Why Many GMAT Verbal Shortcuts Waste More Time Than They Save

Many GMAT students are not fully aware that the strategies they use on Verbal questions may be slowing them down rather than helping them. Inefficient methods often come from two sources. Sometimes students are simply following advice they read or heard without questioning it. Other times, they are relying on habits they developed on their own, habits that feel comfortable but are not actually effective under the pressure of the exam.

Part of serious GMAT preparation is the disciplined evaluation of every technique you rely on. When you adopt a strategy you found online or in a book, it is worth asking yourself whether it is logically sound. If you choose to incorporate it into your practice, you should revisit it from time to time to see if it is producing the outcomes you want. Likewise, if you notice that you consistently approach a certain question type in a particular way, ask whether that method is truly the most efficient or if it is simply your default mode. Thoughtful questioning of your own approach is how you refine it.

Consider Critical Reasoning. Many students believe that reading the question stem before reading the passage will save time. In practice, the opposite often happens. Students end up returning to the stem after reading the passage to confirm what they are solving for, which means they have read the stem twice and gained no advantage. A more efficient process is to read the passage first, then read the stem, and then move directly into solving.

Reading Comprehension offers another example. Some students try to save time by skimming or skipping large portions of a passage, but this often creates more work later. Without a clear sense of the passage as a whole, they struggle to locate specific information when a question demands it. Ironically, reading the entire passage at a steady pace is usually more efficient. It allows you to build a mental map of the discussion so you can return to the right section quickly. Paying attention to structural keywords also helps you navigate a passage more effectively than trying to memorize where each detail appears.

The larger lesson is that efficiency on the GMAT is not just about speed. It is about adopting strategies that reduce unnecessary steps, eliminate wasted effort, and give you clarity at the right moment. The best GMAT students are not only hard workers but also thoughtful evaluators of their own methods.

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep