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Published: January 15, 2013
GMAT Tips: My Timing Is Killing Me
Today’s GMAT tip comes from test prep firm ManhattanGMAT. In this article, they provide some tips on how to improve your time management when taking the GMAT. Read on to see what they have to say!
I’ve written a lot – and you’ve read a lot – about timing already, but I want to address something that I’ve been hearing lately from students… particularly those who have been studying for a while and are really struggling to make progress on practice tests.
My best timing was on my very first practice test
I’ve spoken with a few students lately who’ve told me that they felt more comfortable with the timing before they started studying all of this stuff. How is that possible?
Actually, it’s fairly common. Here’s what happens: on your first practice test (before or shortly after you started studying), you know what you don’t know and so it’s much easier to let go of the too-hard questions. Once you start studying, you’ll see something and think, “Oh, I studied that! I can get this one!” But it turns out that one is still too hard… only, this time, you won’t let go when you should. Do that a few times and the whole situation snowballs: you realize you’re behind on time, you start to panic and rush, that causes careless mistakes. Then you get stuck on another because you feel like you’re getting a bunch wrong so you don’t want to get this one wrong too… now you’re wasting even more time, and then the section ends with a bunch of guesses or even blank questions.
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Published: October 23, 2012
GMAT Tips: Identifying the Conclusion in Critical Reasoning
Today’s GMAT tip comes to us from Veritas Prep. In today’s blog post, they provide helpful tips on how to identify the conclusion in a Critical Reasoning questions. Read on to see what they have to say!
On the GMAT, Critical Reasoning questions often ask you to strengthen a conclusion, weaken a conclusion, or determine an assumption necessary for the conclusion to hold true. In any of these cases, it is of prime importance that you know exactly what the conclusion is saying; otherwise, it can be easy for your answer choice to miss the mark.
It is important to ensure that you correctly identify the conclusion of the argument, and to make doing so a priority. There are four clues to determine the conclusion of a Critical Reasoning argument, any of which should help you determine which statement is the argument’s conclusion:
1) Conclusion language such as “thus” or “therefore”
2) A call for action, such as “they must…” or “we should…”
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Published: September 11, 2012
GMAT Tips – GMAT Sentence Correction Question Type: Modifiers
Today’s GMAT Tip comes to us from Kaplan. In this article, Kaplan GMAT instructor Bret Ruber provides helpful advice on answering Sentence Correction questions with modification errors:
Of all of the common errors that appear in the sentence correction portion of the GMAT, modifiers are usually the last type for which test-takers look. However, modification errors are among the most common types of errors on the GMAT and finding these errors right away can often lead you directly to the correct answer.
When checking for modifier errors, you should keep in mind that the GMAT will feature three kinds of modifiers. The first is adjectives. Adjectives are used to modify nouns. For example, in the phrase, “the blue chair,” ‘blue’ is an adjective modifying the noun ‘chair.’
The second is adverbs. Adverbs are used to modify all parts of speech except nouns. Therefore, adverbs will be used to modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. Adverbs are usually created by adding ‘ly’ to the end of an adjective. For example, the adjective, “quick” becomes the adverb, “quickly.”
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GMAT Tips: Learn How to Think Like the Testmaker
Today’s GMAT tip comes to us from Veritas Prep. In today’s blog post, they explain how and why to think like the testmaker while taking the GMAT. Read on to see what they have to say!
At Veritas Prep we advocate that you learn to Think Like the Testmaker, and to think about how well the Testmaker knows you.
The makers of the GMAT will admit that theirs is a test of “higher order thinking”, of your ability to think critically, solve problems efficiently, and otherwise demonstrate not merely that you have knowledge but that when you do have knowledge you can leverage it to greater gain. For this reason, the test is obligated to use tricks, shortcuts, and partial knowledge against you if that’s all you bring to the table on harder questions; at some point in the 500s/600s, the test has to determine not just “who studied” but “who can really think and problem solve”. And for that reason, a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing.
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GMAT Tips – Getting Ready for Integrated Reasoning: The Scoring!
Today’s GMAT tip comes from test prep firm ManhattanGMAT. In this article, they provide helpful information on how to set a target score for the Integrated Reasoning section of the new GMAT. Read on to see what they have to say!
We’ve been talking a lot lately about how to prep for IR, including the idea that we only need a “good enough” score for now because the section is so new that the schools aren’t going to place heavy emphasis on IR right away. One key piece of information, though, has been missing: what’s a “good enough” IR score?
GMAC has just released the first set of percentile rankings for the 1 to 8 IR scoring scale. Here it is:
Percentile Score
94% 8
85% 7
70% 6
54% 5
46% 4
26% 3
17% 2
0% 1
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GMAT Tips: Avoid Common Traps on the GMAT
Today’s GMAT tip comes to us from Veritas Prep. In today’s blog post, they identify some common traps to avoid on the GMAT. Read on to see what they have to say!
The GMAT is not an easy test. It is not meant to be diabolical, but it is designed to get to your true ability level. Sounds fair enough, but what if your true ability level is in the low- or mid-600 range, when you are aiming for a score above 700? What can you do to move yourself up the scoring scale?
One way to get immediate results is to recognize the mistakes you are likely going to make during the test. The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) needs a way to separate good GMAT takers from great ones, and one way of doing this is to allow students to trick themselves and walk right into easy traps. If you know that you are prone to making the following mistakes, you can train yourself to be on the lookout for them as you prepare for the GMAT:
1) Reading and Reacting
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GMAT Tips: Where are the Splits? Handling the “New” Sentence Correction
Today’s GMAT tip comes from test prep firm ManhattanGMAT. In this article, they provide helpful tips for answering Sentence Correction questions on the new version of the GMAT. Read on to see what they have to say!
A lot of students have reported lately that the Sentence Correction questions on the official test were a lot harder than what they were expecting, or that they’ve been having trouble finding splits (differences) in the answers. Or they find the splits but don’t know how to process them / what to do with them. They narrow down to two answers but then don’t know how to pick between the two – they can see the differences but aren’t sure of the significance of those differences.
The title of this article is a little bit misleading – nothing about the SC section is technically “new.” The proportion of certain types of questions, though, has been changing, and so the section can feel very different (and challenging!) for someone who’s not prepared for that.
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Published: April 24, 2012
GMAT Tips: Meaning is Mean!
Today’s GMAT tip comes from test prep firm ManhattanGMAT. In this article, they provide helpful tips for answering Sentence Correction problems on the GMAT. Read on to see what they have to say!
We’ve talked a lot about meaning in sentence correction recently and I’ve got another problem along that same theme for you. The problem I chose comes from the new GMATPrep 2.0 (warning: you may not want to read the explanation until after you’ve used the new software yourself, just in case you see the same problem!). This one actually did also show up in the old version of GMATPrep, but I saw it years ago and forgot about it. When I saw it during my 2.0 test last week, I had the same reaction that I did when I first saw the problem about 5 years ago: “I can’t believe they actually did that!”
Here’s the problem. Set your timer for 1 minute 15 seconds and go for it!
* "As the former chair of the planning board for 18 consecutive years and a board member for 28 years, Joan Philkill attended more than 400 meetings and reviewed more than 700 rezoning applications.
“(A) As the former
“(B) The former
“(C) Former
“(D) She was
“(E) As the”
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GMAT Tips – Sample Problem: Critical Reasoning Weaken Question
Today’s GMAT Tip comes to us from Kaplan. In this article, Kaplan GMAT instructor Bret Ruber provides helpful advice about answering Critical Reasoning questions that require test-takers to weaken an argument:
Today's GMAT practice problem is a Critical Reasoning weaken question. Weaken questions are more common than any other question type in the critical reasoning section, so it is essential to be prepared for them. On these problems, identify the conclusion, evidence and assumption and then look for the answer choice that refutes the central assumption.
Problem
Increasingly, American businesses requiring customer service phone lines have been utilizing overseas companies that can provide these services at extremely reduced rates. Toll-free calls are routed to countries like India, where low-paid workers have been trained to deal with most of the typical problems consumers have with their credit cards, online services, and computer equipment. Since the companies using these overseas call centers are saving so much money, they will undoubtedly show higher profits than companies that do not.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
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Published: March 13, 2012
GMAT Tips: Debunking the “First 7 Questions” Myth
Today’s GMAT tip comes from test prep firm ManhattanGMAT. In this article, they explain the truth behind a common myth about the GMAT. Read on to see what they have to say!
