GMAT Official Guide 2018 Verbal Review E-Book

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 832

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

A supplement to the Official Guide with 300 additional verbal questions The GMAT Official Guide 2018 Verbal Review provides additional practical preparation focused on the verbal portion of the exam. Written by the Graduate Management Admission Council, this guide contains 300 real GMAT questions from past exams, including 45 never-before-seen questions, plus the following features: * An overview of the exam to help you get familiar with the content and format * Comprehensive grammar review * Detailed answer explanations that explain how the test maker thinks about a question * Questions organized in order of difficulty from easiest to hardest to focus your study * Access to the same questions online at gmat.wiley.com, where you can build your own practice sets Don't waste time practicing on fake GMAT questions. Optimize your study time with the GMAT Official Guide 2018 Verbal Review using real questions from actual past exams.

Leseprobe

Online Question Bank Information

Your purchase of GMAT® Official Guide 2018 Verbal Review offers the original purchaser access to the online question bank for a period of 12 months from the date of activation.

To obtain an access code, go to www.wiley.com/go/officialgmatbook to verify your purchase. Once you verify your purchase, you will be emailed an access code and instructions for setting up a personal login.

Note: GMAC and Wiley are not responsible for providing access to the online companion for customers who purchase or borrow used copies of this book. This code will only provide you with access to the question bank. It will not work for other Wiley or GMAC password-protected websites.

For customer support, please visit http://wileyactual.com/gmat/help

GMAT® OFFICIAL GUIDE 2018 VERBAL REVIEW

Copyright © 2017 by the Graduate Management Admission Council®. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

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The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising here from. The fact that an organization or Web site is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Web site may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Web sites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.

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ISBN 978-1-119-38744-2 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-40236-7 (ePDF); ISBN 978-1-119-40240-4 (ePUB)

Contents

1.0 What Is the GMAT

®

Exam?

1.0 What Is the GMAT

®

Exam?

1.1 Why Take the GMAT

®

Exam?

1.2 GMAT

®

Exam Format

1.3 What Is the Content of the Exam Like?

1.4 Integrated Reasoning

1.5 Quantitative Section

1.6 Verbal Section

1.7 Analytical Writing Assessment

1.8 What Computer Skills Will I Need?

1.9 What Are the Test Centers Like?

1.10 How Are Scores Calculated?

1.11 Test Development Process

2.0 How to Prepare

2.0 How to Prepare

2.1 How Can I Best Prepare to Take the Test?

2.2 What About Practice Tests?

2.3 Where Can I Get Additional Practice?

2.4 General Test-Taking Suggestions

3.0 Reading Comprehension

3.0 Reading Comprehension

3.1 What Is Measured

3.2 Test-Taking Strategies

3.3 The Directions

3.4 Sample Questions

3.5 Answer Key

3.6 Answer Explanations

4.0 Critical Reasoning

4.0 Critical Reasoning

4.1 What Is Measured

4.2 Test-Taking Strategies

4.3 The Directions

4.4 Sample Questions

4.5 Answer Key

4.6 Answer Explanations

5.0 Sentence Correction

5.0 Sentence Correction

5.1 Basic English Grammar Rules

5.2 Study Suggestions

5.3 What Is Measured

5.4 Test-Taking Strategies

5.5 The Directions

5.6 Sample Questions

5.7 Answer Key

5.8 Answer Explanations

Appendix A Answer Sheets

Reading Comprehension Answer Sheet

Critical Reasoning Answer Sheet

Sentence Correction Answer Sheet

Advert

EULA

Guide

Cover

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Dear GMAT Test-Taker,

Thank you for your interest in graduate management education. Taking the GMAT® exam lets schools know that you’re serious about your graduate business education. By using the Official Guide to prepare for the GMAT, you’re taking a very important step toward achieving your goals and pursuing admission to a high-quality business school or master’s program.

This book, GMAT® Official Guide 2018 Verbal Review, is designed to help you prepare for and build confidence to do your best on the GMAT exam. It’s the only guide of its kind on the market that includes real GMAT exam questions published by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the makers of the exam.

GMAC was founded by the world’s leading business schools in 1953. The GMAT exam was developed to help people who aspire to careers in management demonstrate their command of the skills needed for success in the classroom. Schools use and trust the GMAT exam as part of their admissions process because it’s an excellent predictor of classroom success and your ability to excel in your chosen program.

Today more than 6,500 graduate programs around the world use the GMAT exam to establish their MBA, graduate-level management degrees and specialized programs as hallmarks of excellence. Nine out of 10 new MBA enrollments at Top 50 US full-time MBA programs are made using a GMAT score.

These facts make us proud and drive us to keep improving the GMAT as well as play a role in helping you find and gain admission to the best school or program for you. We’re committed to ensuring that no talent goes undiscovered, and that more people around the world can pursue opportunities in graduate management education.

I applaud your commitment to educational success, and I know that this book and the other Official GMAT preparation materials available at mba.com will give you the confidence to achieve your personal best on the GMAT exam and launch or reinvigorate a rewarding career.

I wish you the best success on all your educational and professional endeavors in the future.

Sincerely,

Sangeet Chowfla

CEO of the Graduate Management Admission Council

1.0What Is the GMAT® Exam?

