The GMAT verbal section is one of two main sections of the test, along with the GMAT Math, that count towards the all important composite score which is used in MBA admissions. The verbal is 65 minutes and 36 questions long and is comprised of three question types, Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, and Sentence Correction. Each question type comprises roughly 1/3 of the section. Like the GMAT quant, it is scored from 0-51, with a 51 being a perfect score. Many MBA hopefuls, especially native english speakers, overlook the verbal and spend much more time on the quantitative section. However, the verbal has outsize influence on your score. Regardless of whether you struggle or excel at GMAT verbal still give it a ton of effort. Verbal studying can reap massive rewards.

How to study for GMAT Verbal?

-Especially for Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning start early and hit them hard. Verbal improvement can take a considerable amount of time. If your reading skills are weak be ready to commit resources to this.

-Stick to Official GMAT questions. There are some cases for which we’ll include some third party GMAT quant in the tutoring program but it’s almost never the case that we use third party verbal. It’s not close enough in flavor to the real deal. Again: keep to a healthy diet of Official GMAT questions.

-Before you start GMAT verbal studying spend 3-4 months improving your reading. Read a challenging article every day and always have a long form novel that you read every day. Continue this reading during your GMAT preparation.