Are you looking to test your GMAT Verbal section abilities with some sample questions? Ready to get started on your GMAT Verbal Reasoning practice? Take this diagnostic test and gauge your ability in Reading Comprehension, Sentence Correction, and Critical Reasoning.

This Magoosh GMAT Verbal Diagnostic test is actually one of multiple free GMAT practice tests offered by Magoosh. To test your math skills, go to our Magoosh GMAT Quant Diagnostic. We recommend taking both the Verbal and Quant tests together.

Take Magoosh’s Diagnostic GMAT Exam

You should give yourself 25 minutes to answer the sample questions on this GMAT Verbal Diagnostic test. This will ensure that the pacing on your GMAT quiz will be similar to the pacing of the real GMAT exam you’ll see on test day. The sample questions themselves will come in the three question formats found on GMAT Verbal: Sentence Correction, Critical Reasoning, and and Reading Comprehension. Scroll down or click here to read more about the GMAT Verbal question formats. You’ll be viewing your diagnostic GMAT scores and study plan recommendations in no time! (Our study plans themselves can be viewed at the Magoosh GMAT Study Plan page.)

Or if you’re already familiar with these concepts, get started with your GMAT Verbal diagnostic now!

This quiz has 10 questions…. Take a deep breath and do your best.

 

 

Question 1 of 10

QUESTION 1


The questions in this group are based on the content of this 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.

Originally, scientists predicted small asteroids to be hard and rocky, as any loose surface material (called regolith) generated by impacts was expected to escape their weak gravity. Aggregate small bodies were not thought to exist, because the slightest sustained relative motion would cause them to separate. But observations and computer modeling are proving otherwise. Most asteroids larger than a kilometer are now believed to be composites of smaller pieces. Those imaged at high-resolution show evidence for copious regolith despite the weak gravity. Most of them have one or more extraordinarily large craters, some of which are wider than the mean radius of the whole body. Such colossal impacts would not just gouge out a crater—they would break any monolithic body into pieces. In short, asteroids larger than a kilometer across may look like nuggets of hard rock but are more likely to be aggregate assemblages—or even piles of loose rubble so pervasively fragmented that no solid bedrock is left.

The rubble hypothesis, proposed decades ago by scientists, lacked evidence, until the planetologist Schumaker realized that the huge craters on the asteroid Mathilde and its very low density could only make sense together: a porous body such as a rubble pile can withstand a battering much better than an integral object. It will absorb and dissipate a large fraction of the energy of an impact; the far side might hardly feel a thing. At first, the rubble hypothesis may appear conceptually troublesome. The material strength of an asteroid is nearly zero, and the gravity is so low one is tempted to neglect that too. The truth is neither strength nor gravity can be ignored. Paltry though it may be, gravity binds a rubble pile together. And anybody who builds sandcastles knows that even loose debris can cohere. Oft-ignored details of motion begin to matter: sliding friction, chemical bonding, damping of kinetic energy, etc. We are just beginning to fathom the subtle interplay of these minuscule forces.

The size of an asteroid should determine which force dominates. One indication is the observed pattern of asteroidal rotation rates. Some collisions cause an asteroid to spin faster; others slow it down. If asteroids are monolithic rocks undergoing random collisions, a graph of their rotation rates should show a bell-shaped distribution with a statistical “tail” of very fast rotators. If nearly all asteroids are rubble piles, however, this tail would be missing, because any rubble pile spinning faster than once every two or three hours fly apart. Recently, several astronomers discovered that all but five observed asteroids obey a strict rotation limit. The exceptions are all smaller than about 150 meters in diameter, with an abrupt cutoff for asteroids larger than 200 meters. The evident conclusion—that asteroids larger than 200 meters across are rubble piles—agrees with recent computer modeling of collisions. A collision can blast a large asteroid to bits, but those bits will usually be moving slower than their mutual escape velocity (the lowest velocity that a body must have in order to escape the orbit of a planet). Over several hours, gravity will reassemble all but the fastest pieces into a rubble.

How would the author of the passage most likely respond to the assertion of another scientist claiming that a crater greater than the radius of an asteroid is a result of an impact?

A.Asteroids actually contain a significant amount of regolith despite the force of weak gravity.

B.Because of a great degree of fragmentation such an asteroid would have to have a solid bedrock.

C.Such a crater would most probably result from a series of small impacts over a period of time.

D.Most asteroids are held together by a series of forces that are often unstable.