1.0 What Is the GMAT® Exam?

The Graduate Management Admission Test® (GMAT®) exam is a standardized exam used in admissions decisions by more than 6,500 graduate management programs worldwide. It helps you gauge, and demonstrate to schools, your academic potential for success in graduate-level management studies.

The four-part exam measures your Analytical Writing, Verbal, Quantitative, and Integrated Reasoning skills—higher-order reasoning skills that management faculty worldwide have identified as important for incoming students to have. “Higher-order” reasoning skills involve complex judgments, and include critical thinking, analysis, and problem solving. Unlike undergraduate grades and curricula, which vary in their meaning across regions and institutions, your GMAT scores provide a standardized, statistically valid and reliable measure of how you are likely to perform academically in the core curriculum of a graduate management program. The GMAT exam’s validity, fairness, and value in admissions have been well-established through numerous academic studies.

The GMAT exam is delivered entirely in English and solely on computer. It is not a test of business knowledge, subject matter mastery, English vocabulary, or advanced computational skills. The GMAT exam also does not measure other factors related to success in graduate management study, such as job experience, leadership ability, motivation, and interpersonal skills. Your GMAT score is intended to be used as one admissions criterion among other, more subjective, criteria, such as admissions essays and interviews.

1.1 Why Take the GMAT® Exam?

Launched in 1954 by a group of nine business schools to provide a uniform measure of the academic skills needed to succeed in their programs, the GMAT exam is now used by more than 6,500 graduate management programs at approximately 2,100 institutions worldwide.

Taking the GMAT exam helps you stand out in the admissions process and demonstrate your readiness and commitment to pursuing graduate management education. Schools use GMAT scores to help them select the most qualified applicants—because they know that candidates who take the GMAT exam are serious about earning a graduate business degree, and it’s a proven predictor of a student’s ability to succeed in his or her chosen program. When you consider which programs to apply to, you can look at a school’s use of the GMAT exam as one indicator of quality. Schools that use the GMAT exam typically list score ranges or average scores in their class profiles, so you may also find these profiles helpful in gauging the academic competitiveness of a program you are considering and how well your performance on the exam compares with that of the students enrolled in the program.

Myth -vs- FACT

M

– If I don’t achieve a high score on the GMAT, I won’t get into my top choice schools.

F

– There are great schools available for candidates at any GMAT score range.

Fewer than 50 of the more than 250,000 people taking the GMAT exam each year get a perfect score of 800; and many more get into top business school programs around the world each year. Admissions officers use GMAT scores as one component in their admissions decisions, in conjunction with undergraduate records, application essays, interviews, letters of recommendation, and other information when deciding whom to accept into their programs. Visit School Finder on mba.com to learn about schools that are the best fit for you.

No matter how you perform on the GMAT exam, you should contact the schools that interest you to learn more and to ask how they use GMAT scores and other criteria (such as your undergraduate grades, essays, and letters of recommendation) in their admissions processes. School admissions offices, web sites, and materials published by schools are the key sources of information when you are doing research about where you might want to go to business school.

For more information on the GMAT, test preparation materials, registration, how to use and send your GMAT scores to schools, and applying to business school, please visit mba.com.

1.2 GMAT® Exam Format

The GMAT exam consists of four separately timed sections (see the table on the next page). For the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) essay prompt, you will have 30 minutes to type your essay on a computer keyboard. The 30-minute Integrated Reasoning section features 12 question prompts in four different formats. There are two 75-minute, multiple-choice sections: the Quantitative section, with 37 questions, and the Verbal section, with 41 questions.

The Verbal and Quantitative sections of the GMAT exam are computer adaptive, which means that the test draws from a large bank of questions to tailor itself to your ability level, and you won’t get many questions that are too hard or too easy for you. The first question will be of medium difficulty. As you answer each question, the computer scores your answer and uses it—as well as your responses to any preceding questions—to select the next question.

Myth -vs- FACT

M

– Getting an easier question means I answered the last one wrong.

F

– You should not become distracted by the difficulty level of a question.

Most people are not skilled at estimating question difficulty, so don’t worry when taking the test or waste valuable time trying to determine the difficulty of the question you are answering.

To ensure that everyone receives the same content, the test selects a specific number of questions of each type. The test may call for your next problem to be a relatively hard data sufficiency question involving arithmetic operations. But, if there are no more relatively difficult data sufficiency questions involving arithmetic, you might be given an easier question.

Computer-adaptive tests become more difficult the more questions you answer correctly, but if you get a question that seems easier than the last one, it does not necessarily mean you answered the last question incorrectly. The test has to cover a range of content, both in the type of question asked and the subject matter presented.

Because the computer uses your answers to select your next questions, you may not skip questions or go back and change your answer to a previous question. If you don’t know the answer to a question, try to eliminate as many choices as possible, then select the answer you think is best.

Though the individual questions are different, the content mixture is the same for every GMAT exam. Your score is determined by the difficulty and statistical characteristics of the questions you answer as well as the number of questions you answer correctly. By adapting to each test-taker, the GMAT exam is able to accurately and efficiently gauge skill levels over a full range of abilities, from very high to very low.

The test includes the types of questions found in this book and in the online Integrated Reasoning component, but the format and presentation of the questions are different on the computer. When you take the test:

Only one question or question prompt at a time is presented on the computer screen.

The answer choices for the multiple-choice questions will be preceded by circles, rather than by letters.

Different question types appear in random order in the multiple-choice and Integrated Reasoning sections.

You must select your answer using the computer.

You must choose an answer and confirm your choice before moving on to the next question.

You may not go back to previous screens to change answers to previous questions.

Format of the GMAT

®

Exam

Questions

Timing

Analytical Writing

 Analysis of an Argument

 1

30 min.

Integrated Reasoning

 Multi-Source Reasoning

 Table Analysis

 Graphics Interpretation

 Two-Part Analysis

12

30 min.

Optional break

up to 8 min.

Quantitative

 Problem Solving

 Data Sufficiency

37

75 min.

Optional break

up to 8 min.

Verbal

 Reading Comprehension

 Critical Reasoning

 Sentence Correction

41

75 min.

Total Time:

210 min.

1.3 What Is the Content of the Exam Like?

The GMAT exam measures higher-order analytical skills encompassing several types of reasoning. The Analytical Writing Assessment asks you to analyze the reasoning behind an argument and respond in writing; the Integrated Reasoning section asks you to interpret and synthesize information from multiple sources and in different formats to make reasoned conclusions; the Quantitative section asks you to reason quantitatively using basic arithmetic, algebra, and geometry; and the Verbal section asks you to read and comprehend written material and to reason and evaluate arguments.

Test questions may address a variety of subjects, but all of the information you need to answer the questions will be included on the exam, with no outside knowledge of the subject matter necessary. The GMAT exam is not a test of business knowledge, English vocabulary, or advanced computational skills. You will need to read and write in English and have basic math and English skills to perform well on the test, but its difficulty comes from the English analytical and critical thinking abilities.

The questions in this book are organized by question type and from easiest to most difficult, but keep in mind that when you take the test, you may see different types of questions in any order within each section.

1.4 Integrated Reasoning

The Integrated Reasoning section highlights the relevant skills that business managers in today’s data-driven world need in order to analyze sophisticated streams of data and solve complex problems. It measures your ability to understand and evaluate multiple sources and types of information—graphic, numeric, and verbal—as they relate to one another; use both quantitative and verbal reasoning to solve complex problems; and solve multiple problems in relation to one another.

Four types of questions are used in the Integrated Reasoning section:

Multi-Source Reasoning

Table Analysis

Graphics Interpretation

Two-Part Analysis

Integrated Reasoning questions may be quantitative, verbal, or a combination of both. You will have to interpret graphics and sort tables to extract meaning from data, but advanced statistical knowledge and spreadsheet manipulation skills are not necessary. You will have access to an online calculator with basic functions for the Integrated Reasoning section, but note that the calculator is not available on the Quantitative section.

1.5 Quantitative Section

The GMAT Quantitative section measures your ability to reason quantitatively, solve quantitative problems, and interpret graphic data.

Two types of multiple-choice questions are used in the Quantitative section:

Problem Solving

Data Sufficiency

Both are intermingled throughout the Quantitative section, and require basic knowledge of arithmetic, elementary algebra, and commonly known concepts of geometry.

To review the basic mathematical concepts that will be tested in the GMAT Quantitative questions and for test-taking tips specific to the question types in the Quantitative section of the GMAT exam, sample questions, and answer explanations, see GMAT® Official Guide 2018 or GMAT® Official Guide 2018 Quantitative Review; both are available for purchase at mba.com.

1.6 Verbal Section

The GMAT Verbal section measures your ability to read and comprehend written material, to reason and evaluate arguments, and to correct written material to conform to standard written English. Because the Verbal section includes reading sections from several different content areas, you may be generally familiar with some of the material; however, neither the reading passages nor the questions assume detailed knowledge of the topics discussed.

Three types of multiple-choice questions are used in the Verbal section:

Reading Comprehension

Critical Reasoning

Sentence Correction

All three require basic knowledge of the English language, but the Verbal section is not a test of advanced vocabulary.

For test-taking tips specific to each question type in the Verbal section, sample questions, and answer explanations, see chapters 3 through 5.

1.7 Analytical Writing Assessment

The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) consists of one 30-minute writing task: Analysis of an Argument. The AWA measures your ability to think critically, communicate your ideas, and formulate an appropriate and constructive critique. You will type your essay on a computer keyboard.

1.8 What Computer Skills Will I Need?

The GMAT exam requires only computer skills. You will type your AWA essay on the computer keyboard using standard word-processing keystrokes. In the Integrated Reasoning and multiple-choice sections, you will select your responses using either your computer mouse or the keyboard. The Integrated Reasoning section includes basic computer navigation and functions, such as clicking on tabs and using drop-down menus to sort tables and select answers.

1.9 What Are the Test Centers Like?

The GMAT exam is administered under standardized conditions at test centers worldwide. Each test center has a proctored testing room with individual computer workstations that allow you to sit for the exam under quiet conditions and with some privacy. You will be able to take two optional 8-minute breaks during the course of the exam. You may not take notes or scratch paper with you into the testing room, but an erasable notepad and marker will be provided for you to use during the test.

