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The verbal section of the GMAT exam measures the candidate's ability to read and understand the written material, reason and evaluate arguments and correct the given material to express ideas effectively in standard written English. This section includes 36 multiple-choice questions and you will get 65 minutes to complete it.
| Duration | 30 minutes |
| Number of Question | Only 1 essay |
| Tests | Ability to analyze an argument |
Skills Measured in Verbal Reasoning Section of GMAT
- Your ability to understand the statements
- Your ability to understand the logical concepts in the reading passages
- Your ability to draw the conclusion from facts and statements
- Your ability to understand the development of quantitative concepts as they are presented in verbal material.
Types of Questions asked in the Verbal Reasoning Section of GMAT
There is no need for any specialized knowledge of the subject matter to answer the questions. This section includes 3 types of questions. Here are the details of the questions asked:
- This question evaluates your ability to understand words and statements, understand logical relationships between important points, draw inferences, and follow the development of quantitative concepts.to be specific we can say reading skills will be tested which includes the main idea, supporting the idea, inference, application, logical structure, and style.
- Each Comprehension passage comes with questions that ask you to interpret material, draw inferences or apply to any further context by reading it. The passages discuss topics including physical and biological sciences, social sciences and humanities, or related to the business world.
- This question evaluates your ability to make arguments, evaluate arguments, and formulate or evaluate a plan of action.
- Critical Reasoning questions are based on a short reading passage, usually less than 100 words. The short text comes with a question, you are required to choose the given five answer options which strengthen or weaken an argument, tell why the argument is faulty, or strongly support or damage the argument.
- This question type evaluates two broad aspects of your language proficiency. First, correct expression, referring to sentences that are grammatically and structurally good. The second one is the effective expression, referring to sentences that effectively communicate an idea or relationship clearly, concisely, and grammatically correct.
- Each Sentence of Correction question includes a part of a sentence or all of which is underlined. After the sentence ends, there are 5 ways of phrasing the underlined part. Concentrating on grammar, word choice and sentence construction, you must select the answer that builds the most effective sentence.
Tips for the Verbal Reasoning Section of GMAT
Now you know that this section contains 3 types of questions. So now it's time to know some tips which can help you crack this section in a better way.
Reading Comprehension Question Strategies
The passages may be based on topics, such as humanities, social sciences, physical and biological sciences or business. You don’t need to have specialized knowledge on the subject matter to understand the passages or answer the given questions.
- Ensure that you have understood what’s being asked. Because if you get the question wrong then it is for sure that you will answer wrong.
- Answer all questions based on what the passage talks about. Even if you are familiar with the topic of the passage, don’t let this influence your answer choice. Take care of what the question asks, and what the passage actually says.
- Read all the given options carefully before choosing the correct answer.
- Understand the passage in a better way before answering the questions. Understanding is a critical factor in reading comprehension and not speed.
Critical Reasoning Question Strategies
In this type of question, you will have to read a short passage, normally less than 100 words, and then answer a question related to the argument.
- Make sure you have understood the statement or set of statements on which a question is based. Especially, you will have to look for what is factual, what claims can be substantiated and what is not said, but necessarily follows from what is said.
- If a question is based on an argument, try to identify which part of the argument is its conclusion. It is not necessary that it will come at the end of the passage, it may appear somewhere in the middle, or even at the beginning.
- Try to know exactly what the question is asking. Read the question first, so you know what you need to find. Then read the material on which the question is based upon.
- Read all the given answer choices attentively. The answer which looks right may not be correct.
Sentence Correction Question Strategies
When you choose your answer in this part, pay attention to grammar, word choice, and sentence construction. The best answer is the one that builds the most effective sentence which means it must be clear, exact, and free from all the grammatical errors.
- Read the whole sentence properly. Try to understand the meaning hidden behind the sentence.
- Analyse the underlined part of the sentence. Focus on that part, looking for errors and corrections before you read your given answer options.
- Check out how well each choice corrects the original sentence. Do the other choices fix what you consider to be wrong with the original sentence and then choose the option.
- Consider all the sides of the sentence correctness and effectiveness. You should look for clarity, language economy and precision, grammatical and idiomatic usage, and appropriate diction.
- Put your answer choice back into the sentence. Remember that some sentences will require no corrections. Say the sentences in your mind and see whether they sound right.
So now you know how to prepare and crack the Verbal Reasoning Section of GMAT. So do your best, keep all the tips in your mind and crack it well.
All the best.!!
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