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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Bildung
- Sprache: Englisch
Fast, focused test prep to help you rock the new GMAT
GMAT 5-Hour Quick Prep For Dummies is the fastest way to prep for test-day success on the notoriously difficult MBA grad school admissions exam. Calm your jitters with an overview of test content, know what to expect on the day of the exam, and take a short-form practice test with detailed explanations of the answers. You’ll get the full rundown on the brand new GMAT Focus test, too. This one-of-a-kind study guide is broken down into study blocks that you can tackle in 5 hours - all at once or over a few days. Then, the night before the test, review tips and reminders to make test day a breeze. Let this Dummies Quick Prep program put you on the fast track toward a calm and confident GMAT exam day.
- Know what to expect on the GMAT exam, including the content and test format
- Work through example questions for writing, quantitative, verbal, reading, and analytical skills
- Reinforce what you know with a short sample test that includes detailed answers
- Improve your chances of getting into the business school you want with a great score on the GMAT
GMAT 5-Hour Quick Prep For Dummies is perfect for future business and management students preparing to take the new GMAT Focus and looking for a fast, focused study guide.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024
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GMAT® 5-Hour Quick Prep For Dummies®
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Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Start Here
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here
Block 1: GMAT Overview in 20 Minutes
Signing Up for the GMAT
Knowing What’s on the Test
Preparing for the GMAT
Getting Up to Speed on GMAT Scoring
Block 2: Vanquishing the Verbal Section
Acing the Reading Comprehension Questions
Sharpening Your Critical Reasoning Skills
Block 3: Conquering the Quantitative Section
Juggling Numbers and Operations
Considering All the Variables: Algebra
Manipulating Statistics and Sets
Tackling Problem-Solving Questions
Block 4: Excelling on the Data Insights Section
Knowing What to Expect: Four Key Integrated Reasoning Question Types
Extracting Insights from Graphic Data
Taking on Data Sufficiency Questions
Block 5: Taking a (Shortened) Practice Test
Section 1: Data Insights
Section 2: Quantitative
Section 3: Verbal
Answer and Explanations
Answer Key
Block 6: Ten Tips for Scoring Higher on the GMAT
Pace Yourself
Guess and Move On
Take Advantage of the Review and Edit Option
Finish It! Completing Each Section
Give Each Question Equal Treatment
Make Time for the Last Ten Questions
Use the Process of Elimination to Improve Your Odds
Maintain Your Focus
Take Time to Read the Questions
Don’t Sink All Your Time into the Hard Questions
Index
About the Authors
Connect with Dummies
End User License Agreement
List of Tables
Chapter 3
TABLE 3-1 Rules for Multiplying and Dividing with Exponents
TABLE 3-2 Defining Terms for Functions
TABLE 3-3 Mathematical Symbols for Equality and Inequality
TABLE 3-4 Common Words and Their Math Equivalents
TABLE 3-5 Finding the Probability of the Occurrence of Multiple Events
List of Illustrations
Chapter 3
FIGURE 3-1: Fraction of a pie.
FIGURE 3-2: Points in the coordinate plane.
FIGURE 3-3: The graph of .
FIGURE 3-4: Venn diagrams showing relationships between two sets.
Chapter 4
FIGURE 4-1: The GMAT calculator.
FIGURE 4-2: Sample table analysis format.
FIGURE 4-3: Sample multi-source reasoning format, Background Information tab.
FIGURE 4-4: Sample multi-source reasoning format, Contract tab.
FIGURE 4-5: Sample multi-source reasoning format, Guest List tab.
FIGURE 4-6: Table similar to one you’re likely to encounter in a Data Insights ...
FIGURE 4-7: Simple bar graph.
FIGURE 4-8: Simple bar graph showing ranges of values.
FIGURE 4-9: Bar graph with multiple categories.
FIGURE 4-10: Segmented bar graph with sub-categories.
FIGURE 4-11: Histogram.
FIGURE 4-12: Line graph.
FIGURE 4-13: Scatter plot.