E.This claim would constitute evidence that the asteroid is not monolithic.

Question 1 of 10

Question 2 of 10

QUESTION 2

The questions in this group are based on the content of this 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.

Originally, scientists predicted small asteroids to be hard and rocky, as any loose surface material (called regolith) generated by impacts was expected to escape their weak gravity. Aggregate small bodies were not thought to exist, because the slightest sustained relative motion would cause them to separate. But observations and computer modeling are proving otherwise. Most asteroids larger than a kilometer are now believed to be composites of smaller pieces. Those imaged at high-resolution show evidence for copious regolith despite the weak gravity. Most of them have one or more extraordinarily large craters, some of which are wider than the mean radius of the whole body. Such colossal impacts would not just gouge out a crater—they would break any monolithic body into pieces. In short, asteroids larger than a kilometer across may look like nuggets of hard rock but are more likely to be aggregate assemblages—or even piles of loose rubble so pervasively fragmented that no solid bedrock is left.

The rubble hypothesis, proposed decades ago by scientists, lacked evidence, until the planetologist Schumaker realized that the huge craters on the asteroid Mathilde and its very low density could only make sense together: a porous body such as a rubble pile can withstand a battering much better than an integral object. It will absorb and dissipate a large fraction of the energy of an impact; the far side might hardly feel a thing. At first, the rubble hypothesis may appear conceptually troublesome. The material strength of an asteroid is nearly zero, and the gravity is so low one is tempted to neglect that too. The truth is neither strength nor gravity can be ignored. Paltry though it may be, gravity binds a rubble pile together. And anybody who builds sandcastles knows that even loose debris can cohere. Oft-ignored details of motion begin to matter: sliding friction, chemical bonding, damping of kinetic energy, etc. We are just beginning to fathom the subtle interplay of these minuscule forces.

The size of an asteroid should determine which force dominates. One indication is the observed pattern of asteroidal rotation rates. Some collisions cause an asteroid to spin faster; others slow it down. If asteroids are monolithic rocks undergoing random collisions, a graph of their rotation rates should show a bell-shaped distribution with a statistical “tail” of very fast rotators. If nearly all asteroids are rubble piles, however, this tail would be missing, because any rubble pile spinning faster than once every two or three hours fly apart. Recently, several astronomers discovered that all but five observed asteroids obey a strict rotation limit. The exceptions are all smaller than about 150 meters in diameter, with an abrupt cutoff for asteroids larger than 200 meters. The evident conclusion—that asteroids larger than 200 meters across are rubble piles—agrees with recent computer modeling of collisions. A collision can blast a large asteroid to bits, but those bits will usually be moving slower than their mutual escape velocity (the lowest velocity that a body must have in order to escape the orbit of a planet). Over several hours, gravity will reassemble all but the fastest pieces into a rubble.

The primary purpose of the passage is to

A.refute an unconventional theory regarding asteroid collisions.

B.express doubt regarding the validity of evidence offered up by several notable astronomers.

C.explain how earlier evidence used to describe an aspect of asteroids was misleading.

D.explore common features of an asteroid in order to provide support for a theory.

E.discuss how one explanation of an astronomical phenomenon is most likely correct.

Question 2 of 10

Question 3 of 10

QUESTION 3

The questions in this group are based on the content of this 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.

Originally, scientists predicted small asteroids to be hard and rocky, as any loose surface material (called regolith) generated by impacts was expected to escape their weak gravity. Aggregate small bodies were not thought to exist, because the slightest sustained relative motion would cause them to separate. But observations and computer modeling are proving otherwise. Most asteroids larger than a kilometer are now believed to be composites of smaller pieces. Those imaged at high-resolution show evidence for copious regolith despite the weak gravity. Most of them have one or more extraordinarily large craters, some of which are wider than the mean radius of the whole body. Such colossal impacts would not just gouge out a crater—they would break any monolithic body into pieces. In short, asteroids larger than a kilometer across may look like nuggets of hard rock but are more likely to be aggregate assemblages—or even piles of loose rubble so pervasively fragmented that no solid bedrock is left.

