Verbal Strategy

[cccmom]

My struggle is timing on the Verbal. I feel like I am in a catch 22. When I get to the higher level questions, I can do them, but they take me longer for my brain to process. What is the best way to balance speed with accuracy? Especially on the RC, I struggle with knowing the right guidelines for how long to read the passage. Is 3-4 minutes the rule, no matter how long the passage is?

My next question is about overall flow of the verbal and pacing. Should I just focus on accuracy with each question and take more time or push through to get them done? I seem to struggle and miss more on the science RC passages and someone suggested that I completely guess on that section to help the timing and give me time on the rest of the test. I don't think this is wise as while I usually miss more, I don't miss all of them.

Also, how can I specifically improve my comprehension on these science types of passages (I especially struggle with inference b/c I seem to have a harder time connecting the scientific relationships than on the other questions)? Anyhow, I am really practicing now....so any advice about overall pacing and timing indicators on the verbal would be very helpful. On the math, I have an outline of what number I should be on at a certain time. I had this for the verbal, too, but the RC throws this off, b/c it takes so long to read. I need a way to judge my timing throughout the entire verbal portion of the test, so I can adapt this strategy on test day, no matter what questions that come my way.
Much thanks for your time,
CCCMom

[Osirus@VeritasPrep]

I took a course with Veritas and what really helped me was their guidelines for RC. For a shorter passage you should try to read it in 1.5 minutes. For a longer passage, you should attempt to read it in 3 minutes. So roughly 1.5-3 minutes per passage. Try to read every day for 30 minutes if you are having difficulties reading the passages in that time frame.

In terms of overall pacing, I would recommend trying to finish all SC questions in a minute or less. If you figure that there are 14 SC questions, you would only spend 14 minutes on SC. That will leave you with 61 minutes for RC and CR. that's over two minutes for each of these question types. I think if you can accomplish this, you won't have timing issues with verbal. Good luck.

[Stacey Koprince]

Received a PM asking me to reply.

What you're describing is true for everyone - we all struggle with timing! Just know that you're not alone.

Should I just focus on accuracy with each question and take more time or push through to get them done?

No. Timing is as important as accuracy because there are HUGE penalties for running out of time at the end of the test. Also, accuracy isn't anywhere near as important as it is on a regular paper test. Do you know how many questions you're going to get right? If you don't, think about it and take a guess before you keep reading.

On the GMAT, the vast majority of testers answer approximately 60% of the questions correctly; only at the very highest and lowest ends does this change much. (And, even then, a 99th percentile scorer is not getting every single question right.) That number up there is not a typo - you only need to get about 60% of the questions right. You can (and will) get about 40% of the questions wrong!

The test will ALWAYS give you stuff you can't do, no matter how good you get. You will ALWAYS feel like you are pressed for time. This is a GOOD feeling, because it means that you are performing up to your potential, as the test keeps giving you things that are too hard for you. So, part of this is just a mindset switch: you actually want to feel like you keep getting stuff that's just a bit too hard. (And then you can get a lot of those wrong - they can be part of the 40%!)

You don't mention what materials you're using to study. I think it would be a good idea for you to gain a better understanding of how the scoring works on the test. If you haven't already, sign up for a free ManhattanGMAT practice test. That will give you access to our free e-book, The GMAT Uncovered. There's a section in there that deals with the scoring and what implications that has for taking the test; go get the e-book and read that section.

For RC, what materials are you using to learn how to get better at RC?

Here's the timing for verbal in general:

The below assumes that one new passage starts within each quarter of the test (Q1-10, Q11-20, Q21-30, Q31-41).
Q10: 56 min left
Q20: 37 min left
Q30: 19 min left

You may have to adjust the above if the passages don't start in the way described above. For instance, if by the time you get to Q10, you've actually had 2 passages start, not just one, then you should expect to have fewer minutes left - maybe 53 instead of 56. If, on the other hand, you get to Q10 and you've had no passages start, then you should expect to have more - maybe 59 left. Every time a new passage starts, I keep track with a tick mark on the first page of my scrap paper. If you're worried about losing that or having to flip back to find the tick marks, then keep track on your hand - maybe with dots, so that you don't have as much skin to scrub later.

For RC, the timing is: RC - about 2.5m (short) to 3.5m (long) to read; about 1 min for general purpose questions; about 1.5 for everything else

Take a look at this old post of mine about RC in general: https://www.beatthegmat.com/verbal-strategy-t14035.html

For the science stuff, do two things:
1) Go back and look at some OG science passages you've already done. Remind yourself that you'd only get 3 or 4 questions, not all of the ones on the page. Then show yourself how little you really do have to figure out about all of the super-annoying detail in order to answer most of the questions. Most of the time, they like to scare us with really hard detail in one of the paragraphs, but then there's only 1 question on it, if any.

2) Try doing a little science reading every day to become more comfortable with the language and topics. A good source is scientificamerican.com

And, of course, come back here and ask questions! Read through passages and questions that have been posted by others, including the discussion that follows. Post your own and start some new discussions. That's why we're all here!

[beatthegmat]

Awesome discussion! Moving this post to the 'GMAT Verbal' forum.

[cccmom]

Thanks so much for the feedback. It seems like I am on the right track with studying sentence correction, b/c the better I get on it, the more time I'll have for the other fun verbal challenges!
At this point, I am using the official guide and the verbal/quantitative book. I have previously practiced with LSAT official materials as well. I have taken a PowerScore course and have a Kaplan book. At this time of my study plan, I am only working official problems. My test is about 2 weeks away.
I do have access to MHGMAT tests. I think I have 2 left to take. I plan on taking 1 tomorrow and 1 the following week.
There are only 4 sections of RC on the test, correct? I read where someone got 5 on their test?
Finally, any tips on keeping your focus in the middle of feeling really pressured (besides the obvious....breathe!)?
Thanks!
CCCMom

[Stacey Koprince]

Most people will get four RC passages, yes. Sometimes people will get 3. I've heard one or two people report 5, but I honestly think that may have been mistaken counting. (I have seen examples of this on our tests many times, where students will tell me they got a certain number of something, and then we'll go look and they didn't actually have that many.) For RC, in particular, I think it would mess up the test's timing too much to present 5 RC passages; it would be a significant disadvantage to that student compared to other students, and that would mess up the validity of the test too much, I think. (But I don't know for sure - I'm just speculating.)

Here are links to a couple of articles about stress management. I personally make sure to do certain physical things (eat good energy food on the breaks, stretch on the breaks and even, to some extent, in my testing cubicle, etc.). If I find myself distracted (ie, thinking about anything other than the problem on the screen at the time), I tell myself, "You can think about that just as soon as you finish this problem - but you've got to finish this one first." That works better for me than telling myself NOT to think about something (which doesn't work at all!). And then, if I'm still distracted after I finish that problem, I just tell myself the same thing - I can think about X after I finish the problem up on the screen right now. After two or three times doing that, I usually forget about whatever was distracting me.

https://www.manhattangmat.com/stress-tips.cfm
https://www.manhattangmat.com/strategy-series-stress.cfm

[frank1]

Thanks for great post.
Any way some queries in mind after reading this great post:

Just a general discussion

The test will ALWAYS give you stuff you can't do, no matter how good you get. You will ALWAYS feel like you are pressed for time.

I think this is the difference of the GMAT from other exams.May be the motive is "question are not solved" by cramping for time,using tricks.(no offence)
Well,i have prepared question for university undergraduate students(i am more in computers),we are never instructed to make the questions which cramps user for time and students are not able to solve problem just because of time.If the question can be solved by expert user in 3 minutes then atleast 5 minutes is provided for the students.Things like "can this question really be solved in 5 minutes with out guessing" is considered ...after all we dont teach them whole year and say "guess the answer as you wont have time in real exam".
There are lots of people who has grown up in this schooling and finding it really difficult now....i am one of them ...lol
If somebody ask me ,i think the question never should be about "stuff you can't do, no matter how good you get"......

Great business and businessman is not able making decision in 1.3 seconds.It is about making series of right decision even if it take 5 minutes(i also agree there should be some boundary but not...)

