How to Ace GMAT RC? Part 1
Tips and Strategies to Ace Reading Comprehension on the GMAT: Part 1 of 3
Even before we ask how to solve or how to solve faster, it is imperative to understand the basic skills that the GMAT Verbal section tests for. Once we align ourselves with these requirements, we automatically become more receptive to the GMAT questions and the thinking process.
Let me address this by taking up the common queries that I get from GMAT students. Let’s understand the Examiner’s Mindset.
Q: Why do we get RC on the GMAT at all?
When you go to a business school, you would be reading long texts in the form of case studies, research papers, reports, theses, books, etc., almost on a daily basis. Therefore, an aspiring candidate must possess the basic skills of reading, understanding major arguments, and analyzing the text. RC questions assess your competence in these skills for your future academic requirements.
Q: I find it difficult to read Science and History passages. Why do we get such passages on the GMAT when they may not be part of business school curricula?
GMAT gives different kinds of texts for a test-taker to read and understand to assess whether the candidate can pick up the main points and arguments even from a text that may not be from their routinely reading domain. GMAT does not intend to give any extra advantage to students from a particular background. Hence, the variety in the topics ensures that students from all backgrounds are given a fair ground. Also, as we will discuss in further posts, we need to primarily focus on the main opinions and how they are connected, so the genre does not matter too much.
Don’t let any limiting beliefs keep you back.
Coming up next in this series:
- Can we read GMAT RCs fast?
- What should I do if I get saturated after 2 passages (or sometimes even less)?
- Can we really skim and still be able to answer?
I will share my thoughts on correct reading habits and more in Part 2.
How should we solve the questions? What are the common mistakes while analyzing the options? And, what should we do to get higher accuracy in the RC questions?
Watch out for RC question-solving strategies in Part 3.
If you also have any queries regarding the GMAT Verbal section, let us know in the comments or DM. We will try to cover as many as we can in our upcoming posts.
Happy Learning! All the best!