FIGURE 4-14: Scatter plot with trend line.
FIGURE 4-15: Scatter plot with multiple variables.
FIGURE 4-16: Stem-and-leaf plot.
FIGURE 4-17: Circle graph or pie chart.
FIGURE 4-18: Venn diagram of 100 cat and dog owners.
FIGURE 4-19: Venn diagram of 100 pet owners.
FIGURE 4-20: Data sufficiency answer elimination chart.
Guide
Cover
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Begin Reading
Index
About the Authors
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GMAT® 5-Hour Quick Prep For Dummies®
Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2024 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Trademarks: Wiley, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and may not be used without written permission. GMAT is a registered trademark of the Graduate Management Admission Council™. The Graduate Management Admission Council does not endorse, and is not affiliated with the owner or content of GMAT®5-Hour Quick Prep For Dummies®. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2023950098
ISBN 978-1-394-23171-3 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-394-23173-7 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-394-23172-0 (ebk)
Start Here
You’ve decided to go back to school to earn your Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. Good for you. There’s only one catch, and it’s a big one: The program you’re applying to requires that you take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) to prove that you have the brain power to succeed. Now what? You have no idea what’s on the test, and even if you did, years have passed since you studied that material or took a comprehensive standardized exam covering it. You need a primer on what the test covers, a brief refresher in those subject areas, and a little practice to get your rusty brain working like a well-oiled machine. Welcome to GMAT 5-Hour Quick Prep For Dummies.
About This Book
GMAT 5-Hour Quick Prep For Dummies distills everything you need to know to succeed on the GMAT into a six-block, five-hour mini-study guide. Here’s a rundown of what you’ll find in each block and about how much time each block is likely to take you to complete:
Block 1
(20 minutes):
Find out what you need to know about registering for the GMAT, the topics covered, how to prepare, and how the test is scored.
Block 2
(1 hour):
Get up to speed on verbal skills and knowledge, discover how to read faster with better comprehension, sharpen your critical-thinking skills, and practice answering GMAT’s verbal questions.
Block 3
(1 hour, 20 minutes):
Refresh your memory and build your math skills in topic areas including numbers, operations, algebra, statistics, and sets. Answer sample math questions and develop techniques for solving problems faster and improving your chances when you need to guess.
Block 4
(40 minutes):
Wrap your brain around the four key question types in the Data Insights section of the test, improve your ability to extract insights from graphic data such as tables and charts, and tackle data sufficiency questions, which challenge your ability to analyze data.
Block 5
(1 hour, 30 minutes):
Take an abridged sample GMAT test, check your answers, and identify subject areas where you may need to focus your remaining prep time.
Block 6
(10 minutes):
Find quick tips on how to answer more questions correctly and improve your score.
Foolish Assumptions
To target the content of this book to your specific needs, we made a few foolish assumptions about you:
You’re planning to apply to an MBA program, and at least one of the schools on your list requires that you take the GMAT as part of its admissions process.
You’re highly motivated to score high on the GMAT, because you’re applying for admission to a competitive program.
You’re not quite sure what’s covered on the GMAT.
Your knowledge and skills in at least one section of the GMAT are a little rusty — perhaps you’ve been out of school for some time but you have life and work experience that can boost your score despite your time outside of academia.
Icons Used in This Book
Icons appear throughout this book to highlight especially significant portions of the text. These little pictures in the margins alert you to content that demands your close and careful attention.
This icon highlights really important information to remember even after you close the book.
Throughout the book, we give you insights into how you can enhance your performance on the GMAT. The tips give you juicy guidance on how to answer questions faster and improve your odds of getting them right.
Your world won’t fall apart if you ignore our warnings, but your score may suffer. Heed these cautionary pointers to avoid making careless mistakes that can cost you points.
Whenever you see this icon in the text, you know you’re going to get to practice the particular area of instruction covered in that section with a question like one you may see on the test. Our examples include detailed explanations of how to answer GMAT questions most efficiently and accurately while avoiding common pitfalls.