The below assumes that one new passage starts within each quarter of the test (Q1-10, Q11-20, Q21-30, Q31-41).
Q10: 56 min left
Q20: 37 min left
Q30: 19 min left

i wish i were able follow this.But i have not been able to or felt i have to as i feel it wll distract me from the real issue and create panic ,if i am not upto it and from my experience i have found people make more mistakes where s/he is distracted/frightened.Plus it would be like adding tension to stress created by questions.
So ,atleast for me,i feel i would not be able or dont need to do it.

For RC, the timing is: RC - about 2.5m (short) to 3.5m (long) to read; about 1 min for general purpose questions; about 1.5 for everything else

I think asking non native english user to read long ,complex passage with full of jargons ,understand every line and rememeber it with in 3.5m is asking too much (3.5 is max).Here ,clear advantage to native speakers.
Plus in some test,i have found they squeeze long passage at Q 34...(i was not able to even read questions in one princeton test).
One should also not forget the most passage will try to trick you.I have not seen straight passage question till now...lol

2) Try doing a little science reading every day to become more comfortable with the language and topics. A good source is scientificamerican.com

Is it right techique? Atleast for me,i feel it would distract the things and i may be using my preparation effort at wrong place.Plus there are endless possibilty sources of the question(one big problem for taking gmat that is what i feel),so reading it wont be of much help i guess.I read passage of biology ,the question may be asked about cosmos(with lots of jargons)...lol


well just some queries with repect.

[cccmom]

Frank1,
I am a college professor and share your frustration. I have been successful in business and school and this test is way more of a challenge than many "real world" ones that I have successfully faced! Additionally, I already have my master's and this test is needed for my doctorate. It is frustrating that a test like this has so much power over many other credible indicators. A GMAT score speaks nothing of the depth of a candidate. It simply tests how well a person is at taking the GMAT but, nonetheless, it is an indicator that graduate schools rely upon. If you can't fight them, join them! Study, practice, and fight for a score that will reflect your fullest potential!

As far as verbal timing goes, Stacey was just giving some guidelines. Here is something else you could try to gauge your timing through the test. After 60 minutes remaining, you should be on question 8, After 30 minutes, you should be on question 17. After 45 minutes, aim for question 26. After 15 minutes, try to be on question 34 and by 5 minutes, you need to be on question 40.

I wish you much success in fighting the GMAT. I am taking the test for the 4th time in about a week. This will be my final fight against the GMAT beast!

All the best,
CCCMom

[Stacey Koprince]

I think asking non native english user to read long ,complex passage with full of jargons ,understand every line and rememeber it with in 3.5m is asking too much (3.5 is max).

I agree that what you describe is way too much (regardless of whether the person is a native speaker, actually) - but what you describe is not actually the best way to take the test. You do NOT want to understand every line NOR do you want to remember it all. On that initial read-through, there's quite a bit you actually should NOT read carefully.

Take a look at this article:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/04/ ... mp-passage

[frank1]

Frank1,
I am a college professor and share your frustration. I have been successful in business and school and this test is way more of a challenge than many "real world" ones that I have successfully faced! Additionally, I already have my master's and this test is needed for my doctorate. It is frustrating that a test like this has so much power over many other credible indicators. A GMAT score speaks nothing of the depth of a candidate. It simply tests how well a person is at taking the GMAT but, nonetheless, it is an indicator that graduate schools rely upon. If you can't fight them, join them! Study, practice, and fight for a score that will reflect your fullest potential!

As far as verbal timing goes, Stacey was just giving some guidelines. Here is something else you could try to gauge your timing through the test. After 60 minutes remaining, you should be on question 8, After 30 minutes, you should be on question 17. After 45 minutes, aim for question 26. After 15 minutes, try to be on question 34 and by 5 minutes, you need to be on question 40.

I wish you much success in fighting the GMAT. I am taking the test for the 4th time in about a week. This will be my final fight against the GMAT beast!

All the best,
CCCMom

Thanks for your thought professor.
Well, if somebody asks me,
I think GMAT cannot be considered completely unnecessary but i do not quite agree with the clear advantage that the native speakers has on many verbal sections and in addition,i think gauging all in same blanket(method) is not the right way.

Plus i disagree with the importance that business schools are giving to GMAT(despite saying something else in public).