I don’t even need to say what the myth is! Everyone already knows – that’s how pervasive it is. Ever since the GMAT and GRE CATs launched in the 1990s people have believed that the earlier questions are worth more, that if we could get the first 7 (or 5, or 10) questions in a row right, we’d be guaranteed a really high score.
And you’ve likely also heard that this is a myth – from me, from other teachers, from Dr. Lawrence (Larry) Rudner, Chief Psychometrician of GMAC (the organization that makes the GMAT). And yet so many people still talk about it and believe it – so who should we believe?
Let’s talk about this and, hopefully, lay the myth to rest once and for all.
What is the Myth?
Different people talk about different details – if we get the first 5, or 7, or 10 questions right, then we’ll get a high score no matter what else happens, or a higher score than we would otherwise get. (And, conversely, if we do poorly on the first 5, or 7, or 10 questions, then our score will be terrible no matter what, or lower than we would otherwise get.)
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Published: February 21, 2012
GMAT Tips: Number Properties in GMATPrep
Today’s GMAT tip comes from test prep firm ManhattanGMAT. In this article, they provide helpful tips on studying number properties in preparation for the GMAT. Read on to see what they have to say!
What are number properties? This concept covers things that we often call “basic” – topics that we learned in middle school (or earlier): divisibility, factors and multiples, odds and evens, positives and negatives, and so on. It’s also true, though, that this material can become quite complex. For example, fundamental counting principles are included in number properties, and the more complex problems of this type are something called Combinatorics… which most of us hate. In addition, we've all come up against very challenging problems testing a supposedly "simple" concept, such as divisibility.
We face two big challenges in dealing with number properties:
(1) On the one hand, we think of most number properties concepts as “basic” concepts, things that we learned before we ever learned the more “advanced” algebra and geometry. The test writers purposely find ways to test the truly basic material in disguised ways – this is how they make the material harder.
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Published: January 24, 2012
GMAT Tips: Misdirection
Today’s GMAT tip comes to us from Veritas Prep. In today’s blog post, they explain how to recognize misdirection on the verbal section of the GMAT. Read on to see what they have to say!
A critical component of your GMAT studies is to notice misdirection wherever it’s employed. Consider, for example, this question:
Babies develop audial recognition abilities months before being born, lending credence to the notion that prenatal exposure to classical music can aid in intellectual development and apparently assisting newborns, who cannot yet visually recognize shapes and colors, in distinguishing their own mothers from those of others.
(A) apparently assisting newborns, who cannot yet visually recognize shapes and colors, in distinguishing their own mothers from those of others
(B) apparently assisting newborns that cannot yet visually recognize shapes and colors in distinguishing their own mothers
(C) assisting apparent newborns, who cannot yet visually recognize shapes and colors, in distinguishing their own mothers from those of others
(D) apparently assisting newborns, who could not yet visually recognize shapes and colors, in distinguishing their own mothers
(E) apparently assisting newborns, who cannot yet visually recognize shapes and colors, in distinguishing their own mothers from others.
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Published: January 10, 2012
GMAT Tips: Stress Management
Today’s GMAT tip comes from test prep firm ManhattanGMAT. In this article, they provide helpful tips on how to manage your stress levels when studying for and taking the GMAT. Read on to see what they have to say!
Everyone struggles with some amount of anxiety when taking a test like the GMAT, but some people struggle more than others. Stress can also affect your preparation before you ever get to the test center – if you’re too stressed out when studying, that will hurt your ability to make and recall memories. So what can we do to reduce studying and test-taking stress?
Know what's coming
The more you’re prepared for what you’re going to face, the less stressed you’ll be. This won’t completely eliminate your anxiety – nothing will – but it can help to reduce stress to more manageable levels.
One major source of stress on this test is the feeling that you need to get everything right (and getting stressed out when you hit questions that you know you’re getting wrong). Read this article: In It To Win It. The nutshell: you’re not trying to get everything right. Nobody gets everything right, including me and other 99th percentile testers!
