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To achieve your score goal on the GRE General Test, you’ll need to master Reading Comprehension, a major component of the Verbal section of the GRE. So, you may be wondering what GRE Reading Comprehension involves and how to prepare for it.
In this post, I’m going to cover some key aspects of GRE Reading Comprehension that you need to understand to handle it effectively. I’ll also provide my top 7 tips on how to improve your Reading Comprehension skills for the GRE and maximize the results of your preparation.
Here are the topics we’ll cover:
- How Many Reading Comprehension Questions Are on the GRE?
- The Types of GRE Reading Comprehension Questions
- Tip 1: Comprehension is Key
- Tip 2: Master the Art of Distinguishing Trap Choices From Correct Ones
- Tip 3: Have a Strategy for Each Type of RC Question
- Tip 4: Always Refer Back to the Passage
- Tip 5: Precision Is a Major Aspect of RC Success
- Tip 6: Work From the Worst Choice to the Best
- Tip 7: Practice Untimed at First
- Summary: How to Crack Reading Comprehension in the GRE
- What’s Next?
Let’s get started by discussing how many Reading Comprehension questions you’ll face on your exam.
How Many Reading Comprehension Questions Are on the GRE?
As you may be aware, the GRE includes two Verbal sections. The first section contains 12 questions in 18 minutes, and the second section contains 15 questions in 23 minutes. Those questions are a mix of Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence, and Reading Comprehension questions.
Typically, roughly half of the Verbal questions on the GRE are Reading Comprehension questions. So, between the two Verbal sections, you can expect to see about 13 Reading Comprehension questions. Each of those RC questions is associated with a passage, and there are approximately 5 passages on a given GRE. Most Reading Comprehension passages on the GRE are one paragraph long, but some passages consist of multiple paragraphs.
Also, the GRE generally includes an unscored experimental section, which can be a Quant section or a Verbal section. So, you may see an additional 10 Reading Comprehension questions in an experimental Verbal section. However, those questions will not count toward your GRE Verbal score.
KEY FACT:
You’ll see roughly 13 RC questions on the GRE.
Now that we know how many Reading Comprehension questions are on the GRE, let’s review the types of Reading Comprehension questions that appear on the GRE.
The Types of GRE Reading Comprehension Questions
There are two main categories of GRE Reading Comprehension questions. Those two categories are conventional Reading Comprehension questions and Critical Reasoning questions, which are logic-focused questions about arguments or scenarios.
KEY FACT:
There are two main categories of GRE Reading Comprehension questions: conventional Reading Comprehension questions and Critical Reasoning questions.
Let’s first consider conventional Reading Comprehension questions.
Conventional Reading Comprehension Questions
The following are the 7 different types of conventional Reading Comprehension questions that you may encounter on the GRE.
- Main Idea
Main idea questions ask you to summarize the main point or purpose of a passage, or in the case of some multi-paragraph passages, one paragraph of a passage. These questions also sometimes ask you to choose an appropriate title for a passage. - Author’s Tone
Author’s Tone questions ask you what the overall tone of the author is in the passage, or what the author’s general attitude toward the subject matter discussed in the passage is. - Function
Function questions ask you what function a specific sentence performs, why a particular detail is mentioned, or which sentence performs a particular function in a passage. - Passage Organization
Passage Organization questions ask you how a passage is structured overall, or in the case of some multi-paragraph passages, how one paragraph of a passage is structured. These questions also may ask you what the relationship is between two paragraphs in a multi-paragraph passage. - Vocabulary
Vocabulary questions ask you the meaning of a highlighted word in the passage, calling on your skill in understanding the meanings of words in context and how particular words relate to other parts of a passage. - Info-Based
Info-Based questions ask you to identify and interpret details presented in a passage or to draw a logical conclusion based on statements made or evidence presented in the passage. - Extended Reasoning
Extended Reasoning questions ask you to apply information from the passage to a context outside of what the passage discusses, testing your ability to identify relationships or scenarios that are analogous.
KEY FACT:
There are 7 different types of conventional Reading Comprehension questions that can appear on the GRE.
Let’s now consider the types of GRE Critical Reasoning questions.
Critical Reasoning Questions
The following are the seven different types of Critical Reasoning questions that you may encounter on the GRE.
- Assumption
Assumption questions ask you to identify an assumption upon which the conclusion of an argument or line of reasoning presented in the passage depends. - Weaken
Weaken questions ask you to determine which of the new pieces of evidence given in the answer choices would most seriously weaken an argument or cast doubt on a conclusion presented in the passage. - Strengthen
The opposite of Weaken questions, Strengthen questions ask you to determine which of the new pieces of evidence given in the answer choices would most strengthen an argument or provide the strongest support for a conclusion presented in the passage. - Paradox
Paradox questions ask you to determine which answer choice provides the new information necessary to resolve a contradictory situation or reconcile a discrepancy that is apparent in the passage. - Complete the Passage
Complete the Passage questions ask you to fill in a blank at the end of a one-paragraph passage. Your job is to select the statement among the answer choices that logically completes the passage. - Inference
Inference questions ask you to find an unwritten conclusion that must be true given what a passage says. - Boldface
Boldface questions ask you to identify the roles that parts of a passage marked in boldface play in an argument.
KEY FACT:
There are 7 main types of Critical Reasoning questions that can appear on the GRE.
Now, let’s move on to 7 key GRE Reading Comprehension tips.
Tip 1: Comprehension is Key
The foundation of preparing effectively for GRE Reading Comprehension is understanding that it does indeed test comprehension.
Regardless of what knowledge of RC question types we have or what RC strategies we use, we have to understand what we’re reading to answer RC questions correctly. In other words, while GRE Reading Comprehension tips and tricks may help us to answer RC questions, ultimately, we’ll have to understand something a passage says in order to answer each RC question we see.
For instance, while keywords may help us to find information we need to answer a question, simply finding that information in the passage generally won’t be sufficient for correctly answering the question. We’ll have to understand the information and use that understanding to answer the question.
If we try to answer RC questions without understanding what we’re reading, we’ll consistently have trouble getting the questions correct. On the other hand, by basing our approach to GRE RC on the fact that it tests comprehension, we’ll effectively attack the passages and use the information in the passages to correctly answer the questions.
TTP PRO TIP:
To effectively attack RC passages and get the questions correct, base your RC approach on the idea that GRE RC tests comprehension.
Let’s now discuss a key characteristic of GRE RC that we need to be aware of to perform at a high level.
Tip 2: Master the Art of Distinguishing Trap Choices From Correct Ones
If we had to identify the one thing that makes GRE Reading Comprehension challenging, it would probably be the way the answer choices are designed. They aren’t designed to be straightforward. Instead, RC answer choices are designed so that incorrect choices seem correct and correct answers seem incorrect.
For example, some incorrect choices are written to be half correct. So, to avoid selecting these trap choices, we have to be careful to read choices in their entirety. Other incorrect choices will use wording that closely matches the wording of the passage. So, to avoid these trap choices, we have to go beyond matching words to carefully considering the meaning conveyed by those words.
Meanwhile, correct answers can be worded quite differently from the passage. For example, a correct answer can reverse the wording of the passage to convey an equivalent meaning. So, we have to learn to recognize that a choice is supported by the passage even though, at first glance, the choice seems different from the passage.
In general, both incorrect choices and correct answers in GRE Reading Comprehension will play on our cognitive biases and any tendencies we have to gloss over what we read or fail to pay attention to detail. What all this means is that, to perform at a high level on RC, we have to master the art of telling the difference between trap choices and correct answers.
TTP PRO TIP:
To perform at a high level on GRE Reading Comprehension, we have to master the art of telling the difference between trap choices and correct answers.
Let’s now discuss why it’s helpful to learn a reliable strategy for answering each type of GRE RC question.