Where to Go from Here
We know that everyone who uses this book has different strengths and weaknesses, so this book is designed for you to read in the way that best suits you:
To reap the full benefits of this book, start with
Block 1
and familiarize yourself with the GMAT, proceed through
Blocks 2
–
4
to review all subject areas you’ll be tested on, take the abridged sample test in
Block 5
, and wrap up your test prep with the ten test-taking tips presented in
Block 6
.
If you’re a math whiz and need to brush up only on your verbal skills, take the same approach, but skim through
Block 3
, focusing only on your weakest math skills.
If you’ve been writing proposals every day for the last ten years, you can probably skim through the verbal coverage in
Block 2
.
Whatever approach you take, we strongly recommend that you invest some time in
Block 4
regardless of your math prowess or verbal genius, because the GMAT uses the Data Insights questions to separate the master from the novice. We also recommend that you take the abridged sample exam in
Block 5
to identify any areas you may need to work on a little more.
Wherever you go from here and whatever you choose to do in addition to working through this book to prepare for the GMAT, we wish you all the best in your pursuit of your MBA.
Block 1
GMAT Overview in 20 Minutes
The GMAT doesn’t have to be a daunting ordeal. A little knowledge and preparation can help calm your nerves, and that’s exactly what this block delivers. Here you discover your test-taking options and how to register for the GMAT, get a brief overview of what’s on the test, obtain step-by-step guidance on how to prepare for it, and gain insight into how the test is scored and how your scores will be used.
Signing Up for the GMAT
Which MBA programs to apply to isn’t the only decision you have to make. After you’ve figured out where you want to go, you have to make plans for the GMAT. You need to choose which format works best for you and determine the ideal time to take the test.
Deciding where to take the test
You can take the GMAT online at home or at a designated testing center, the choice is yours. Regardless of where you take it, the GMAT e-content and interface are the same. In this section, we present the key factors to consider when deciding whether to take the GMAT at home or at a designated testing center.
Taking the GMAT online at home
You may choose to take the GMAT online exam in the comfort of your home on your own computer. Before you take the exam, you download the special secure software and set up your test space. A human proctor virtually oversees the online exam throughout the testing experience, and you’re responsible for meeting the stringent specifications for setting up the testing environment. Here are the advantages of taking the online exam:
The online format is available even more often than the options provided at testing centers.
You can take the online GMAT 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and you can register 24 hours before an open slot.
The testing environment is familiar.
As long as you set up the testing environment following the required guidelines, you can test from any location.
You don’t have to worry about traffic or other commuting issues.
It’s hard to get lost when you’re commuting from your bedroom to your home office.
Taking the GMAT at a testing center
You can also opt to take the GMAT at a testing center. Although testing at home may seem more desirable, you may choose the testing center for the following reasons:
The testing center provides all supplies.
You don’t have to worry about a reliable Internet connection or purchasing your own whiteboard for notes.
You aren’t responsible for securing your environment.
To maintain the integrity of the home testing experience, you must follow stringent guidelines. Testing at a center guarantees that you won’t be penalized for an interruption by a family member or fail to pass a room scan.
Registering for the GMAT
The first step in the GMAT registration process is scheduling an appointment, but don’t leave it to the last minute. Depending on the time of year, appointment times can fill up quickly. You may have to wait at least a month for an open time. To determine what’s available, you can go to the official GMAT website at www.mba.com. From there, you can choose an online test appointment or testing location and find out what dates and times are available. When you find a date and time you like, you can register online or over the phone.
When choosing a test date and time, consider your schedule and the time of day you generally feel most mentally alert. The GMAT is no longer just an 8 a.m. Saturday morning option. You can take the test any day of the week except Sunday, and, depending on the test center, you may be able to start at a variety of times. Many centers offer 8 a.m. testing times, but some have other options, even 6:30 at night.
Knowing What’s on the Test
The GMAT is a standardized test, which means lots of questions to answer in a short period, no way to cram for them or memorize answers, and very little chance of scoring 100 percent. The skills tested on the GMAT are those that leading business schools have decided are important for MBA students: data insights, quantitative reasoning, and verbal reasoning.