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Published: December 20, 2011
GMAT Tips: Studying for – and Struggling with – the GMAT
Today’s GMAT tip comes from test prep firm ManhattanGMAT. In this article, they provide helpful tips on how to resolve frustrations you may have encountered while studying for the GMAT. Read on to see what they have to say!
Have you been studying for a while now but having trouble getting to your goal score or making the kind of improvement that you want to make? If you’re getting frustrated with your progress (or lack thereof), let’s try to figure out what’s going on. It’s entirely possible that you have some problems of which you’re unaware, or that you’re studying in an inefficient or ineffective way.
There are a number of additional articles linked in this article. If you read something that applies to your situation, click on all the links you see in that section. Also, ask for advice! There are so many resources out there that it can be overwhelming, but most companies offer free advice and you can also benefit from talking to fellow students. (We offer free advice on our forums.)
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Published: November 8, 2011
GMAT Tips – How to Tackle "Why" Questions in Reading Comprehension
Today’s GMAT tip comes from test prep firm ManhattanGMAT. In this article, they provide some helpful tips on how to answer "why" questions on the Reading Comprehension section of the GMAT. Read on to see what they have to say!
Most Reading Comprehension questions are “what” questions. What is the primary purpose? Which of the following does the author claim when discussing…? It can be inferred that the author would most likely agree with which of the following…?
Every now and then, though, we run up against a “why” question and, as we will see in this article, we have to be ready for this different focus or we’re likely to fall into a trap. The answer to the question “What are you studying?” might be “The GMAT.” If you asked me “Why are you studying?” and I simply said “The GMAT,” you’d look at me funny – that’s not an appropriate answer for the question that you asked. By the same token, on the GMAT, when we get one of the rare “why” questions, we have to make sure we’re giving the right kind of answer.
Below is an excerpt from a GMATPrep Reading Comp passage, followed by a question. The full passage consists of three paragraphs; the excerpt below consists of two sentences of background information from the first paragraph and the complete third paragraph (that’s enough to answer the question). Here’s the passage excerpt first:
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Published: November 4, 2011
GMAT Tips – Critical Reasoning Inferences
Today’s GMAT Tip comes to us from Kaplan. In this article, Kaplan GMAT instructor Bret Ruber provides helpful tips for answering inference questions on the Critical Reasoning section of the GMAT:
As you try the practice GMAT problem below, remember that on Critical Reasoning inference questions you should accept all of the information in the stimulus as true. When you read the answer choices look for an option that must be true based on the stimulus.
Problem:
Randall: Many of the productions of my plays by amateur theater groups are poorly done, and such interpretations do not provide a true measure of my skills as a dramatist.
Which one of the following can be properly inferred from Randall's statement?
(A) Some amateur theater groups' productions of Randall's plays provide a true measure of his skills as a dramatist.
(B) All amateur theater group productions of Randall's plays that are not poorly done provide a true measure of his skills as a dramatist.
(C) All of the productions of Randall's plays by amateur theater groups that do not provide a true measure of his skills as a dramatist are poorly done.
(D) If a production of a dramatist's play is well done, then it provides a true measure of his or her skills as a dramatist.
(E) At least some amateur theatrical groups' productions of Randall's plays fail to provide a true measure of his skills as a dramatist.
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Published: November 1, 2011
GMAT Tips – Demystifying the GMAT
Today’s GMAT tip comes from test prep firm ManhattanGMAT. In this article, they provide some important infomration about how the GMAT is structured and scored. Read on to see what they have to say!
Earlier this fall, GMAC (the people who make the test) held its biennial Test Prep Summit, and we’ve all been writing articles about it ever since. Today I’m going to share with you some very useful knowledge that has been published by Lawrence M. Rudner, Chief Psychometrician of GMAC, in his Demystifying the GMAT article series.
The below quotes are all from Dr. Rudner and all quotes are copyright 2011 Graduate Management Admissions Council. The headers below are the names of the individual articles from which the information and quotes came.
What Is on the GMAT?
First of all, at heart, the GMAT is a reasoning test, not a memorization test. There are many facts and rules that we need to know in order to succeed on the exam, but those facts and rules are just the beginning.
“We make the GMAT exam rigorous primarily by including test questions that tap the higher order thinking skills of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.”