1.10 How Are Scores Calculated?

Verbal and Quantitative sections are scored on a scale of 0 to 60, with scores below 6 or above 51 extremely rare. The Total GMAT score ranges from 200 to 800 and is based on your performance in these two sections. Your score is determined by:

The number of questions you answer

The number of questions you answer correctly or incorrectly

The level of difficulty and other statistical characteristics of each question

Your Verbal, Quantitative, and Total GMAT scores are determined by a complex mathematical procedure that takes into account the difficulty of the questions that were presented to you and how you answered them. When you answer the easier questions correctly, you get a chance to answer harder questions, making it possible to earn a higher score. After you have completed all the questions on the test, or when your time is expired, the computer will calculate your scores. Your scores on the Verbal and Quantitative sections are combined to produce your Total score which ranges from 200 to 800 in 10 point increments.

The Analytical Writing Assessment consists of one writing task, Analysis of an Argument, and your essay will be scored two times independently. Essays are evaluated by college and university faculty members from a variety of disciplines, including management education, who rate the overall quality of your critical thinking and writing. (For details on how readers are qualified, visit mba.com.) In addition, your response may be scored by an automated scoring program designed to reflect the judgment of expert readers.

Your essay is scored on a scale of 0 to 6, in half point increments, with 6 being the highest score and 0 the lowest. A score of zero is given for responses that are off topic, are in a foreign language, merely attempt to copy the topic, consist only of keystroke characters, or are blank. Your AWA score is typically the average of two independent ratings. If the independent scores vary by more than one point, a third reader adjudicates, but because of ongoing training and monitoring, discrepancies are rare.

Your Integrated Reasoning score is calculated on a scale of 1 to 8, in one-point increments. You must answer all parts of a single question correctly in order to receive credit. No partial credit is given. Like your AWA score, your Integrated Reasoning score will not count toward your Total score.

Your Analytical Writing Assessment and Integrated Reasoning scores are computed and reported separately from the other sections of the test and have no effect on your Verbal, Quantitative, or Total scores. The schools that you have designated to receive your scores may receive a copy of your Analytical Writing Assessment essay with your score report. Your own copy of your score report will not include your essay.

Your GMAT score includes a percentile ranking that compares your skill level with other test-takers from the past three years. The percentile rank of your score shows the percentage of tests taken with scores lower than your score. Every July, percentile ranking tables are updated. Visit mba.com to view the most recent percentile rankings tables.

1.11 Test Development Process

The GMAT exam is developed by experts who use standardized procedures to ensure high-quality, widely-appropriate test material. All questions are subjected to independent reviews and are revised or discarded as necessary. Multiple-choice questions are tested during GMAT test administrations. Analytical Writing Assessment tasks are tested on mba.com registrants and then assessed for their fairness and reliability. For more information on test development, visit mba.com.

2.0How to Prepare

2.0 How to Prepare

2.1 How Can I Best Prepare to Take the Test?

The GMAT® exam is designed specifically to measure reasoning skills needed for management education, and the test contains several question formats unique to the GMAT exam. At a minimum, you should be familiar with the test format and the question formats before you sit for the test. Because the GMAT exam is a timed exam, you should practice answering test questions not only to better understand the question formats and the skills they require, but also to help you learn to pace yourself so you can finish each section when you sit for the exam.

Because the exam measures reasoning rather than subject matter knowledge, you most likely will not find it helpful to memorize facts. You do not need to study advanced mathematical concepts, but you should be sure your grasp of basic arithmetic, algebra, and geometry is sound enough that you can use these skills in quantitative problem solving. Likewise, you do not need to study advanced vocabulary words, but you should have a firm understanding of basic English vocabulary and grammar for reading, writing, and reasoning.

Myth -vs- FACT

M

– You need very advanced math skills to get a high GMAT score.

F

– The GMAT measures your reasoning and critical thinking abilities, rather than your advanced math skills.

The GMAT exam only requires basic quantitative analytic skills. You should review the math skills (algebra, geometry, basic arithmetic) presented in the GMAT® Official Guide 2018 and the GMAT® Official Guide Quantitative Review 2018, but the required skill level is low. The difficulty of GMAT Quantitative questions stems from the logic and analysis used to solve the problems and not the underlying math skills.

This book and other study materials released by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) are the ONLY source of questions that have been retired from the GMAT exam. All questions that appear or have appeared on the GMAT exam are copyrighted and owned by GMAC, which does not license them to be reprinted elsewhere. Accessing live Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, or Verbal test questions in advance or sharing test content during or after you take the test is a serious violation, which could cause your scores to be canceled and schools to be notified. In cases of a serious violation, you may be banned from future testing and other legal remedies may be pursued.

2.2 What About Practice Tests?

The Quantitative and Verbal sections of the GMAT exam are computer-adaptive, and the Integrated Reasoning section includes questions that require you to use the computer to sort tables and navigate to different sources of information. Our official practice materials will help you get comfortable with the format of the test and better prepare for exam day. Two full-length GMAT practice exams are available at no charge for those who have created an account on mba.com. The practice exams include computer-adaptive Quantitative and Verbal sections, plus additional practice questions, information about the test, and tutorials to help you become familiar with how the GMAT exam will appear on the computer screen at the test center.

