GMAT Reading vs. Everyday Reading: What Makes GMAT Passages Tricky?
Written by Christina Yu.
If you've started studying for the GMAT, you know that reading GMAT passages is very different from reading "normal" things -- novels, newspaper articles, magazines, blogs.
To enhance your GMAT Reading Comprehension skills, the best things you can do for yourself are:
- Understand what exactly makes GMAT passages tricky
- Develop strategies for processing complex information, so that you can attack the questions efficiently
So, what can you expect on the GMAT? How are GMAT passages structured differently from normal prose?
On the GMAT, you shouldn't necessarily expect arguments to be concise or neatly summarized. In fact, the test-makers will often intentionally try to confuse you by providing passages that ramble or contain insignificant details.
Lets take a look at how this works in a GMAT passage. Heres an example (pay close attention to how each bit of information is related to the passage as a whole):
The passage above begins with a main point and some supporting information. Then, there's a digression -- the "support of the support" -- before the passage returns to the main idea.
Keeping this structure in mind, how can we adjust our reading on the GMAT?
Being able to distinguish between the main idea of the passage and the supporting details will help you increase accuracy and save time on Reading Comprehension.
Practice finding the main idea in different types of GMAT passages. That way, on test day, you won't waste time with superfluous details!
To review:
In short, its natural to feel like youre fighting an uphill battle with GMAT reading comprehension passages. The key is to keep your calm and employ the reading strategies described above.
Good luck on the test!