The rubble hypothesis, proposed decades ago by scientists, lacked evidence, until the planetologist Schumaker realized that the huge craters on the asteroid Mathilde and its very low density could only make sense together: a porous body such as a rubble pile can withstand a battering much better than an integral object. It will absorb and dissipate a large fraction of the energy of an impact; the far side might hardly feel a thing. At first, the rubble hypothesis may appear conceptually troublesome. The material strength of an asteroid is nearly zero, and the gravity is so low one is tempted to neglect that too. The truth is neither strength nor gravity can be ignored. Paltry though it may be, gravity binds a rubble pile together. And anybody who builds sandcastles knows that even loose debris can cohere. Oft-ignored details of motion begin to matter: sliding friction, chemical bonding, damping of kinetic energy, etc. We are just beginning to fathom the subtle interplay of these minuscule forces.

The size of an asteroid should determine which force dominates. One indication is the observed pattern of asteroidal rotation rates. Some collisions cause an asteroid to spin faster; others slow it down. If asteroids are monolithic rocks undergoing random collisions, a graph of their rotation rates should show a bell-shaped distribution with a statistical “tail” of very fast rotators. If nearly all asteroids are rubble piles, however, this tail would be missing, because any rubble pile spinning faster than once every two or three hours fly apart. Recently, several astronomers discovered that all but five observed asteroids obey a strict rotation limit. The exceptions are all smaller than about 150 meters in diameter, with an abrupt cutoff for asteroids larger than 200 meters. The evident conclusion—that asteroids larger than 200 meters across are rubble piles—agrees with recent computer modeling of collisions. A collision can blast a large asteroid to bits, but those bits will usually be moving slower than their mutual escape velocity (the lowest velocity that a body must have in order to escape the orbit of a planet). Over several hours, gravity will reassemble all but the fastest pieces into a rubble.

The reason that graphs of asteroid rotation rates lack the expected statistical tail associated with high rotational rates is that

A.the greater the speed in which an asteroid spins the more likely it is to cohere.

B.the weak forces in asteroids displaying such a high rotational rate would not be able to prevent the asteroid from falling apart.

C.asteroids are not being subjected to a uniform distribution of random collisions.

D.most monolithic asteroids, upon colliding with other asteroids, are able to sustain such a high rate of rotation

E.for the most part, the asteroids surveyed were less than 150 meters in diameter and thus far less likely to be rubble-piles, which are better able to sustain the impact from collisions.

Question 3 of 10

Question 4 of 10

QUESTION 4

Critical Reasoning: Select the best of the answer choices given.  Over the past ten years, the population of Dismaston has grown five times as large as it was. During this time, the average income in the city has risen substantially, and a tremendous amount of capital has flowed into city. An independent audit found that, somewhat surprisingly, the number of violent felonies reported per year is now lower than it was ten years ago.

Each of the following statements below, if true, would explain the somewhat surprising finding EXCEPT:

A.White collar crimes, which are almost always non-violent, tend to replace street-crimes during times of prosperity.

B.The police now have a computerized filing system, so that it is almost impossible for a violent crime to be unrecorded.

C.During this time, the state considerably lengthened felony convicts' waiting period for parole.

D.The police force has expanded in number and is equipped with the latest crime detection technology.

E.The city is now much better lit at night, and security cameras protect a large number of public venues.

Question 4 of 10

Question 5 of 10

QUESTION 5

Sentence Correction: Choose the option that best completes the underlined part of the sentence.  Whereas both Europe and China use standard railroad gauge (1435 mm), Russia deliberately chose the wider "Russian gauge" (1520 mm) that gives greater side-to-side stability in railways cars and, more importantly, acts as a national defense, so that it would block a foreign army's supply line and preventing these bordering powers from invading by train.

A.acts as a national defense, so that it would block

B.acts like a national defense, so as to block

C.acts as a national defense, blocking

D.acting as a national defense, blocking

E.acting like a national defense, would block

Question 5 of 10

Question 6 of 10

QUESTION 6

Critical Reasoning: Select the best of the answer choices given.  A luxury apartment condo recently opened up along the Biltmore’s waterfront. Within the first two months, 80% of the standard units in the first ten of the condo’s twelve stories were sold. Nonetheless, only two of the eight penthouses, all of which are located in the top two stories of the building, have sold. In order to sell the remaining six penthouses, the corporation that owns the property, should drop the rate of the penthouses by 20%.

Which of the following, if true, would argue against the proposal above?

A.Typically, the very first unit to sell in a luxury condo is a standard unit.

B.Biltmore has recently suffered a recession and economists do not predict an imminent recovery.

C.Four of the six penthouses yet to be sold face the north side of the city, away from the waterfront.

D.There have been so many buyers ready to purchase the penthouses that apartment management has been carefully selecting those applicants with the best credit histories.