To maximize your studying efforts with the free practice exams, you should leverage official practice materials as you start to prepare for the test. Take one practice test to familiarize yourself with the exam and to get a baseline score. After you have studied using this book and other study materials, take the second practice test to determine whether you need to shift your focus to other areas you need to strengthen. Note that the free practice tests may include questions that are also published in this book. As your test day approaches, consider taking more official practice tests to help measure your progress and give you a better idea of how you might score on exam day.

2.3 Where Can I Get Additional Practice?

If you complete all the questions in this guide and think you would like additional practice, you may want to purchase the GMAT® Official Guide 2018 and/or GMAT® Official Guide 2018 Quantitative Review. You can find these guides as well as even more Quantitative, Verbal, and Integrated Reasoning practice questions, full-length, computer-adaptive practice exams, and other helpful study materials at mba.com.

2.4 General Test-Taking Suggestions

Specific test-taking strategies for individual question types are presented later in this book. The following are general suggestions to help you perform your best on the test.

1. Use your time wisely

Although the GMAT exam stresses accuracy more than speed, it is important to use your time wisely. On average, you will have about 1¾ minutes for each Verbal question, about 2 minutes for each Quantitative question, and about 2½ minutes for each Integrated Reasoning question, some of which have multiple questions. Once you start the test, an onscreen clock will continuously count the time you have left. You can hide this display if you want, but it is a good idea to check the clock periodically to monitor your progress. The clock will automatically alert you when 5 minutes remain in the allotted time for the section you are working on.

2. Answer practice questions ahead of time

After you become generally familiar with all question types, use the sample questions in this book to prepare for the actual test. It may be useful to time yourself as you answer the practice questions to get an idea of how long you will have for each question during the actual GMAT exam as well as to determine whether you are answering quickly enough to complete the test in the time allotted.

3. Read all test directions carefully

The directions explain exactly what is required to answer each question type. If you read hastily, you may miss important instructions and impact your ability to answer correctly. To review directions during the test, click on the Help icon. But be aware that the time you spend reviewing directions will count against the time allotted for that section of the test.

4. Read each question carefully and thoroughly

Before you answer a multiple-choice question, determine exactly what is being asked, then eliminate the wrong answers and select the best choice. Never skim a question or the possible answers; skimming may cause you to miss important information or nuances.

5. Do not spend too much time on any one question

If you do not know the correct answer, or if the question is too time consuming, try to eliminate choices you know are wrong, select the best of the remaining answer choices, and move on to the next question. Not completing sections and randomly guessing answers to questions at the end of each test section can significantly lower your score. As long as you have worked on each section, you will receive a score even if you do not finish one or more sections in the allotted time. But you will not earn points for questions you never get to see.

6. Confirm your answers ONLY when you are ready to move on

On the Quantitative and Verbal sections, once you have selected your answer to a multiple-choice question, you will be asked to confirm it. Once you confirm your response, you cannot go back and change it. You may not skip questions. In the Integrated Reasoning section, there may be several questions based on information provided in the same question prompt. When there is more than one response on a single screen, you can change your response to any of the questions on the screen before moving on to the next screen. However, you may not navigate back to a previous screen to change any responses.

Myth -vs- FACT

M

– It is more important to respond correctly to the test questions than it is to finish the test.

F

– There is a significant penalty for not completing the GMAT exam.

Pacing is important. If you are stumped by a question, give it your best guess and move on. If you guess incorrectly, the computer program will likely give you an easier question, which you are likely to answer correctly, and the computer will rapidly return to giving you questions matched to your ability. If you don’t finish the test, your score will be reduced. Failing to answer five verbal questions, for example, could reduce your score from the 91st percentile to the 77th percentile.

Myth -vs- FACT

M

– The first 10 questions are critical and you should invest the most time on those.

F

– All questions count.

The computer-adaptive testing algorithm uses each answered question to obtain an initial estimate. However, as you continue to answer questions, the algorithm self-corrects by computing an updated estimate on the basis of all the questions you have answered, and then administers items that are closely matched to this new estimate of your ability. Your final score is based on all your responses and considers the difficulty of all the questions you answered. Taking additional time on the first 10 questions will not game the system and can hurt your ability to finish the test.

7. Plan your essay answers before you begin to write

The best way to approach the Analysis of an Argument section is to read the directions carefully, take a few minutes to think about the question, and plan a response before you begin writing. Take time to organize your ideas and develop them fully, but leave time to reread your response and make any revisions that you think would improve it.

3.0Reading Comprehension

3.0 Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension questions appear in the Verbal section of the GMAT® exam. The Verbal section uses multiple-choice questions to measure your ability to read and comprehend written material, to reason and evaluate arguments, and to correct written material to conform to standard written English. Because the Verbal section includes content from a variety of topics, you may be generally familiar with some of the material; however, neither the passages nor the questions assume knowledge of the topics discussed. Reading comprehension questions are intermingled with critical reasoning and sentence correction questions throughout the Verbal section of the test.

You will have 75 minutes to complete the Verbal section, or an average of about 1¾ minutes to answer each question. Keep in mind you will need time to read the written passages—and that time is not factored into the 1¾ minute average. Therefore, you should plan to proceed more quickly through the reading comprehension questions in order to give yourself enough time to read the passages thoroughly.