Checking out how the GMAT is structured
The following table presents a summary of the structure of the GMAT by Sections:
Section
Data Insights
Quantitative
Verbal
Time
45 minutes
45 minutes
45 minutes
Number of questions
20
21
23
Question type(s)
Data sufficiency
Table analysis
Two-part analysis
Graphics interpretation
Multi-source reasoning
Basic arithmetic
Algebra
Statistics and probability
Problem solving
Reading comprehension
Critical reasoning
Avg. time/question
2 minutes, 15 seconds
2 minutes, 9 seconds
1 minute, 57 seconds
The GMAT Select Section Order option allows you to complete those three sections in any order you choose.
Knowing what you’re being tested for
Standardized tests are supposed to test your academic potential, not your knowledge of specific subjects. The GMAT focuses on the areas that admissions committees have found to be relevant to MBA programs. The sections that follow are an introduction to the three GMAT sections. Most of this book explains exactly how to approach each one.
Leveraging your data literacy skills
The GMAT Data Insights section has 20 questions consisting of two question types:
Data sufficiency questions
present you with two statements and ask you to decide whether the problem can be solved by using the information provided by the first statement only, the second statement only, both statements, or neither statement.
Integrated reasoning (IR)
questions test your ability to read and evaluate charts, graphs, and other forms of presented data. You’ll examine a variety of data representation and answer questions based on the information. IR questions come in the following three types:
Table analysis and graphics interpretation questions require you to glean insights from data presented in a graphic format (table or chart).
The two-part analysis questions present a problem and related data, provided in two columns, and instruct you to choose a piece of information from each column to solve the problem.
Multi-source reasoning questions provide you with a bunch of information from which you have to decide what piece or pieces of data actually give you what you need to know to solve the problem.
Quizzing your quantitative skills
The GMAT Quantitative section consists of 21 questions to assess your proficiency in arithmetic, algebra, data interpretation, and probability and statistics. This section is comparable to other standardized math assessments in terms of its format and question types. To succeed on this section, you will need to employ your problem-solving skills to answer multiple-choice questions, choosing the best response from five possible options.
Validating your verbal skills
The GMAT Verbal section consists of 23 multiple-choice questions of two general types:
Reading comprehension
requires you to answer questions about written passages on a number of different subjects.
Critical reasoning questions
require you to analyze logical arguments and understand how to strengthen or weaken those arguments.
Navigating the computerized test
All three sections of the computerized GMAT are available only in computer-adaptive test (CAT) format. The first question of each section is of medium difficulty. If you consistently answer questions correctly, the computer will challenge you with more difficult questions. Conversely, if you choose enough wrong answers, the computer presents you with easier questions. Your score isn’t based solely on how many questions you answer correctly or incorrectly, but also on the average difficulty level of the questions you answer correctly. Theoretically, you could miss several questions and still get a very high score, so long as the questions you missed were among the most challenging.
At the conclusion of each section, you are assigned a level of ability, which is used to score your performance. This method of evaluation is designed to ensure that test takers are assessed based on their individual capabilities.
Answering in an orderly fashion
Because each question is based on your answers to previous questions — you can’t skip questions, nor can you return to a previous question to revise your answer, although you do have an opportunity to review and edit your responses after completing the section. You can edit only three answers, time permitting.
Observing time limits
The time limit for each section is 45 minutes, and this has two important implications for your test strategy: First, your score is based on the number of questions you answer correctly, so if you run out of time before answering all the questions, you miss those points. Second, you won’t have a chance to go back to review any questions.
Technically challenged, take heart! You need only minimal computer skills to take the computerized GMAT. All you need to know is how to select answers by using either the mouse or the keyboard.
Preparing for the GMAT
During the weeks or months leading up to your scheduled GMAT exam, you’d be wise to prepare for it so you’re ready to answer even the trickiest questions. To use your remaining time most efficiently, take the following steps to prepare:
Set a target score.
