Verbal Section
The GMAT Verbal Section is designed to test your command of standard written English, your skills in analyzing arguments, and your ability to read critically. The section consists of 3 question types: Critical Reasoning, Sentence Correction, and Reading Comprehension.
GMAT Critical Reasoning Questions
Critical Reasoning tests the skills involved in making and evaluating arguments, as well as formulating a plan of action. You will be presented with a short argument and a question relating to it. You will be expected to find the answer choice that strengthens or weakens the argument. You may also be asked to find an assumption the argument makes or to make an inference yourself.
Succeeding on Critical Reasoning questions requires 4 things:
- Understand the argument's structure.
- Identify the conclusion.
- Determine what evidence exists to support the conclusion.
- Determine what assumptions are made to jump from evidence to conclusion.
Most importantly, read carefully. Critical Reasoning questions are notorious for their tricky wording.
Critical Reasoning Example and Strategy
GMAT Sentence Correction Questions
This section tests your knowledge of written English. You will be shown a sentence, with a part—or all—of the sentence underlined. Your task is to find the most grammatically correct version of the underlined section among the answer choices..
For each sentence correction question, read the original sentence carefully before looking at the answers. If you spot an error, you can eliminate Choice (A) immediately, because Choice (A) always restates the language of the original. You may be able to instinctively "hear" whether the sentence is correct by using the intuitive "ear" that you've developed by speaking and reading English.
Sentence Correction Example and Strategy
GMAT Reading Comprehension Questions
These questions test your critical reading skills, more specifically, your ability to:
- Summarize the main idea
- Differentiate between ideas stated specifically and those implied by the author
- Make inferences based on information in a text
- Analyze the logical structure of a passage
- Deduce the author's tone and attitude about a topic
You will be presented with a reading passage on the topics of business, social science, biological science or physical science and then asked 3-4 questions about that text. The tone is that of a scholarly journal.
When reading a passage, remember that you're not trying to memorize all the information. First, read through it quickly, trying to get an idea of the general topic, the author's purpose, his or her voice, and the scope of the passage. Most of all, don't obsess over details—you can always look them up in the passage.
Reading Comprehension Example and Strategy