GMAT READING COMPREHENSION TIPS AND TRICKS

Many Students find Reading Comprehension is the toughest in Verbal Section on GMAT. I have only one thing to say to them : you may actually never solve a SC question or involve yourself in Critically Reason out an argument, but you would certainly read something everyday.Reading comprehension requires lots of practice and very good understanding of the Examiner's psyche.

Reading Comprehension passages are up to 350 words long. Topics contain material from the social sciences, physical or biological sciences, and business related areas (marketing, economics, human resource management, etc.).

Because the Reading Comprehension Section of the GMAT exam includes passages from several different content areas, you may be generally familiar with some of the material; however, no specific knowledge of the material is required. All questions are to be answered on the basis of what is stated or implied in the reading material.

Reading Comprehension passages are accompanied by interpretive, applied, and inferential questions.

Reading Comprehension questions measure your ability to understand, analyze, and apply information and concepts presented in written form.

Here is the list of all Tricks / Pointers I could think of :

• Read between the Paragraphs.

• Read for Author's Main Idea and Primary Purpose.

• Create a thought flowchart by writing down the Main Idea and Primary purpose after each paragraph.

• The Main Idea of the passage is the repeated idea in each of the Main ideas (of the paragraphs)

• The primary purpose is mostly the Primary purpose of the concluding paragraph.

•  Classify the passages as:

1. Explanatory (Mostly Science Passages, explain one Theory / Phenomenon in detail).
2.  Argumentative (Subjective, Opinionated. Mostly Social Science / Business topics. Pros and Cons of a topic with author's view on them.
3. Paraphrase the text to simplify.

•  Don't over read. Skip examples, dates, lengthy names, any details which can be referred in case something is asked explicitly.
•  Don't go for choices which hold true only for one part of the author's argument.
•  Don't go for choices which exaggerate the author's conclusion.
•  Don't fill in the blanks yourself. Use only as much is there in the passage.
• At the end of reading, ask yourself questions like : What was the passage about? What was author's motive in writing all this?
• Read quickly through soporific passages.
• Read the first question before the Passage.
• Use your Critical reasoning techniques for Reasoning / Inference / Strengthen / Weaken questions.