Research the programs you’re applying to and find out the average score of accepted students. Generally, a score between 650 and 690 is good and anything over 700 is great. 800 is perfect, not to mention rare.
Take a practice test to establish your baseline score and identify your weakest areas.
You can take the abridged practice GMAT in Block 5 of this book or another practice test. The GMAT Official Starter Kit + Practice Exams 1 & 2 software is available for free download at www.mba.com/exam-prep/gmat-official-starter-kit-practice-exams-1-and-2-free. This kit provides two-full-length official practice exams — a total of 90 IR, quantitative reasoning, and verbal practice questions that adapt in difficulty as you improve. Better yet, it provides a computer version of the test that simulates the real test-taking experience.
Use one of the tests in the GMAT Official Starter Kit as your diagnostic. Work through Blocks 2, 3, and 4 to review your weakest subjects. Then take the second official GMAT practice test to gauge your improvement.
Develop a detailed study plan and put it in writing.
Include dates and times of your study sessions and practice exams and how long you’re willing to commit to each study session. The blocks in this book facilitate your ability to plan your study sessions. For example, if you have five weeks between now and your scheduled GMAT, you can plan to complete Blocks 2–5 over the course of the first three weeks, take a second practice exam the fourth week, and review during week 5.
Identify fundamentals in math and verbal subject areas that you struggle with.
Although the GMAT isn’t like a typical math, reading, or English test, it requires foundational knowledge and skills in all those subject areas. To answer certain math questions, for example, you’ll need to know how to solve for variables or calculate the area of basic shapes. To answer Verbal questions, you’ll need to understand concepts such as thesis and tone and grammar rules such as subject-verb agreement and parallel structure.
Review math and verbal subject areas you struggle with.
Consult the relevant blocks in this book to review the areas you have the most trouble with on the test. If you feel that you need additional information and practice, consult books or websites for more guidance and sample questions/problems.
Whether you’re planning to take the GMAT online at home or at a testing center, a couple days before your scheduled test, confirm your appointment date, time, and time zone in your email confirmation.
If you’re taking the exam at a testing center, take the following steps the day before your scheduled exam:
Review the Exam Policies.
GMAT policies are extensive and cover everything from eligibility and identification requirements to minimum system requirements for taking the online version at home. Visit www.mba.com/exams/gmat-exam/register/exam-policies.
Plan your route to the test center location and account for travel time and potential delays.
Take a test run to the facility, so you’re familiar with the route and the location of the specific building and test room. Know how you’re getting to the test center (for example, driving your car, getting a ride, or using public transportation or a rideshare service).
Plan to arrive 30 minutes early, so you have plenty of time to find the room and check in.
Bring a valid photo ID (with your photo and your name that exactly matches the name you used to register for the exam).
Get a good night’s sleep before the exam, so you’ll wake up feeling well rested.
If you’re planning to take the GMAT online at home, take the following steps a week before your scheduled exam time, so you have time to procure the hardware and whiteboard you’ll need:
Review the system requirements to ensure that your computer (desktop or laptop) meets the specifications of the GMAT software. (Tablets and other mobile devices are prohibited.)
Visit www.mba.com/exams/gmat-exam/plan-for-exam-day/taking-the-exam-delivered-online for details. This page includes a link for running a system check to ensure that your computer has a functioning webcam and microphone and that your operating system, browser, and Internet connection meet the minimum requirements.
If you plan to use a whiteboard during the exam, obtain one that meets the GMAT requirements.
The board can be no larger than 12 x 20 inches (30 x 50 centimeters). You can have up to two dry-erase markers and one dry-erase eraser.
Clear your desk and workspace of any prohibited items.
Basically, you can have your computer, whiteboard (with markers and eraser), water in a clear container, a box of tissues and any medical devices or supplies you need. Mobile phones, headphones, earbuds, watches, wallets, purses, bags, books, notepads, and just about anything else is prohibited, so the sparser your surroundings, the better. For additional details, visit www.mba.com/exams/gmat-exam/plan-for-exam-day/taking-the-exam-delivered-online.