E.After the proposed discount each penthouse will only be 15% more costly than a standard unit.

Question 6 of 10

Question 7 of 10

QUESTION 7

Sentence Correction: Choose the option that best completes the underlined part of the sentence.  Inaugurating the Romantic movement with its publication in 1798, the authors of the Lyrical Ballads were Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth, who would later be named Britain's Poet Laureate.

A.Inaugurating the Romantic movement with its publication in 1798, the authors of the Lyrical Ballads were Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth, who would later be named Britain's Poet Laureate

B.Inaugurating the Romantic movement with its publication in 1798, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth, who would later be named Britain's Poet Laureate, wrote the Lyrical Ballads

C.Inaugurating the Romantic movement with its publication in 1798, the Lyrical Ballads was written by William Wordsworth, who would later be named Britain's Poet Laureate, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

D.The Lyrical Ballads, written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth, who would later be named Britain's Poet Laureate, and inaugurating the Romantic movement with its publication in 1798

E.The authors being Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth, who would later be named Britain's Poet Laureate, the Lyrical Ballads inaugurated the Romantic movement with its publication in 1798

Question 7 of 10

Question 8 of 10

QUESTION 8

Critical Reasoning: Select the best of the answer choices given.  Egidio's Gym has been in operation for seven years, and offers regular weekly weight training and aerobic classes, as well as occasional programs in dance and martial arts. The gym has seen a surge of new members in the past twelve months, despite keeping the same membership fee over the past three years. Of the 450 current members, more than 250 have joined in the past year. Clearly, the membership of Egidio's Gym has risen a significant amount because of its superior facilities.

Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?

A.The vast majority of the 450 current members appreciate the many qualities and services of Egidio's Gym.

B.None of the other gyms in this town saw any increase in membership during the past year.

C.Dance and martial arts have become particularly popular among the general public over the past year.

D.Many of the new members joined because of personal recommendations of those who were already members.

E.Fewer than 250 members ended their membership at Egidio's Gym over the last year.

Question 8 of 10

Question 9 of 10

QUESTION 9

Sentence Correction: Choose the option that best completes the underlined part of the sentence.  Of all the things that Washington could have done in conducting the American Revolution, nevertheless the war against the British would not have succeeded without French intervention.

A.Of all the things that Washington could have done in conducting the American Revolution, nevertheless the war

B.Washington might have conducted the American Revolution in a number of ways, but the war

C.Besides what Washington did in conducting the American Revolution, the war

D.However Washington might have conducted the American Revolution, the war

E.Washington did what he could in conducting the American Revolution, however, the war

Question 9 of 10

Question 10 of 10

QUESTION 10

Critical Reasoning: Select the best of the answer choices given.  At Funston Stores, a salesperson's salary is comprised solely of commissions from sales. A particular salesperson's annual salary was lower in 2009 than in 2008. In both years, all of this salesperson's sales were of only one item, product X, and he made the same number of product X sales in both years. The commission percentage for all Funston salespeople has remained unchanged over the past ten years.

The information above most strongly supports which of the following?

A.Through all of Funston Stores, the overall number of sales of product X declined from 2008 to 2009

B.This salesperson would have earned a higher salary if her sales were in more than one product.

C.The commission percentage that Funston store salespeople earn is lower compared to the percentage of salespeople at similar stores.

D.The price of product X dropped from 2008 to 2009.

E.The overall profits of Funston stores were lower in 2009 than it was in 2008.

Question 10 of 10

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GMAT Verbal Question Formats: Sentence Correction, Critical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension

Now, let’s look at each of the three types of GMAT Verbal questions found on the GMAT exam. Understanding each question type is crucial to good GMAT scores in Verbal. You’ll certainly want to include all three types of GMAT Verbal Reasoning practice in your study plan.

Sentence Correction: Grammar, Idioms, and Writing Style, Oh My!

GMAT Sentence Correction is a key feature of Verbal Reasoning on the GMAT test. It’s also a key feature of Magoosh’s Verbal diagnostic test and an important part of your GMAT Verbal Reasoning practice.

On the GMAT exam, Sentence Correction requires test-takers to look at sentences and select the answer choice that best corrects the given sentence (hence the name). Sometimes the sentence presented in the “question stem” (the part before the answer choices) is already OK as-is. In that case, you can select answer A; answer A will always be the unchanged sentence.

The portion of the sentence that may need correction will be underlined in the original sentence. The answer choices contain text that could replace the underlined part of the sentence. In some cases, the entire sentence is underlined. But more often than not, you’re just correcting a portion of the sentence.