Reading comprehension questions begin with written passages up to 350 words long. The passages discuss topics from the social sciences, humanities, the physical or biological sciences, and such business-related fields as marketing, economics, and human resource management. The passages are accompanied by questions that will ask you to interpret the passage, apply the information you gather from the reading, and make inferences (or informed assumptions) based on the reading. For these questions, you will see a split computer screen. The written passage will remain visible on the left side as each question associated with that passage appears, in turn, on the right side. You will see only one question at a time. However, the number of questions associated with each passage may vary.

As you move through the reading comprehension sample questions, try to determine a process that works best for you. You might begin by reading a passage carefully and thoroughly. Some test-takers prefer to skim the passages the first time through, or even to read the first question before reading the passage. You may want to reread any sentences that present complicated ideas or introduce terms that are new to you. Read each question and series of answers carefully. Make sure you understand exactly what the question is asking and what the answer choices are.

If you need to, you may go back to the passage and read any parts that are relevant to answering the question. Specific portions of the passages may be indicated in the related questions.

The following pages describe what reading comprehension questions are designed to measure, present the directions that will precede questions of this type, and describe the various question types. This chapter also provides test-taking strategies, sample questions, and detailed explanations of all the questions. The explanations further illustrate the ways in which reading comprehension questions evaluate basic reading skills.

3.1 What Is Measured

Reading comprehension questions measure your ability to understand, analyze, and apply information and concepts presented in written form. All questions are to be answered on the basis of what is stated or implied in the reading material, and no specific prior knowledge of the material is required.

The GMAT reading comprehension questions evaluate your ability to do the following:

Understand words and statements.

Although the questions do not test your vocabulary (they will not ask you to define terms), they do test your ability to interpret special meanings of terms as they are used in the reading passages. The questions will also test your understanding of the English language. These questions may ask about the overall meaning of a passage.

Understand logical relationships between points and concepts.

This type of question may ask you to determine the strong and weak points of an argument or evaluate the relative importance of arguments and ideas in a passage.

Draw inferences from facts and statements.

The inference questions will ask you to consider factual statements or information presented in a reading passage and reach conclusions on the basis of that information.

Understand and follow the development of quantitative concepts as they are presented in written material.

This may involve the interpretation of numerical data or the use of simple arithmetic to reach conclusions about material in a passage.

There are six kinds of reading comprehension questions, each of which tests a different skill. The reading comprehension questions ask about the following areas:

Main idea

Each passage is a unified whole—that is, the individual sentences and paragraphs support and develop one main idea or central point. Sometimes you will be told the central point in the passage itself, and sometimes it will be necessary for you to determine the central point from the overall organization or development of the passage. You may be asked in this kind of question to

recognize a correct restatement, or paraphrasing, of the main idea of a passage

identify the author’s primary purpose or objective in writing the passage

assign a title that summarizes, briefly and pointedly, the main idea developed in the passage

Supporting ideas

These questions measure your ability to comprehend the supporting ideas in a passage and differentiate them from the main idea. The questions also measure your ability to differentiate ideas that are explicitly stated in a passage from ideas that are implied by the author but are not explicitly stated. You may be asked about

facts cited in a passage

the specific content of arguments presented by the author in support of his or her views

descriptive details used to support or elaborate on the main idea

Whereas questions about the main idea ask you to determine the meaning of a passage as a whole, questions about supporting ideas ask you to determine the meanings of individual sentences and paragraphs that contribute to the meaning of the passage as a whole. In other words, these questions ask for the main point of one small part of the passage.

Inferences

These questions ask about ideas that are not explicitly stated in a passage but are implied by the author. Unlike questions about supporting details, which ask about information that is directly stated in a passage, inference questions ask about ideas or meanings that must be inferred from information that is directly stated. Authors can make their points in indirect ways, suggesting ideas without actually stating them. Inference questions measure your ability to understand an author’s intended meaning in parts of a passage where the meaning is only suggested. These questions do not ask about meanings or implications that are remote from the passage; rather, they ask about meanings that are developed indirectly or implications that are specifically suggested by the author.

To answer these questions, you may have to

logically take statements made by the author one step beyond their literal meanings

recognize an alternative interpretation of a statement made by the author

identify the intended meaning of a word used figuratively in a passage

If a passage explicitly states an effect, for example, you may be asked to infer its cause. If the author compares two phenomena, you may be asked to infer the basis for the comparison. You may be asked to infer the characteristics of an old policy from an explicit description of a new one. When you read a passage, you should concentrate not only on the explicit meaning of the author’s words, but also on the more subtle meaning implied by those words.

Applying information to a context outside the passage itself

These questions measure your ability to discern the relationships between situations or ideas presented by the author and other situations or ideas that might parallel those in the passage. In this kind of question, you may be asked to

identify a hypothetical situation that is comparable to a situation presented in the passage

select an example that is similar to an example provided in the passage

apply ideas given in the passage to a situation not mentioned by the author

recognize ideas that the author would probably agree or disagree with on the basis of statements made in the passage

Unlike inference questions, application questions use ideas or situations not taken from the passage. Ideas and situations given in a question are like those given in the passage, and they parallel ideas and situations in the passage; therefore, to answer the question, you must do more than recall what you read. You must recognize the essential attributes of ideas and situations presented in the passage when they appear in different words and in an entirely new context.