Prior to the exam, the person supervising your exam session will inspect your testing area via your webcam to identify and have you remove any prohibited items.
Get a good night’s sleep before the exam, so you’ll wake up feeling well rested.
Getting Up to Speed on GMAT Scoring
Okay, you know the GMAT’s format and how many questions it has and so on. But what about what’s really important to you, the crucial final score?
Interpreting your score
Each section of the GMAT is scored on a scale from 60 to 90, in 1-point increments, and contributes equally to the GMAT total score. The GMAT total score is on a scale of 205 to 805, in 10-point increments. So, the maximum total score you can earn on the GMAT is 805. However, your section scores are determined by more than just the number of questions you get right. Scoring is based on three factors:
The difficulty of the questions you answer:
The questions become more difficult as you continue to answer correctly, so getting tough questions means you’re doing well on the test.
The number of questions you answer:
If you don’t get to all the questions in a section, your score is reduced by the proportion of questions you didn’t answer. So, if you failed to answer 5 of the 21 Quantitative questions, for example, your raw score would be reduced by about 24 percent: After converting the raw score to the scaled measure, this loss could significantly decrease your percentile rank.
The number of questions you answer correctly:
In addition to scoring based on how difficult the questions are, the GMAT score also reflects your ability to answer those questions correctly.
Deciding whether to retake the test
If you’re not satisfied with your GMAT score, retaking the test may be advantageous, especially as most selective MBA programs prioritize high scores. Fortunately, the GMAT administrators let you take the test up to five times during a 12-month period and up to eight total times over the course of your life. Having multiple opportunities to take the test increases your chances of improving your score, thereby enhancing your prospect of getting accepted into your desired program.
Block 2
Vanquishing the Verbal Section
The Verbal section of the GMAT mixes reading comprehension questions with critical reasoning questions — about half and half. In this block, we explain how to approach a variety of questions in both categories and present you with plenty of sample reading passages and questions to help you gain valuable practice.
Acing the Reading Comprehension Questions
Reading comprehension questions are designed to test how well you understand unfamiliar reading material. But you’re probably less concerned with the reason these passages are included on the GMAT than you are with getting through all that reading and question-answering with enough time remaining to confront those pesky critical reasoning questions. What you need is a proven strategy. And in this section, we deliver by introducing you to the types of passages and questions you’ll encounter and telling you how to deal with them.
Knowing what reading comprehension questions look like
When the GMAT presents you with a reading comprehension question, you’ll see a split screen with an article passage on the left and a question with five answer choices on the right. Although every passage has more than one question (usually, passages have about three to four questions), only one question pops up at a time. You read the passage (which contains about 350 words), click on the choice that best answers the question, and confirm your answer. As soon as you confirm your answer, another question pops up on the right side of the screen. The passage remains on the left. Sometimes a question refers to a particular part of the passage. For these questions, the GMAT highlights the portion of the passage you need to focus on to answer the question.
Approaching reading passages
Reading comprehension questions don’t ask you to do anything particularly unfamiliar. You’ve probably been reading passages and answering multiple-choice questions about them since you were in elementary school. If you’re having difficulty answering reading comprehension questions correctly, don’t worry: Your reading skills are likely fine. You’re probably just not familiar with the specific way you have to read for the GMAT.
You have about two minutes to answer each reading comprehension question, and that includes the time for reading the passage. Generally, you shouldn’t spend more than five minutes reading a passage before you answer its questions, so you have to read as efficiently as you can. You need a plan for getting through the passage in a way that allows you to answer questions correctly and quickly. When you read a passage, focus on the following elements:
The passage’s general theme
The author’s tone
The way the author organizes the passage
Don’t try to figure out the passage’s minutiae while you’re reading it. If you encounter a question about a tiny detail, you can go back and reread the relevant section.