The basic structure of this GMAT exam question type is relatively simple. Still, on the GMAT test, Sentence Correction deals with an astounding variety of mistakes in grammar, idiom use, rhetorical structure, and writing style. Understanding the different Sentence Correction question types will help you get the best possible GMAT scores. If you’d like to browse GMAT exam Sentence Correction questions by category, check out Magoosh’s free library of Sentence Correction GMAT practice questions.

Critical Reasoning: What’s Logic Got to do With It?

Another way to boost your GMAT scores in Verbal is to master Critical Reasoning. On the GMAT test, every Critical Reasoning question has a very short one-paragraph passage, followed by a single multiple choice question about the passage. Each Critical Reasoning passage presents a logical argument or a logic-based sequence of ideas or events. The question will ask GMAT exam test-takers do do things such as examine the assumption or claim that’s being made, or identify a logical conclusion to a passage.

To explore Critical Reasoning in greater depth, see Magoosh’s guide to GMAT Critical Reasoning. This GMAT exam guide includes a list of the question types with examples, a set of Critical Reasoning practice questions, and many tips and tricks for Critical Reasoning. It’s a great companion study guide to Magoosh’s free GMAT practice tests, and it can also help prepare you for other full-length free GMAT practice tests, such as these ones from the Graduate Management Admissions Council.

Ultimately, Critical Reasoning questions are complex and nuanced exercises in logical thought. The answer explanations for the Critical Reasoning portion of Magoosh’s Diagnostic GMAT exam can provide extra insight into Critical Reasoning. So check those explanations out– they’re included in the score report you’ll see that the end of the Verbal GMAT quiz.

Reading Comprehension: Variety is the Spice of the Test

For many students, Reading Comprehension will be the most familiar part of the Verbal GMAT test. This is because GMAT Reading Comprehension questions on the GMAT exam are similar to passages and questions on other standardized tests. With that in mind, GMAT exam Reading Comprehension is also the most varied and unpredictable question format on the exam. The passages can as short as one paragraph, or as long as 4 or 5 paragraphs. The number of questions that follow a passage also varies– you can see 1-5 questions per passage.

And the topics of the Reading Comprehension passages on the GMAT exam vary a good deal too! To be sure, you’ll see a significant number of business-related topics. But just about any topic is fair game: history, science, humanities, art, etc…. Students with the best GMAT scores take time to do some good GMAT reading practice. This ensures that they are comfortable with any topic that might come up in a passage.

The question types vary a bit as well. In GMAT Reading Comprehension, you may be asked to identify a passage’s details or structure. You will also be asked to make inferences, identify author attitudes, and so on. In addition to our free GMAT practice tests, Magoosh offers a wide range of tutorials and example questions for Reading Comprehension on the GMAT test. I particularly recommend the following:

• Guide to the GMAT Exam Verbal Reading Comprehension Question Types
• Multiple Choice Strategies for GMAT Exam Reading Comprehension
• Active Reading Strategies for the GMAT Test
• Sample GMAT Test Reading Comprehension Passage and Question Set

These tutorials can really enhance your GMAT test scores in Verbal, so definitely check them out! And be sure to check out our the answer explanations for the RC questions on the GMAT Verbal diagnostic test. You’ll see those explanations as part of your score result, once you finish Magoosh’s Verbal GMAT quiz.

And with that in mind… take the quiz!

Diagnostic GMAT Test Results: Answer Explanations, GMAT Scores, and Study Recommendations

Once you’ve taken these free GMAT practice tests (Verbal and Quant), you will be given your test results, both onscreen and via email. (The email version is optional.)

The GMAT scores you get with this Verbal Reasoning diagnostic will come with an answer key and links to answer explanation pages for the questions. Pay close attention to the answer explanations. The answer explanations don’t just tell you why the right answer is correct. They also explain how you can get to the correct answer as efficiently as possible, while avoiding the wrong answers. In short, the answer explanations from your Diagnostic GMAT exam results are like mini-lessons on strategy. They’re full of concepts that are applicable to other similar questions.

You’ll also get GMAT scores with your score report for this diagnostic test, appropriately enough. These scores will come with study recommendations, based on which of the four score groups you fall under. Your Diagnostic GMAT quiz will tell you which GMAT exam score group you belong to, and will give you a link to the GMAT practice recommendations for each score group, as seen on Magoosh’s main GMAT test diagnostic page.