10 Tips to ace GMAT Reading Comprehension 

Are you also struggling with the GMAT’s reading comprehension section? Regardless of your beginning proficiency in this section, it can impact your GMAT score if not prepared correctly. But, worry not! We have got your back. Here are some of the proven strategies to ace the GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) section. Let’s get started.

Below are the top 10 tricks to ace GMAT reading comprehension section:

Read and comprehend

It really is that simple. To ace GMAT Reading Comprehension, simply read and absorb. You can assert, “I can read without a doubt, but I’m still not very good at reading comprehension.” 

Now, reading in Reading comprehension involves more than just looking at the white backdrop and black text. The way we read a magazine, a book, or a newspaper is NOT how we should read an RC scripture. We must read the text “Actively” while doing so. 

An engaged reader reads completely to remember and replicate information when prompted. Such a reader pays close attention to words, also known as keywords, that give the material in the text a clear direction. Actively reading while paying attention to this direction helps us understand the information in the paragraph and enables us to draw reliable conclusions.

Connect Sentences

This core competency closely relates to the following statement in the GMAT Guide What is Measured section: Recognize the aims and functions of passage elements as well as the logical and rhetorical connections between ideas and informational elements.

Since each RC chapter has a coherent underlying theme, understanding how sentences and paragraphs relate to one another is essential for effective comprehension. This ability is essential to answering questions about inference and detail accurately since they both expressly and indirectly relate to the material in the text. 

As stated by the GMAT Official Guide in the section titled What Is Measured: Anyone who fully comprehends a text should be able, with a little reflection, to determine what further information can be inferred from it. Correct inferences depend on an accurate understanding of the correlation between sentences. 

Summarize Passages

To restore and preserve the key subject, it is equally important to sum up each paragraph of the piece and then compress them into a line or two of text. The passage summary serves two purposes: First, it keeps us from forgetting what is being discussed in the paragraph, second, it helps in providing a suitable response to the Main Point query.

When discussing the Main Point Question type in section 5 of a linked article, we mentioned that this question seeks to pinpoint the passage’s main idea, which is nothing more than our passage description.

We sum up a section as disputing a statement if it begins with a statement and develops arguments against it across several paragraphs. Answering the Main Point Question is straightforward once we reach this condensed summary. 

Prioritize keywords

No amount of emphasis on the use of this instrument can overstate how crucial it is for understanding the Reading comprehension passage. However, justly so, etc., among other things, let us put ourselves in the author’s position and improve our comprehension of the paragraph.

In order to comprehend the connections between distinct bits of information, keywords are essential. Understanding this data enables us to make logical conclusions and appropriately respond to the Inference questions. 

To sum up, using this reading technique is crucial if you want to ace GMAT Reading Comprehension.

Take a pause while reading

Instead of reading the full paragraph at once, we frequently have to pause when reading. The former will merely result in information overload, rendering our brains incapable of processing any of the passage’s content. However, when we read carefully and pause to make predictions, we actively connect with the material and continue to be actively involved with it, getting the most out of it. 

Eliminate complex words

The reader saves time by not having to read lengthy, technical phrases every time they appear in the chapter by creating concise versions of them. Consider the part that discusses social constructivism and technological determinism. These words are difficult to pronounce. Life will be a lot simpler if we refer to them as TD and SC, respectively.

Don’t stop at the term whose meaning you don’t comprehend, either. Continue reading because soon the context of the paragraph will clarify what that term means. 

Questions Understanding

As was already indicated, one must read and understand questions carefully. Understanding the question’s requirement will help us choose the response option that best satisfies it. In particular, if the answer options are particularly cunning or deceptive, we increase our odds of choosing the wrong response if we don’t care to comprehend the questions. 

Create an internal summary

GMAT reading comprehension passages frequently have a consistent format: the primary idea or point is presented at the outset, followed by an explanation in the next paragraph, and finally a conclusion. 

You should strive to identify the primary idea as soon as you can, even for those that vary significantly from this plan. Then, read each paragraph with an eye toward how it contributes to or connects to the thesis.

Consider pausing after each paragraph to summarize its “important concept” and include it into your mental summary of what you just read. If there aren’t any distinct paragraphs in the piece, pause after every few phrases or just before a transitional phrase.

What and why should be the two components of your mental summary.

• What: What exactly is said?
• Why: Is the author simply presenting facts or is she attempting to persuade us of something? Why are they arranged in that order and what purpose does each paragraph serve?

One excellent technique is to make your summary as simple as if you were explaining the passage to a little child. This will assist you in simplifying difficult sections into their most simple, understandable meaning. 

Beware of contradictory viewpoints

Sometimes a section will provide several points of view, such as the author’s position and one they disagree with, as well as many opposing points of view that the author is attempting to reconcile. Be aware that there will almost probably be one or two questions that test your capacity to recognize, contrast, or apply the many opinions offered. You should thus include these points of view in your mental summary since, if they are present, they are there for a reason.

Ensure You Respond to the Question Asked

Although it may seem obvious, the GMAT Reading comprehension enjoys providing you with response choices that, based on the facts in the text, are factually accurate but fail to address the topic at hand. For instance, if the question asks you to identify a “assumption” supporting a certain assertion, the solution won’t be something that is expressly stated in the section. Similarly, a “primary concept” is not likely to be a piece of supporting evidence if you are asked to name one.

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