Mastering the message: The main point
Generally, people write passages to inform or persuade. Most of the passages on the GMAT are informative rather than argumentative, and even the argumentative ones are pretty tame.
The main point of GMAT passages is often to discuss a topic, to inform the reader about a phenomenon, or to compare one idea to another. Rarely does a GMAT passage seek to condemn, criticize, or enthusiastically advocate a particular idea or position.
Because most authors present the main theme in the first paragraph or two, you’ll probably figure it out in the first few seconds of your reading. If it’s not clear in the first paragraphs, it probably appears in the last paragraph, where the author sums up the ideas. After you’ve figured out the author’s overall theme, quickly jot down on your note board a word or two to help you remember the theme.
Absorbing the ambiance: Author’s tone
In addition to understanding the author’s main point, you need to know how the author feels about the issue. You get clues to the authors’ tone or mood by the words they use. GMAT passages either inform the reader about something or try to persuade the reader to adopt the author’s viewpoint. Informative passages are often more objective than persuasive ones, so the author’s tone is usually neutral. Authors of persuasive passages may exhibit more emotion. You may sense that an author is critical, sarcastic, pessimistic, optimistic, or supportive. When you figure out how the author feels about the topic, write a short description on your note board, like objective, hopeful, or mildly critical. Knowing the tone of a passage helps you choose answers that exhibit the same tone or level of bias.
Don’t let your personal opinions about a passage’s subject matter influence your answer. Remind yourself that correct answers are true according to the passage or according to the author.
Finding the framework: The passage’s outline
Knowing the structure of a passage is much more important than understanding its details. Instead of trying to comprehend everything the author says, focus on how the author lays out the information. Standard essay format includes an introduction with a thesis, two or three supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion. Many GMAT passages are excerpts from larger works, so they may not exhibit exact standard essay form, but they’ll contain evidence of all three elements. As you read, determine the passage’s overall point and the main points of each paragraph.
You may find it helpful to construct a mini-outline of the passage as you read it. Underneath the main theme, jot down a word or two on your note board that describes the type of information contained in each paragraph. Building an outline in your head or on your note board helps you know where in the passage you can find answers to questions about particular details. Doing so also helps you answer any questions that ask you how authors develop their points.
Even though you don’t need to read and understand every detail of a passage before you answer its questions, we highly recommend that you scan the entire passage before you attempt the questions.
Sticking to the subject: Types of passages
You may think that because the GMAT measures your aptitude for MBA programs, its reading passages deal with subjects like marketing and economics. You’re wrong. Although some of the passages do concern business matters, you’ll also read about topics from the natural and social sciences. The GMAT wants to see how well you analyze a variety of topics, unfamiliar and familiar. In the following sections, we explore the types of reading passages found on the GMAT.
Experimenting with natural science passages
Physical and biological sciences mean big business. Some of the areas of commerce that depend on science include pharmaceuticals, computers, agriculture, the defense industry, household products, and materials manufacturing (such as plastics and polymers). These industries, taken together, exert a huge influence on people’s lives and the nation’s economy. Just think of this country without computers and pharmaceuticals, not to mention modern agriculture!
Note that reading comprehension questions don’t assume that you have any previous knowledge in the subject. If you do come across a reading passage on chemistry and it’s been 20 years since you’ve studied the periodic table, relax. The answer to every question is located somewhere in the passage.
When you come across a passage on a subject that you’re familiar with, don’t rely on your outside knowledge to answer the question! Make sure the answers you choose can be justified by information contained in the passage.
Natural science passages tend to be more objective and neutral than persuasive in tone. So usually the main theme of a natural science topic is to explain, describe, or inform about a scientific event.
Gathering in social circles: Social science passages
In addition to natural science passages, the GMAT presents passages about a different kind of science: social science, which includes topics like law, philosophy, history, political science, archeology, sociology, and psychology. The good news about social science passages is that their topics tend to crop up more in the news and in daily conversation than does, for example, physics! So you’re more likely to be comfortable, if not necessarily familiar, with them.
