3 tips for GRE Reading Comprehension
When you get to the more difficult questions in the GRE Reading Comprehension (RC) section, there are a number of strategies you can use to make your task easier.
1. Ensure there is evidence for your answer.
Passages are written on a number of topic areas. This means you will have to answer questions on subjects you may know very little about, or have no interest in. However, all the answers to questions are contained within the passages themselves. No specialist knowledge is required. Indeed, knowing too much about a topic can be detrimental, as you may start to argue with the writer. Many test takers find the questions for which more than one answer can be chosen to be particularly challenging. These are usually, but not always, inference questions. It is important not to choose an answer just because you think it is correct.
You must find evidence for your answer in the passage. All correct answers must be supported by the passage. This is also true in the case of inference and application questions, even though these take you somewhat away from the text (especially the latter). There is no such thing as a correct answer choice that is not fully supported by the passage, even if it is in a convoluted manner. If you can’t find evidence for your answer, chances are that it is not the right option. Therefore, you must look for another option.
Always hear these questions in your head. “Why?” “Where is the evidence in the passage for the answer I have chosen?” Always test each segment of an answer choice against the text, or against the answer that you came up with yourself. It can be a worthwhile strategy to find the answer to a question before looking at the answer choices. This works for almost all questions, but not quite all, as some are impossible to answer first.
2. Pay attention to the linking words used.
The writers of GRE RC passages love to use a lot of linking words. These include:
- on the other hand
- in contrast
- in addition
- firstly, secondly
- in conclusion
Look at these linking words carefully, as they help you to establish a structure to the texts. The words introducing a contrast are particularly important. If you see the word “however” in a passage, you know the direction of the text is going to change. Ideas, and perhaps opinions, will change.
3. Don’t get lost in the details.
Scientific texts are the most difficult for many GRE takers. Whatever the topic of the passage, do not be tempted to try to understand the whole passage and all its details. If you do, you are doing unnecessary work, which will only slow down your progress through the test. Rather, work from the questions back to the passage. There are only a limited number of questions that relate to each passage. Once you have read a question and know exactly what you are looking for, then you can go back to the relevant part of the passage to read in detail to get the answer.
Remember you never lose access to the passage. You can always refer back to it. For this reason there is no need to try to understand every detail at the start. Remember where the writer discusses what. You can do this mentally or—even better—take notes, the latter being quite a bit more beneficial as the GMAT has been known to rely on test takers using memory in order to lead them to incorrect answers. Admittedly, taking mental notes may be faster in the short run, but when the passage is particularly challenging, there is still time to take very brief notes to establish the structure of the text. Relying on your memory can lead to one of two mistakes: careless errors due to not remembering correctly while speeding through the material, or having to return to the text repeatedly because answer choices get complex. Therefore, taking notes on the passage first helps mitigate this.
The goal of the test makers is always to slow you down. Try these tips to make your progress through the test not only faster, but also more accurate.