Logical structure

These questions require you to analyze and evaluate the organization and logic of a passage. They may ask you

how a passage is constructed—for instance, does it define, compare or contrast, present a new idea, or refute an idea?

how the author persuades readers to accept his or her assertions

the reason behind the author’s use of any particular supporting detail

to identify assumptions that the author is making

to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the author’s arguments

to recognize appropriate counterarguments

These questions measure your ability not only to comprehend a passage but also to evaluate it critically. However, it is important for you to realize that logical structure questions do not rely on any kind of formal logic, nor do they require you to be familiar with specific terms of logic or argumentation. You can answer these questions using only the information in the passage and careful reasoning.

About the style and tone

Style and tone questions ask about the expression of a passage and about the ideas in a passage that may be expressed through its diction—the author’s choice of words. You may be asked to deduce the author’s attitude to an idea, a fact, or a situation from the words that he or she uses to describe it. You may also be asked to select a word that accurately describes the tone of a passage—for instance, “critical,” “questioning,” “objective,” or “enthusiastic.”

To answer this type of question, you will have to consider the language of the passage as a whole. It takes more than one pointed, critical word to make the tone of an entire passage “critical.” Sometimes, style and tone questions ask what audience the passage was probably intended for or what type of publication it probably appeared in. Style and tone questions may apply to one small part of the passage or to the passage as a whole. To answer them, you must ask yourself what meanings are contained in the words of a passage beyond the literal meanings. Did the author use certain words because of their emotional content, or because a particular audience would expect to hear them? Remember, these questions measure your ability to discern meaning expressed by the author through his or her choice of words.

3.2 Test-Taking Strategies

Do not expect to be completely familiar with any of the material presented in reading comprehension passages.

You may find some passages easier to understand than others, but all passages are designed to present a challenge. If you have some familiarity with the material presented in a passage, do not let this knowledge influence your choice of answers to the questions. Answer all questions on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passage itself.

Analyze each passage carefully, because the questions require you to have a specific and detailed understanding of the material.

You may find it easier to do the analysis first before moving to the questions. You may find that you prefer to skim the passage the first time and read more carefully once you understand what a question asks. You may even want to read the question before reading the passage. You should choose the method most suitable for you.

Focus on key words and phrases, and make every effort to avoid losing the sense of what is discussed in the passage.

Keep the following in mind:

Note how each fact relates to an idea or an argument.

Note where the passage moves from one idea to the next.

Separate main ideas from supporting ideas.

Determine what conclusions are reached and why.

Read the questions carefully, making certain that you understand what is asked.

An answer choice that accurately restates information in the passage may be incorrect if it does not answer the question. If you need to, refer back to the passage for clarification.

Read all the choices carefully.

Never assume that you have selected the best answer without first reading all the choices.

Select the choice that answers the question best in terms of the information given in the passage.

Do not rely on outside knowledge of the material to help you answer the questions.

Remember that comprehension—not speed—is the critical success factor when it comes to reading comprehension questions.

3.3 The Directions

These are the directions that you will see for reading comprehension questions when you take the GMAT exam. If you read them carefully and understand them clearly before going to sit for the test, you will not need to spend too much time reviewing them once you are at the test center and the test is under way.

The questions in this group are based on the content of a passage. After reading the passage, choose the best answer to each question. Answer all questions following the passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passage.

3.4 Sample Questions

Each of the reading comprehension questions is based on the content of a passage. After reading the passage, answer all questions pertaining to it on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passage. For each question, select the best answer of the choices given.

Line Human beings, born with a drive to explore and experiment, thrive on learning. Unfortunately, corporations are oriented predominantly toward controlling employees, not fostering their learning.

(5)  Ironically, this orientation creates the very conditions that predestine employees to mediocre performances. Over time, superior performance requires superior learning, because long-term corporate survival depends on continually exploring

(10)  new business and organizational opportunities that can create new sources of growth.

  To survive in the future, corporations must become “learning organizations,” enterprises that are constantly able to adapt and expand their

(15)  capabilities. To accomplish this, corporations must change how they view employees. The traditional view that a single charismatic leader should set the corporation’s direction and make key decisions is rooted in an individualistic worldview. In an

(20)  increasingly interdependent world, such a view is no longer viable. In learning organizations, thinking and acting are integrated at all job levels. Corporate leadership is shared, and leaders become designers, teachers, and stewards, roles requiring

(25)  new skills: the ability to build shared vision, to reveal and challenge prevailing mental models, and to foster broader, more integrated patterns of thinking. In short, leaders in learning organizations are responsible for building organizations in which

(30)  employees are continually learning new skills and expanding their capabilities to shape their future.

Questions 1–4 refer to the passage.

According to the passage, traditional corporate leaders differ from leaders in learning organizations in that the former

encourage employees to concentrate on developing a wide range of skillsenable employees to recognize and confront dominant corporate models and to develop alternative modelsmake important policy decisions alone and then require employees in the corporation to abide by those decisionsinstill confidence in employees because of their willingness to make risky decisions and accept their consequencesare concerned with offering employees frequent advice and career guidance

Which of the following best describes employee behavior encouraged within learning organizations, as such organizations are described in the passage?