I have CGPA of 3.94 but i cannot get admission to most business school(as on now) with out GMAT(as they say it).They will ask you your GMAT score first.So,they say we donot only take gmat score only but in my story ,things are not even moving forward with out GMAT....lol

I am full time programmer(very busy lol)...now i have to leave all my works and start looking into mathematics i did in school and start looking into all grammers and rules,memorize idioms (atleast to get good score)
(which atleast wont be of any direct use after getting into B school or taking GMAT....i can forget formula of prism,pyramid,rules of indices....lol)
so, has not been so good.

Plus in many parts of world,exams are given in different style and lots of people are taught in that schooling and after 16-18 years of such schooling ,if you say "you have to follow this now"...then things are bound to be dfficult....that is what is happening to me atleast....

more over i am planning to get in to business school to pratice business and use my analytical brain,not to be mathematician(do you kind there are analytical math questions only?) or a grammer teacher i guess(One should not forget ,we need take TOEFL as well)

But as you say...agreed...there is not concrete conclusion from discussion like this or point in discussing...just some thoughts....

thanks any way....

[frank1]

I think asking non native english user to read long ,complex passage with full of jargons ,understand every line and rememeber it with in 3.5m is asking too much (3.5 is max).

I agree that what you describe is way too much (regardless of whether the person is a native speaker, actually) - but what you describe is not actually the best way to take the test. You do NOT want to understand every line NOR do you want to remember it all. On that initial read-through, there's quite a bit you actually should NOT read carefully.

Take a look at this article:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/04/ ... mp-passage

Thanks for the link mam
but with respect what i mean is:
Well,i may sound illogical in saying "native speakers" have clear advantage and i also know at any situation they will have that advantage (after all it is their language) and if i agree to take exam in their language ....i should not be complianing)
i abide by those rules and facts
but having said what i mean is ,i think the principal motive of RC and CR of GMAT is more an aptitude test or analytical skills test rather than test of a familarity of a person to a language(for that we have TOEFIL,IELTS i guess).So, if one can create a situation where person doesnt have advantage ,just because he knows the language well or just because he knows more word meanings,then i think it will be better and fairer for all....

Suppose,if the passage was in my language(which has nothing to take with latin based language) and native english speaker is made to read that newspaper and made to compete with me(asking line by line thing)...i will definately have an advantage....
which atleast should not happen in GMAT ...that is what i think....
(but having said that i dont mean that GMAT should start giving passage in native language ...lol)

In addition,i have seen many passages which goes down to single word....grammatical inference rather than critical....and so on...

Just what i am trying to say is,it would be better if they can/are able eliminate the language familarity advantage and just test analytical and aptitude skills....as it is not test of language

Reputation comes from its fairness not just because it is considered difficult....

just a thought

[Stacey Koprince]

They do try, to some extent, to eliminate biases against non-native speakers, especially in terms of using slang or other language that non-native speakers shouldn't be expected to know. You're right that there is always going to be some advantage to native speakers, though, or people who know the language better.

At the same time, we do need to remember that this test is used to gain admission to a school in which the instruction is conducted in English, so one of the things they are testing is whether someone has the ability to undertake challenging graduate classes in English. We can certainly argue whether the GMAT is the best way to test that, but they do need some way to determine that candidates have the necessary English skills to thrive in an English-language program. (We could also argue that that's what the TOEFL is for. Unfortunately, the TOEFL has lost a bit of its reputation because some schools have found that people can learn to do well on the TOEFL yet still not be adequately prepared for a program of study conducted in English. That's why, I think, some are relying more heavily on the GMAT than perhaps they should to assess this particular aspect of a candidate.)

[frank1]

well mam,
thanks for vesting ur valuable time in this tropic.
I am much convinced now and agree with your all thoughts(like...ok thats also true....)

any way it may sound crazy when we listen,but i think if i were to do something (if i were in their shoes),
i would definately think about 2 exam duration for native and non-natives based on nationality.
may be 5-10 minutes more for non natives....
if price of taking gmat can differ based on location why not time
may sound wired and give impression that it will make exam baised (uneven) but i think indeed, it will remove that baisness

just my thought