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Before the GMAT Verbal Test: Read<\/h2>\n
Do not think of GMAT prep as an isolated activity, done solely over the familiar spread of books. To truly prepare yourself for the GMAT Verbal Section, you should immerse yourself in words \u2014 books (fiction and non-fiction), magazines (long and short form), and newspapers (the ones with national circulation).<\/p>\n
If this sounds superfluous, remember that developing an ear for proper English comes far more naturally than imbibing a list of idioms. Of course, not all English is equal. Be sure to avoid colloquial writing\u00a0as much as possible, and, instead, choose sources venerated for their elevated style: The New York Times<\/em>\u00a0rather than\u00a0USA Today<\/em>, The New Yorker<\/em>\u00a0instead of The National Enquirer.<\/em><\/p>\n It’s important to read what interests you. This is especially true when reading books.\u00a0To slog through a book, even a revered classic, is going to make you disdain the reading\u00a0process. On the other hand, a page-turner doesn\u2019t have to be a John Grisham or an even pulpier tome. Have a look at the Modern Library’s 100 Top Books. There is something for every taste here (and with Amazon you can click \u201cLook Inside\u201d to see whether\u00a0the books suits you).<\/p>\n And for those who live near bookstores \u2014 assuming they have not all gone the way of Tower Records \u2014 scan the book displays. As long as the topic is relatively sophisticated, the book is sure to have correct, idiomatic (read: GMAT-worthy) language.<\/p>\n Plan on reading a total of 50 pages a day from a variety of these sources. Doing so will fine tune your brain and make Reading Comprehension far less formidable. The sooner you start doing\u00a0this, the more time you give yourself to grow your \u201creading brain.\u201d<\/p>\n Now that we\u2019ve covered the reading brain, I want to focus on other aspects of the GMAT Verbal Section that are holistic but often glossed over in strategy guides.<\/p>\n Yet, it is still connected to the idea of being a stronger reader, one adept at navigating the treacherous verbiage of the GMAT. Your ability to process words will increase as will your ability to make sense of what you read.<\/p>\n This latter skill is crucial for Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension. When you read a question, you will want to be able to anticipate the answer. That is, you want to verbalize a rough answer. That way, you control the question, rather than\u00a0letting the answer choices control (and corrupt) you.<\/p>\n Of course, this anticipation of the correct answer also carries over to Sentence Correction. By developing your ear for proper English, you should be able to identify what is wrong with the underlined section.<\/p>\n While reading outside is important, ultimately your score will depend on the GMAT sources you use. Make sure you learn the fundamentals of the verbal section. Manhattan GMAT and Magoosh do a very good job of breaking down the test so you can understand the principles behind the question, instead of relying on clever guessing strategies.<\/p>\n Okay, I promised to talk about holistic tips to GMAT Verbal success.\u00a0Here’s the first.<\/p>\n When you begin your studies, focus on a single concept at a time. That way, you’ll be\u00a0able to make definite progress in one area. If\u00a0you jump around from prepositional phrases (Sentence Correction) to paradox question types (Critical Reasoning), you risk making only superficial progress.<\/p>\n So: do not try to do too much at once. Pick a certain area in Critical Reasoning and stick to it for a few days. For instance, practice inference questions to the point at which\u00a0you are comfortable with anything up to\u00a0the 650-level. You can carry this approach over to Sentence Correction and focus on\u00a0just one area, such as\u00a0Parallelism. Once you have strong grasp of it, move on to another concept \u2014 but review every few days.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve made clear progress in one area, it makes sense to do daily practice sets in which you mix up verbal question types. After all, this is exactly what you\u2019ll face come test day.<\/p>\n Speaking of review, it can be tempting to simply\u00a0push forward, constantly doing new questions and tackling new concepts. While seemingly noble, this approach is actually scattered, and does not allow concepts to really sink in. Make sure you review what you\u2019ve learned. Don\u2019t think of a given question as one you’re done with. To truly be able to move on from a question, you should be able to effortlessly articulate why the wrong answers are wrong and right answer is right.<\/p>\n By combining reading with smart GMAT prep, you can boost your verbal score quickly, whether you\u2019ve been speaking English since the age of two or consider English your\u00a0third language.<\/p>\n Would you like some more GMAT Verbal Tips? Check out these posts from the Magoosh GMAT Blog:<\/p>\nThink in Your Own Words, Not in GMAT Verbal Vocabulary<\/h2>\n
Focus on One Area of the GMAT Verbal Section<\/h2>\n
Review What You Read<\/h2>\n
\nStruggling to finish the verbal section within the time limit? Learn about GMAT timing strategy in our Ultimate Pacing Guide<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\nTakeaway<\/h2>\n