Fast Facts About the GMAT Verbal Section
Are you thinking about taking the GMAT in order to get into business school?
It’s a good idea to learn more about the test before you jump in to studying. This article will give you a quick overview of the GMAT verbal section.
The GMAT verbal section consists of 41 questions in three category types: reading comprehension, critical reasoning, and sentence correction. Students are allowed 75 minutes to complete the verbal section.
Because the GMAT is a computer adaptive test, test-takers will be presented with one question at a time. If the question is answered correctly, the next question will be at a harder difficulty level. If the question is answered incorrectly, the next question will be at an easier difficulty level.
Here’s a quick look at what skills you’ll need to apply in each GMAT question category:
GMAT Reading Comprehension
– Understand information presented in written form
– Locate and apply information contained within a passage
– Analyze concepts discussed in a passage
GMAT Critical Reasoning
– Identify arguments being made in a passage or set of statements
– Evaluate the validity or applicability of an argument
– Derive logical consequences or next steps from a passage
GMAT Sentence Correction
– Express ideas clearly and concisely
– Identify weak sentence structure or inappropriate word usage
– Demonstrate an understanding of English-language grammar rules
All of the questions on the GMAT verbal section are multiple choice.
The test does not directly assess vocabulary, so there are no analogies, fill-in-the-blanks, or questions that ask the test-taker to define a word. However, a strong vocabulary can be an important tool when it comes to understanding a passage.
If you are not a native English speaker or do not have a strong vocabulary, it would be a good idea to spend some time improving your vocabulary and reading comprehension skills.
The GMAT verbal section is scored on a scale from 0 to 60. Most student’s scores fall in a range from 9 to 44. The mean GMAT verbal score is 27, and a score of 40 would put you in the 90th percentile.
Your Turn
Ready to get started taking the test?
We have more tips about studying for the GMAT on our blog, you can and you can find a free practice GMAT at MBA.com.