Carefully defining one’s job description and taking care to avoid deviations from itDesigning mentoring programs that train new employees to follow procedures that have been used for many yearsConcentrating one’s efforts on mastering one aspect of a complicated taskStudying an organizational problem, preparing a report, and submitting it to a corporate leader for approvalAnalyzing a problem related to productivity, making a decision about a solution, and implementing that solution

According to the author of the passage, corporate leaders of the future should do which of the following?

They should encourage employees to put long-term goals ahead of short-term profits.They should exercise more control over employees in order to constrain production costs.They should redefine incentives for employees’ performance improvement.They should provide employees with opportunities to gain new skills and expand their capabilities.They should promote individual managers who are committed to established company policies.

The primary purpose of the passage is to

endorse a traditional corporate structureintroduce a new approach to corporate leadership and evaluate criticisms of itexplain competing theories about management practices and reconcile themcontrast two typical corporate organizational structurespropose an alternative to a common corporate approach

Line Structural unemployment—the unemployment that remains even at the peak of the economy’s upswings—is caused by an imbalance between the types and locations of available employment on the

(5)  one hand and the qualifications and locations of workers on the other hand. When such an imbalance exists, both labor shortages and unemployment may occur, despite a balance between supply and demand for labor in the economy as a whole.

(10)  Because technological change is likely to displace some workers, it is a major factor in producing structural unemployment. While technological advance almost invariably results in shifts in demands for different types of workers, it does not

(15)  necessarily result in unemployment. Relatively small or gradual changes in demand are likely to cause little unemployment. In the individual firm or even in the labor market as a whole, normal attrition may be sufficient to reduce the size of the work force in

(20)  the affected occupations. Relatively large or rapid changes, however, can cause serious problems. Workers may lose their jobs and find themselves without the skills necessary to obtain new jobs. Whether this displacement leads to structural

(25)  unemployment depends on the amount of public and private sector resources devoted to retraining and placing those workers. Workers can be encouraged to move where there are jobs, to reeducate or retrain themselves, or to retire. In addition, other factors

(30) affecting structural unemployment, such as capital movement, can be controlled.

  Increased structural unemployment, should it occur, makes it difficult for the economy to achieve desired low rates of unemployment along with low rates of inflation.

(35)  If there is a growing pool of workers who lack the necessary skills for the available jobs, increases in total labor demand will rapidly generate shortages of qualified workers. As the wages of those workers are bid up, labor costs, and thus prices, rise. This phenomenon

(40)  may be an important factor in the rising trend, observed for the past two decades, of unemployment combined with inflation. Government policy has placed a priority on reducing inflation, but these efforts have nevertheless caused unemployment to increase.

Questions 5–10 refer to the passage.

All of the following are mentioned as ways of controlling the magnitude of structural unemployment EXCEPT

using public funds to create jobsteaching new skills to displaced workersallowing displaced workers to retirecontrolling the movement of capitalencouraging workers to move to where jobs are available

The passage suggests that a potential outcome of higher structural unemployment is

increased public spending for social servicesplacement of workers in jobs for which they are not qualifiedhigher wages for those workers who have skills that are in demandan increase in the length of time jobs remain unfilleda shift in the government’s economic policy priorities

It can be inferred from the passage that even when there are unemployed workers, labor shortages are still likely to occur if

the inflation rate is unusually highthere is insufficient technological innovationthe level of structural unemployment is exceptionally lowthe jobs available in certain places require skills that the labor force in those areas lacksthe workers in some industries are dissatisfied with the pay offered in those industries

The passage suggests that the phenomenon of combined unemployment and inflation is

a socioeconomic problem that can only be addressed by government interventiona socioeconomic problem that can be characteristic of periods of structural unemploymentan economic problem that results from government intervention in management-labor relationsan economic problem that results from imperfect applications of technologyan economic problem that can be eliminated by relatively small changes in the labor force

The passage is primarily concerned with

clarifying the definition of a conceptproposing a way to eliminate an undesirable conditiondiscussing the sources and consequences of a problemsuggesting ways to alleviate the effects of a particular social policyevaluating the steps that have been taken to correct an imbalance

According to the passage, small downward shifts in the demand for labor will not usually cause unemployment because

such shifts are frequently accompanied by upswings in the economysuch shifts usually occur slowlyworkers can be encouraged to move to where there are jobsnormal attrition is often sufficient to reduce the size of the work forceworkers are usually flexible enough to learn new skills and switch to new jobs

Line The Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which measures the dollar value of finished goods and services produced by an economy during a given period, serves as the chief indicator of the

(5)  economic well-being of the United States. The GDP assumes that the economic significance of goods and services lies solely in their price, and that these goods and services add to the national well-being, not because of any intrinsic value they may

(10)  possess, but simply because they were produced and bought. Additionally, only those goods and services involved in monetary transactions are included in the GDP. Thus, the GDP ignores the economic utility of such things as a clean

(15)  environment and cohesive families and communities. It is therefore not merely coincidental, since national policies in capitalist and noncapitalist countries alike are dependent on indicators such as the GDP, that both the environment and the social

(20)  structure have been eroded in recent decades. Not only does the GDP mask this erosion, it can actually portray it as an economic gain: an oil spill off a coastal region “adds” to the GDP because it generates commercial activity. In short, the nation’s

(25)  central measure of economic well-being works like a calculating machine that adds but cannot subtract.

Questions 11–16 refer to the passage.

The primary purpose of the passage is to