Although passages about the social sciences are still mostly descriptive and informative, they’re more likely to be persuasive than natural science passages, so you may see more variety in the kinds of tones these passages display.
Getting down to business passages
Business passages may be objective or persuasive and are generated from fields like economics, marketing, resource management, and accounting, among others. Finally, topics you’re familiar with! You’ll probably breeze right through most of these passages. But don’t let familiarity with the topic serve as an excuse to slack off. You need your powers of concentration for every passage regardless of the topic.
If the passage is on a familiar subject, don’t fall into the trap of using your own information to answer questions. The correct answer is based on information in the passage and not on what you studied last semester in your marketing courses or discussed last week in your sales meeting.
Approaching reading comprehension questions
The GMAT Verbal section has 23 questions, and you’re allotted 45 minutes to answer them. That comes out to about two minutes per question. If you spend too much time answering reading comprehension questions, you’ll have less time to answer the critical reasoning questions that also comprise the Verbal section. So having a system for tackling reading comprehension questions is just as important as knowing how to read through the passages. Your approach should include
Recognizing the type of question
Quickly eliminating incorrect answer choices
Managing questions that ask for the answer that
isn’t
supported by the passage
We show you how to apply all three of these techniques in the following sections and provide a few examples of what to look for so you know how to answer the questions correctly.
Identifying the question type
The first step in answering a reading comprehension question correctly is identifying the type of question. Most reading comprehension questions fall into one of these five categories:
Summarizing the main idea
Finding supporting information
Making inferences and applications
Evaluating logic and structure
Assessing the author’s tone
Each of the question types requires a slightly different approach. Main idea and tone questions ask you to make determinations about the passage as a whole. Supporting information and inference questions usually ask you to home in on particular parts of the passage. For example, when you know that a question is about specific details in the passage, you can focus your attention on the portion of the passage that’s relevant to the information in the question.
We share all the details about each of the five categories of reading comprehension questions in the following sections.
GETTING TO THE POINT: MAIN-IDEA QUESTIONS
Main-idea questions ask you to identify the primary purpose of the whole passage. Almost every passage has at least one question that asks you to identify the thesis of the passage, and often it’s the first question you answer for a particular reading passage.
You can identify main-idea questions by the language they contain. Here are some examples of the ways main-idea questions may be worded:
The author of the passage is primarily concerned with which of the following?
The author’s primary goal (or purpose) in the passage is to do which of the following?
An appropriate title that best summarizes this passage is …
While you read the passage, look for its main idea because you know you’ll probably be asked about it. You may even want to write a sentence that briefly states the passage’s primary purpose. Then, if you’re asked a question about the passage’s main theme, you’ll look for an answer that conveys an idea similar to your statement of the author’s purpose.
The best answer to a main-idea question is general rather than specific. If an answer choice concerns information that’s discussed in only one part of the passage, it probably isn’t the correct answer to a main-idea question. Here are some other ways to narrow down your options for main-idea questions:
Eliminate answer choices that contain information that comes from only the middle paragraphs of the passage. These paragraphs probably deal with specific points rather than the main theme.
Eliminate any answer choices that contain information that you can’t find in the passage. These choices are irrelevant.
Look at the first words of the answer choices to see whether you can eliminate any answer choices based on the first words only. For example, if you’re trying to find the best answer to the author’s purpose in an objectively written natural science passage, you can eliminate answers that begin with less objective terms, such as
to argue that … , to criticize … ,
and
to refute the opposition’s position that … .
FINDING THE DETAILS: SUPPORTING INFORMATION QUESTIONS
Some GMAT reading comprehension questions ask you about specific statements in the passage. These questions are potentially the easiest type of reading comprehension question because the information you need to answer them is stated in the passage. You just need to find it. This information may be quantitative, such as years, figures, or numbers, or it may be qualitative, like ideas, emotions, or thoughts.
Supporting information questions are worded in many different ways, but they almost always contain some reference to the passage. For example,
The passage states that …
According to the passage, …
In the passage, the author indicates that …