Tip 3: Have a Strategy for Each Type of RC Question
Having a clear strategy for answering each type of GRE Reading Comprehension question can be super helpful for a few reasons.
Different types of RC questions require different skills. So, by having a specific strategy for answering each type of GRE RC question, we’re more likely to arrive at correct answers. After all, there’s a big difference between muddling through answering a question and knowing exactly how to answer that type of question.
Furthermore, having a complete set of GRE Reading Comprehension strategies can help us answer RC questions efficiently, so that we complete the GRE Verbal section within the allotted time. After all, we won’t have to spend time figuring out how to answer the questions. Rather, we’ll know exactly what to do and just do it.
Another major reason for referring back to the passage is that, as we have discussed, RC questions have trap choices designed to appear to fit the passage. So, it’s easy to decide that an incorrect choice is correct if you go on your impressions or memory of what the passage says. The beautiful thing is that you can totally avoid making such a mistake by referring back to the passage to determine whether a choice is in fact supported.
TTP PRO TIP:
To maximize your GRE RC performance, learn a reliable strategy for answering each type of RC question.
Let’s now discuss an indispensable part of your GRE RC approach, referring back to the passage.
Tip 4: Always Refer Back to the Passage
Unless you can quickly memorize an entire RC passage (I don’t recommend trying to), a key part of your approach to GRE RC will be referring back to the passage each time you answer a question. After all, RC is a test of comprehension, not memorization, and the information you need for answering the questions is right there in the passage. So, using that information is the path to success.
One reason for referring back to the passage is that doing so allows you to read the passage faster. Since you know that you’re going to refer back to the passage when you answer the questions, you don’t have to memorize or even fully process every detail of a passage as you read it. Rather, to prepare to answer the questions, you can read to understand the overall message of the passage and note where details lie within the passage. Of course, by reading the passage in this way, you’ll get through it more quickly than you would if you were to painstakingly read it to fully capture every detail.
Another major reason for referring back to the passage is that, as we have discussed, RC questions have trap choices designed to appear to fit the passage. So, it’s easy to decide that an incorrect choice is correct if you go on your impressions or memory of what the passage says. The beautiful thing is that you can totally avoid making such a mistake by referring back to the passage to determine whether a choice is in fact supported.
TTP PRO TIP:
The information you need for answering GRE RC questions is right there in the passage. So, refer back to the passage and use that information!
Let’s now discuss the importance of precision in Reading Comprehension.
Tip 5: Precision Is a Major Aspect of RC Success
Imagine I told you that, by making one simple move, you may increase your GRE Verbal score by 5 points in a matter of days. Well, you don’t have to imagine it, because I’m going to. That move is to be more precise in how you go about answering GRE Verbal questions, including Reading Comprehension questions. Here’s why being precise is integral to RC success.
What makes a Reading Comprehension answer choice incorrect or correct can hinge on just one or two words, a subtle difference in meaning, or another inconspicuous detail. So, unless you’re being precise in your work, you can easily miss the differences between choices that enable you to eliminate trap choices and arrive at correct answers.
For example, a passage might say that someone failed to understand a theory, and an answer choice in a question about that passage might say that the person was not aware of that theory. Notice how similar “failed to understand” and “was not aware of” can seem. If we were not being precise in considering that incorrect choice, we could easily decide that it matches what the passage says. So, you can see why precision is essential in RC.
To be precise in answering GRE Reading Comprehension questions, we must read entire choices, rather than decide that a choice is correct or incorrect after reading part of it. Also, we must pay careful attention to the exact words used in choices. In general, don’t go with a vibe or a vague impression. Rather, be exact and complete in your work.
TTP PRO TIP:
To maximize your GRE RC performance, be careful and precise in your work.
Let’s now discuss an approach we can use to solve particularly challenging GRE RC questions.
Tip 6: Work From the Worst Choice to the Best
Sometimes, when we first go through the answer choices in a hard GRE Reading Comprehension multiple-choice question, most or all of the choices seem correct. Our first reaction in seeing such a question can be a combination of dismay and wondering whether there even is one choice that’s truly better than the others.