And the higher you want to go on the exam, the better you’re going to have to be with those higher order skills – one of the major ways in which the test writers make harder questions is to make us do more sophisticated reasoning to get to the answer. The actual facts and rules will only take us so far.
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Published: October 14, 2011
GMAT Tips – Ensuring GMAT Success: The Importance of an Effective Study Schedule
Today’s GMAT Tip comes to us from Kaplan. In this article, Kaplan GMAT instructor Bret Ruber provides helpful advice on how to create an effective GMAT study schedule:
When studying for the GMAT, one of the first steps you should take is to create a study schedule. Jumping from one topic to the next without structure can have a negative impact on your studying, so putting together a plan is essential to maximizing the effectiveness of the time you have to devote to the GMAT. To make your plan as successful as possible, you should follow a few basic guidelines.
Diagnose your strengths and weaknesses
First, it is a good idea to take a diagnostic test before you do anything else. While knowing the score at which you are starting is useful, it is not the main purpose of this test. You need to analyze the questions you answered incorrectly and look for any patterns in the types of problems and topics that you often miss. This will allow you to make the most of your study-time, as you will be focusing more on those areas you need to work on the most and less on those areas you already do well in.
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Published: October 11, 2011
GMAT Tips – The Idiot’s Guide to GMAT Idioms
Today’s GMAT Tip comes from our friends at Knewton. In this article, they provide helpful information about the extent to which idioms are included on the GMAT. Read on to see what they have to say!
You may have heard that the GMAT is no longer testing idioms. You also may have heard that the first 10 questions on the GMAT are the most important. You also may have heard that Lindsey Lohan is great at Data Sufficiency.
Why do you believe everything you hear?
Dr. Lawrence Rudner is the Vice President of Research and Development at the Graduate Management Admission Council. In other words, he is The Man with regards to the GMAT. Here is what he has to say on the matter: “Some Sentence Correction items continue to pose reasoning tasks that incorporate English-language, NOT American, idioms. These are not intended to test specialized knowledge of colloquialisms and regionalisms.”
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Published: August 30, 2011
GMAT Tips – To Venn or Not to Venn? Depends on the Question.
Today’s GMAT Tip comes from our friends at Knewton. In this article, they explain when to use Venn diagrams or charts on the GMAT. Read on to see what they have to say!
Many students like to ask me the following question when dealing with overlapping sets problems: “Which are better? Venn diagrams or charts?”
I’ve found that students like to ask because every student has a personal preference. Some don’t want to deal with Venn Diagrams because labeling them can get confusing at times. Others stay away from charts, either because they find charts more confusing or because they prefer the compactness of the Venn diagram.
So in essence, what the student really wants me to do is either justify a natural inclination (“I just find charts easier”) or tell them that this inclination is completely wrong and needs to be squelched immediately (“I really like Venn Diagrams, but I always get them wrong, so should I switch to charts?”).
As with so many things in life, the answer lies somewhere in between. Neither a chart nor a Venn diagram is inherently bad. But here’s the rub: When should you use one versus the other?
Let’s take a look at the following Official Guide Data Sufficiency question:
If 75 percent of the guests at a certain banquet ordered dessert, what percent of the guests ordered coffee?
(1) 60 percent of the guests who ordered dessert also ordered coffee.
(2) 90 percent of the guests who ordered coffee also ordered dessert.
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Published: August 19, 2011
GMAT Tips: 4 Things to Do Now to Succeed on the GMAT
Today’s GMAT tip comes to us from Veritas Prep. In this article, they explain habits you can develop that will pay off when taking the GMAT. Read on to see what they have to say!
Rest assured that you can still enjoy most of your summer even if you do not plan on taking the GMAT until later in the fall. But even without dedicating much of the summer to studying, there are at least five habits you can add to your day-to-day lifestyle that will get you ready to hit the ground running when you do begin your GMAT preparation in earnest sometime soon:
1) Do Math
With computers and calculators all around us, we tend not to do very much math once we’ve completed our college quantitative requirements, but the GMAT will require you to be able to do math without a calculator so you will need to retrain your mind. Fortunately, day-to-day life provides countless opportunities to perform simple math by hand or in your head, and the more you can do so the easier a time you’ll have when you do sit down to do GMAT math. Practice calculating tips when you eat out; estimate how long it will take you to reach your driving destination at two different average speeds; notice prime numbers and multiples of 3 when you are writing down phone numbers; do quick calculations on paper before you plug the numbers into Microsoft Excel. Simply thinking mathematically can help you to retrain those atrophied portions of your brain, and that will allow you to eventually focus more of your study time and energy on GMAT-specific question types and strategies.
