What is the best way to learn GMAT vocabulary?

BernieMAC wrote:My friend has an exam coming and he is worried about the vocabulary. Simply because there are a lot of new vocabulary to learn. What would be the best way to learn vocabulary quickly? and where can I find the list of all GMAT vocabulary.

thanks,

b

Hi Bernie,

I'm not quite sure what you mean; the GMAT, unlike the GRE, rarely tests vocabulary in any direct sense.

There may be some difficult vocabulary from time to time in high-difficulty Reading and Reasoning passages. However, in the majority of cases, those vocabulary words can be worked around strategically. The Reading Comp section will often include keywords that will let you relate those vocabulary words to other parts of the author's idea, cluing you into their meaning. Critical Reasoning problems, meanwhile, often shift between different concepts in the evidence and the conclusion, and recognizing this shift in vocabulary can sometimes point you to the answer that connects those two words, even if the distinction between them is something you can't define. These strategies are laid out for you in Kaplan's study material; give us a try and we'll help you out!

Also, any list of 'vocabulary' would inevitably include a large number of words you already know. Your best bet is to keep a list of the words that give YOU trouble, studying them with a dictionary until you've filled the holes in your vocabulary.

Let me know if you have any more questions!

thanks for your response. I am a foreigner so sometimes vocabulary is a big problem for me. Is there a place where I can get the full list with meanings?

What do you think about vocabulary building tools?

Hi Bernie,

As I said earlier, what you're looking for doesn't really exist. Unlike the GRE, where Vocabulary is very important, the GMAT rarely requires an understanding of words.

I recommend using Kaplan's strategies for using keywords and reading strategically to avoid tricky vocabulary. But if you really, really want to work on increasing your lexicon, then try picking up some Kaplan GRE materials from your local bookstore; they will contain a number of vocabulary resources and vocab-building exercises.

Good luck!