Understand the GMAT Verbal Game to Score High on Test Day

To tame the GMAT Verbal beast, you have to understand its nature. And, at its heart, GMAT Verbal is more than just learning concepts and “tricks of the trade.” Of course, those things are important. However, it’s a mistake to assume that everything will fall into place if you simply memorize Verbal concepts and patterns. Why? Because the Verbal section of the GMAT tests concepts and reasoning, just as the Quant section does.

In other words, GMAT Verbal is a content game and a logic game.

So, just as test-takers shouldn’t expect to earn high Quant scores by simply memorizing math concepts, they shouldn’t expect to earn high Verbal scores by simply memorizing structural markers, trap answer types, and so on.

If anything, GMAT Verbal relies less on conceptual knowledge than Quant does. Case in point: in many cases, you can increase your Quant score by simply learning some new concepts. However, your Verbal score may not increase just because you learned, for instance, how Weaken questions work.

No doubt, developing concept knowledge is an essential aspect of earning a good GMAT Verbal score. However, to master the Verbal section of the GMAT, you must also develop skill in:

• seeing what is going on in questions
• using logic to identify correct answers

Learning the rules of the game is just the first step in your GMAT Verbal preparation. Once you’ve learned the rules, you must train yourself to actually play the game.

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep