did
(c) protects the insurance industry from hitting rock bottom, as it did
(d) protect the insurance industry from hitting rock bottom, like
(e) protect the insurance industry from hitting rock bottom, like they did

The subject ‘provisions’ is plural and must be coupled with a plural verb ‘protect’, not ‘protects’. Therefore, options A and C are eliminated. In Option D,  the phrase ‘like earlier in the decade’ doesn’t clarify what happened earlier in the decade,i.e. the comparison is ambiguous. Option E, the plural pronoun ‘they’ is incorrectly used to refer to the singular noun ‘insurance industry’ which is incorrect. Thus B is the right answer.

How to approach GMAT Critical Reasoning Questions

Read the Question Statement

• When tackling critical reasoning questions on the GMAT, it's best to begin by reading the question statement to understand the task at hand and then focus on identifying the conclusion, evidence and assumptions in the argument. 
• This will help to answer the question effectively.

Identify the evidence, assumptions and conclusion

• Additionally, it's important to note that arguments may have multiple pieces of evidence, assumptions and conclusions, but one of them will be the main one.
• Being able to identify these elements in an argument is crucial for answering the question.
• The following image provides details about the types of Critical reasoning questions you can expect in the exam, and the skills required to solve them.

How to approach GMAT Reading Comprehension Questions

GMAT Reading Comprehension: Categories of RC questions 
Categorizing RC questions will proliferate your ability to interpret GMAT Verbal Ability as a whole section. This means you would be able to enhance your ability to comprehend what sort of questions are being asked in the GMAT verbal section and how best to answer them.  Here are some of the most prominent types of RC questions asked in the GMAT:

• Main idea question:
  In these questions, you need to identify the answer choice that matches the scope of the entire passage.
  The key here is to think of the big picture and not get distracted by the individual elements.
• Supporting detail/ substantial idea question:
  Supporting detail/ substantial idea questions require a thorough reading on your part.
  These questions may ask about facts or specific arguments that are explicitly cited in the passage.
• Assumption/inference:
  Assumption/inference types of questions require more of your critical thinking abilities.
  Inference-based problems talk about arguments and ideas that are implied by the author and are not mentioned explicitly in the passage.
  To answer these questions, you need to think logically and make some calculated assumptions about the author’s intentions.
• Out of framework:
  Out-of-framework or out-of-context questions are not related to the passage directly. These questions ask you to absorb the information present in the passage and apply them in an out-of-context situation.
  These questions may ask you about the author’s views regarding a matter that is completely unrelated to the passage.
  In this instance, you need to take a similar approach as with the inference-type question.
• Coherent logical structure:
  These kinds of questions talk about the overall structure of the passage. You’ll be asked what the author is accomplishing by writing this passage this particular way.
  For example, the question might be having the following wordings, “Does the passage refute an idea”? or “Is the author contrasting two ideas?”.
  Sometimes there can also be a question that asks for a suitable title for the passage.
• Author's style and tenor:
  Style and tone questions test your ability to identify the tone of the passage. You may be asked to identify the ideas in the passage and the tone used by the passage to express those ideas usually using a single word or a phrase.

These are the skills you need to implement in different types of RC questions

You can follow these steps to solve your Reading Comprehension questions

1. Read the passage 

• Reading the passage first can help to ensure that you don't overlook important information that might be relevant to other questions. 
• Secondly, a comprehensive understanding of the passage is necessary to answer even questions that appear to be focused on a specific detail or sub-topic.

2. Identify the central message of the passage

• It is important to read for the main idea of a passage rather than getting fixated on a specific detail or sub-topic. 
• While reading, ask yourself what the overall idea or concept of the passage is. This approach increases the chances of identifying the correct answer. 
• Additionally, it is more efficient to gain a general understanding of the passage on the first reading rather than re-reading it for each question.

3. Note down the essential information from the passage

• Using a scratchboard to take notes on a passage is very beneficial.
• It is important not to get too detailed in the notes, as the goal is to maintain a broad understanding of the organization of the passage.
• This will allow you to come back to the important details without having to read the entire passage all over again.

To learn more about the different question types in the sections of Verbal Reasoning in the GMAT exam, refer to How to Prepare for GMAT Verbal Reasoning by EduRev. This article provides details about each question type and also provides important tips for improving the quality of your preparation
Also read: 100 RC practice questions

Do’s & Don'ts for GMAT Verbal Reasoning Preparation

While customising your GMAT verbal preparation study plan, you must keep certain important GMAT do’s and don’ts in mind. These do’s and don’ts will help you understand ‘how to study for GMAT verbal section’ effectively.

GMAT Verbal Reasoning Exam Day Tips

The most important thing to do before the exam is to not overwork yourself, and ensure that you have a good night’s sleep the day before the exam. This eliminates the chances of tiredness during the actual exam. It is also important to stay positive and avoid stress if possible.
You can also follow the following tips to improve your exam experience.

• Simplify the language: The  Verbal section of the GMAT exam includes questions that use advanced vocabulary and academic concepts, so it can be beneficial to simplify complex language by putting it into your own words.
• Examine all answers, and eliminate the incorrect ones: In some questions, it is possible to evaluate the options directly to identify the incorrect options. Eliminating these options can make the correct option easier to find.
• Work backwards: If you’re unable to answer the question directly, you can work backwards, that is, look at each option as the correct answer to the statement and see what fits the best.
• Manage your time well: The most important thing to do during the exam is to manage your time. Don't spend an excessive amount of time on a question you are unable to solve, instead, move on to the next one.
• Avoid silly mistakes: It is important to not spend too long on a tough question, but it is also equally as important to not rush through questions, as this can increase the chances of making mistakes.

The table below provides a short overview of what you need to do for the different question types in the GMAT exam verbal reasoning.

How to prepare for GMAT Verbal using EduRev Infinity

EduRev Infinity Package for GMAT is a comprehensive package designed to help you get the most out of your GMAT Exam preparation. This package has been designed to provide you with access to hundreds of videos, documents and tests to help you prepare effectively and efficiently for the GMAT exam at an affordable price.
You can use the EduRev Infinity pack to improve your performance in the Verbal Section of the GMAT exam. The EduRev Infinity pack for GMAT preparation includes explanations of key topics and important tips on how to prepare for the Verbal Section. In the pack, you’ll find

• Detailed video explanations,
• Practice Questions,
• GMAT Mock Tests for Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, and Sentence Correction, Detailed Notes, and much more.

The Infinity pack also gives you access to a 100 RCs course, which provides you with 100 practice Reading comprehension questions, which can be crucial for your GMAT Verbal preparation.
You can refer to this video which will help you to understand more about EduRev Infinity Package for GMAT. EduRev Infinity for GMAT.
So if you're looking for a comprehensive package that will help you ace the GMAT Verbal Section according to GMAT Exam Pattern, then the EduRev Infinity Package is a great choice.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs) on How to Prepare for GMAT Verbal Reasoning

How many questions are in the GMAT Verbal Reasoning section?

The GMAT Exam verbal reasoning section consists of 36 questions for which you are allotted 65 minutes.

How much time is allotted for the GMAT Verbal Reasoning section?

The GMAT Exam verbal reasoning section is timed, and you will have 65 minutes to complete all 36 questions.

What is the score range for the GMAT Verbal Reasoning section?

The GMAT Exam verbal reasoning section is scored on a scale of 6 to 51.

What types of questions are in the GMAT Verbal Reasoning section?

The GMAT exam Verbal Reasoning section consists of questions that test the ability to understand and analyze written material. This section includes three types of questions: Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, and Sentence Correction

Is the GMAT Verbal section computer-adaptive?

Yes, the GMAT exam Verbal section is computer-adaptive, which means the difficulty level of the questions is determined by the test taker's performance on previous questions

Is the GMAT Verbal tough?

The GMAT exam Verbal section can be challenging for some test-takers. It tests a wide range of skills, including reading comprehension, critical reasoning, and sentence correction, all of which require a strong command of the English language, grammar and vocabulary. However, with sufficient preparation, practice and understanding of the question types and how to approach them, it is possible to improve one's performance on the GMAT exam Verbal section.

What is a good GMAT Verbal score?

If you’re aiming for a 720+ overall score, a verbal reasoning score in the range of 35-40 is considered good. Generally, keeping your score over 35 is recommended.

Is the GMAT Verbal harder than CAT?

It is difficult to make a direct comparison between the GMAT exam Verbal section and the CAT (Common Admission Test) Verbal section as the two tests have different formats, question types, and scoring methods. The GMAT exam is generally considered a more difficult test than CAT. It is a standardized test that is used to evaluate the readiness of an applicant for graduate-level business studies and management programs, whereas CAT is a standardized test used to evaluate the readiness of an applicant for management studies in India. Since the GMAT exam is a computer-adaptive test, it can be considered harder than CAT.

How long does it take to study GMAT Verbal?

The amount of time it takes to study for the GMAT Verbal section depends on a variety of factors, such as the individual's existing knowledge of English grammar and syntax, the amount of time available for studying, and the level of difficulty of the questions. Generally, it is recommended to set aside at least two to three months of dedicated study to prepare for the GMAT Verbal section.