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Published: August 14, 2011
Register Now for QS World MBA Tour
‘Tis the season for MBA fairs and forums. Prospective MBA applicants are invited to register for the QS World MBA Tour, which will include 70 events in 39 countries beginning in September and continuing through November 2011.
Designed by MBA graduates, the QS World Tour features free workshops led by experts and alumni to help prospective applicants improve their admissions skills and stand the best chance of getting into the MBA programs of their choice.
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Published: August 12, 2011
GMAT Tips – Dealing With Partial Underlines in Sentence Correction
Today’s GMAT tip comes from test prep firm ManhattanGMAT. In this article, they provide helpful tips for how to answer sentence correction questions involving partial underlines on the GMAT. Read on to see what they have to say!
It has been a while since we’ve done grammar, so let’s try out this GMATPrep Sentence Correction question. Set your timer for 1 minute and 15 seconds and go!
“When the temperature of a gas is increased, it is either accompanied by an increase in pressure if the gas is enclosed in a container, or an increase in volume if the gas is able to expand.
“(A) When the temperature of a gas is increased, it is either accompanied by an increase in pressure if the gas is enclosed in a container, or
“(B) When the temperature of a gas is increased, it is accompanied either by an increase in pressure if it is enclosed in a container or
“(C) When the temperature of a gas is increased, the increase is either accompanied by an increase in pressure if the gas is enclosed in a container or by
“(D) Any increase in the temperature of a gas is either accompanied by an increase in pressure if it is enclosed in a container, or by
“(E) Any increase in the temperature of a gas is accompanied either by an increase in pressure if the gas is enclosed in a container or by”
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Published: August 5, 2011
GMAT Tips – Critical Reasoning Strategies
Today’s GMAT tip comes to us from Veritas Prep. In this article, they provide helpful strategies for answering critical reasoning questions on the GMAT. Read on to see what they have to say!
There may not be a more aptly named question type on the GMAT than “Critical Reasoning,” a question type that rewards critical thinking in a major way. Students are successful by reading critically and economically. Those who buy into the critical way of processing arguments can “click” with critical reasoning quite readily, quickly organizing information into actionable components and anticipating correct answers before even reading them.
We offer these three critical strategies for critical reasoning questions:
1) Know Your Role
Each CR question contains a stimulus (usually one paragraph of 3-5 sentences), a question stem, and five answer choices (four incorrect, one correct). For most questions, it is natural for the student to read by starting at the beginning. But the trick is this — each stimulus, necessarily, is about “something,” and that “something” tends to frame that you read about it. The human brain processes information by building links between known information and new information, so as you read, say, a stimulus about a mining excavation project, your mind will involuntarily try to link it to something you know — the Chilean miners and their underground plight; the city of Pittsburgh and its turnaround through healthcare and education; the fact that you hated your college geology class…
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GMAT Tips: Why to Avoid the Word "Methodology" in RC Answers – and Other Tips
Today’s GMAT Tip comes from our friends at Knewton. In this article, they provide helpful tips for answering Reading Comprehension questions on the GMAT. Read on to see what they have to say!
Sometimes, even as a GMAT teacher, it can be easy to be cynical about Reading Comprehension. “Why bother spending much time teaching Reading Comprehension?” I ask myself in those moments of despair. After all, it’s just reading and answering questions about a passage. It doesn’t have the diverse question types of Critical Reasoning or the grammar rules and “tells” of Sentence Correction. Compared to CR and SC, it sometimes seems that there’s little a GMAT teacher can do to improve his students’ performance on RC.
Of course, this isn’t actually true. The vast majority of my students do improve on Reading Comprehension, thanks in large part to strategies like making passage M.A.P.S. — that is, sketching out the the Main idea, Attitude of the author, Purpose of the passage, and Structure of the passage (try it if you haven’t!).
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