How to Prepare for the GMAT Reading Comprehension Questions

About 14 questions out of the 41 in the verbal section of the GMAT are reading comprehension questions. The test-taker is required to read a passage consisting of 200 to 350 words and answer 3 or 4 questions related to their comprehension of the reading passage.

Things You'll Need

• Specialized book, course, or tutoring about the GMAT

Instructions

1. Practice reading for the main idea of a passage.

2. Work on taking notes while you are reading.

3. Rehearse looking for words in the passages that point to its structure and meaning, words and phrases such as "however," "but" and "in addition."

4. Answer the questions quickly after reading the passage. It may even be beneficial to read the questions first.

5. Practice using the process of elimination.

6. Take several practice tests found online or in specialized study books to get a feel for the verbal section of the GMAT.

7. Consider reading a specialized GMAT study book, taking a GMAT prep course or receiving GMAT preparation tutoring.

Tips & Warnings

• Read as quickly as possible through the passages while still gaining comprehension of the main idea.

• Eliminate any answers that are clearly incorrect.

• Use what you may already know about the subjects of the passages to your advantage.

• Find any answers you can without having to read the entire passage.