However, since the Educational Testing Service uses a rigorous process in creating GRE RC questions, we can be confident that there is only one correct answer to the question (unless it is a multiple-answer question). So, we have to find a way to that one correct answer, and a great approach is to work from the worst answer choice to the best one.
How the Worst-to-Best Approach Works
To work from the worst answer choice to the best one, we start comparing the choices with the passage and look for anything we can use to eliminate one choice. Eventually, we’ll see something that will prompt us to eliminate one choice. For example, perhaps a choice actually says the opposite of what the passage says. Great! Now, we’ve whittled the question down from a five-choice question to a four-choice one. Even if the remaining choices all still appear to be correct, we have a little less to deal with.
Then, we keep following the same process, continuing to find ways to eliminate one choice at a time. Eventually, we’ll get the choices down to the two that seem the most correct. At that point, we have to be very careful; in all likelihood, one of those choices is a cleverly written trap. However, the good thing is that we’re now faced with a two-choice question, and by carefully comparing those last two choices with the passage, we should be able to determine which choice is correct.
The beauty of this approach is that it allows us to find the correct answer using an incremental process, even if initially we had no clue which choice is correct. This process works well regardless of whether all five choices seem correct at first or just three or four.
TTP PRO TIP:
If most or all of the answer choices in an RC question seem correct initially, an effective way to arrive at the correct answer is to work from the worst choice to the best.
Let’s now discuss a key aspect of how to study for GRE Reading Comprehension.
Tip 7: Practice Untimed at First
When taking the GRE, we have on average 1.5 minutes to answer each question in the Verbal section. As a result, many GRE students practice Reading Comprehension by setting a timer and giving themselves around 1.5 minutes for each question. However, that strategy is not great for maximizing the results of your GRE Reading Comprehension practice. In fact, the use of that strategy often keeps GRE students from mastering RC, and here’s why.
During your GRE prep, you aren’t taking the GRE. Rather, you’re training for it, and 1.5 minutes per question simply isn’t enough time to learn how to answer RC questions correctly.
When you’re practicing GRE RC, the goal is learning to read the passages in the optimal way, find information in the passages, analyze questions choice by choice, avoid traps, and arrive at correct answers. Sure, once you’ve prepared for a while, you’ll be able to do all these things in a minute or two per question. However, when you’re studying for the GRE, they will be new to you. So, doing them well will take much more time per question.
Learning to do these things well is essential for your GRE RC success. So, when practicing, you should give yourself enough time to do these things well and arrive at correct answers, even if enough time is 10 minutes or more on one question. In other words, start off doing GRE Reading Comprehension practice problems untimed, focusing on accuracy and skill development. Speed will come with skill.
TTP PRO TIP:
The best way to master GRE Reading Comprehension is to practice untimed at first, focusing on accuracy and skill development. Speed will come with skill.
Let’s review what we’ve discussed.
Summary: How to Crack Reading Comprehension in the GRE
To master GRE Reading Comprehension, we have to keep at the forefront of our minds the fact that RC does indeed test comprehension. So, we must be careful readers who aim to understand what passages are saying.
Also, it’s important to be aware that answering GRE RC questions is, to a large degree, about telling the difference between trap choices and correct answers.
Finally, to prepare effectively, we must learn a reliable strategy for each question type and develop our skills by doing untimed practice at first.
By preparing in this manner and using great GRE preparation resources, we can master Reading Comprehension and score high on GRE Verbal.
What’s Next?
To continue on your way to GRE success, here’s a comprehensive guide to earning a 330+ GRE score.
Not sure what kind of GRE Verbal score will impress graduate schools? Check out this guide to what a good GRE score is.
Then, take your GRE prep to the next level with a 5-day, all-access trial of the TTP GRE Course for just $1. With personalized study plans and live expert support, we’ve got your back!
