GMAT RC Strategies: Tips To Improve Reading Comprehension

Strategies to improve GMAT RCs

Tips To Improve GMAT RCs

Reading Comprehension is a crucial part of the GMAT Verbal Reasoning section. The section tests your ability to understand complex written passages, analyze them, and answer questions based on the information provided. The reading comprehension section is designed to assess your critical thinking, reasoning, and comprehension skills. This article will discuss effective reading comprehension strategies to help you prepare for the GMAT.

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Read Between the Lines and Try to Understand the Meaning

When reading the passage, it’s essential to understand the underlying meaning of the text. You should pay attention to the author’s tone, purpose, and attitude towards the topic. Analyze the passage beyond the surface level and identify the author’s perspective and argument. This will help you to answer the questions based on a deeper understanding of the passage.

Eliminating Options

In the GMAT RC section, you will be given multiple-choice questions, and sometimes, the answer options may seem quite similar. To avoid getting confused and choosing the wrong answer, try eliminating the clearly wrong options. By doing so, you increase your chances of selecting the correct answer. There is nothing better than being sure about the four incorrect options to a question.

Don’t Overthink Inferences

Inferences are assumptions that you make based on the information presented in the passage. While making inferences is a critical component of the RC section, it’s important not to overthink or read too much into the text. Stick to the information provided in the passage and avoid making assumptions based on your personal opinions or beliefs. Also, keep track of the time you take for inference-based questions because they usually take more time than other questions and can make or break your VR section because of the time they take to solve.

Solve Good Quality RCs

When preparing for the GMAT RC section, it’s very essential to practice with quality RCs. Quality questions are those that are similar to those you will encounter on the GMAT exam. It’s also important to practice with various RCs to familiarise oneself with the different passages and questions. 

One such source of questions of great quality is the Daily Targets of GMATPoint. Here you will get tests of 5 questions each, for Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning sections daily for free, including RCs of GMAT level. After you have solved the questions, you will be provided with video solutions by GMAT experts, explaining to you the proper methods to solve the questions. This is an indispensable tool for anyone looking to prepare for GMAT seriously.

Developing a Reading Habit. Try Reading for Pleasure.

To improve your RC skills, you need to develop a reading habit. Try reading various materials, including newspapers, magazines, and books. This will help you to develop your reading speed, comprehension skills, and vocabulary. You should start by reading what you enjoy the most. This will develop a good reading habit, make reading a more enjoyable experience, and you will be more likely to continue reading regularly. This will make the tedious passages of the GMAT look much easier to read.

Things to Avoid 

While there are effective strategies to improve your GMAT RC skills, there are also some gimmicks that you should avoid. In this section, we will discuss some of these gimmicks and explain why they are not helpful.

1. Skimming the Passage Instead of Reading the Passage

One of the most common gimmicks is to skim the passage instead of reading it thoroughly. Some test-takers believe that by skimming, they can save time and still understand the passage. However, skimming may lead to missing essential details, which could affect your comprehension and performance on the questions.

2. Reading the Concluding Paragraph First

Another gimmick is reading the concluding paragraph before reading the rest of the passage. While the concluding paragraph may provide some insight into the author’s argument, it’s not enough to understand the full context of the passage. Reading the concluding paragraph first may also bias your interpretation of the passage.

3. Reading the Questions First and Then Trying to Read the Passage

Some test-takers also try to read the questions first and then read the passage, hoping to find the answers more easily. While this helps sometimes, it is not always useful because it may lead to missing critical details and cause confusion when answering the questions. Moreover, the questions are designed to test your comprehension of the entire passage, so reading the passage thoroughly before attempting the questions is essential.

The GMAT RC section can be challenging, but with the right strategies and consistent practice, you can surely improve your performance. Remember to read between the lines, answer by eliminating options, avoid overthinking inferences, solve quality questions, and develop a reading habit. 

Following these tips can improve your RC skills and increase your chances of achieving a high GMAT score. Good luck!

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