Master Each Question Type Separately to Score High on GMAT Verbal

The question of how to prep for GMAT Verbal most effectively is one that constantly comes up among test-takers. For whatever reason, preparing for the Verbal section just does not seem as straightforward as preparing for the Quant section.

The truth is, however, that the same best practices that apply to mastering Quant also apply to mastering Verbal. How can this be? First, for both the GMAT Verbal and Quantitative sections,

you have a considerable amount of content to learn. (And, presumably, you don’t have an infinite amount of time to learn it.) Second, in learning content for either section, you need to ensure that you don’t leave any gaps in your knowledge. After all, there is no way to know exactly which question types you’ll see on test day and in what amounts.

So, to learn the most and learn the fastest, you should take a topic-by-topic approach rather than mix topics together. In other words, the best strategy for Verbal GMAT preparation is to master one Verbal question type at a time. This approach will keep your prep organized and help ensure that you’re truly learning each question type you study.

On the other hand, if for example you try to master Paradox and Inference questions at the same time in your Critical Reasoning study, you’re likely to experience a lack of progress in both question types. Moreover, you’re likely to discover later that you have some serious gaps in your knowledge. Ultimately, that type of studying, which students generally employ to save time, typically makes GMAT prep far less efficient.

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep