GMAT Verbal
It may seem that the GMAT Verbal section is not a high priority for admissions given that the Business School environment is extremely quant oriented.
GMAT Verbal Format
You will have 75 minutes to answer 41 multiple choice questions. These questions are made up of three question types and appear randomly.
Sentence Correction (SC)
GMAT Sentence Correction problems present a partially, or completely underlined sentence. Your job is to decide if the underlined section is grammatically correct. The answers are multiple choice and include one correct answer and four incorrect alternatives. Sometimes the given sentence does not need to be corrected. If this is the case, the first answer choice is correct as it always repeats the given underlined portion.
Out of the three question types, it is easiest to improve your GMAT test score via SC questions. This is because the underlying rules in SC questions (rules of grammar) are more concrete and tangible than the other Verbal question types, and therefore, easier to study.
Critical Reasoning (CR)
GMAT Critical Reasoning questions, as the name suggests, test your ability to understand the reasoning behind an argument or statement- specifically, your ability to dissect an argument and identify the conclusion, supporting evidence, and the assumptions upon which the argument relies. CR questions come in many different forms; for instance, some require you to identify the assumptions of an argument and pick a statement that either strengthens or weakens the argument.
Reading Comprehension (RC)
GMAT Reading Comprehension questions require you to read a passage (usually 3-5 paragraphs) and answer a series of questions all relating to that passage. RC questions test your ability to comprehend and filter information. When initially reading the passages, it is best to note the main points, but not get bogged down in the details. You can refer back to the passage at any point. RC questions do not require you to have specific knowledge of a subject, all the information you need to answer a question will be in the passage.
As with all other parts of the GMAT, time efficiency is key during the GMAT Verbal section. You must be able to quickly recognize the question type and what it is asking. You will have under two minutes to answer questions, and the proper sense of timing only comes with practice. Furthermore, one must remember to never get tied down on one question, it is better to make an educated guess and move on the the next question.
GMAT Study Options
There are many companies that offer GMAT prep options that will be highly beneficial to your GMAT Verbal preparation, the most accessible of which are GMAT preparation books (see Related Links). These books offer essential strategies on every question type as well as great review sections to get you up to speed. Furthermore, you gain access to full length GMAT practice tests and hundreds of GMAT sample questions. But it is important to remember, not all companies offering prep materials are worthwhile; many are inaccurate and counterproductive to proper GMAT Verbal preparation.