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Last Updated on November 15, 2023
People planning to take the GRE General Test (GRE) to apply to graduate school typically spend a few months preparing. However, if you’re reading this article, you likely have some reason why you’re wondering how to improve your GRE Verbal score in about a week. So, I’m going to discuss 7 steps for maximizing your GRE Verbal score in a relatively short time.
Here are the topics we’ll cover:
- The GRE Verbal Reasoning Section
- Step 1: Familiarize Yourself With the GRE Verbal Questions
- Step 2: Take a Practice GRE
- Step 3: Analyze Your Practice Test Results
- Step 4: Do a Mix of Learning and Practicing
- Step 5: Improve Your Execution
- Step 6: Work on Vocabulary as You Go
- Step 7: Do Timed Practice to Get Into GRE Mode
- In Conclusion
- What’s Next?
Let’s begin our discussion with a quick overview of the Verbal Reasoning section of the GRE.
The GRE Verbal Reasoning Section
The GRE includes four scored sections. Two of sections are Verbal Reasoning. The first section is 18 minutes long and includes 12 questions, and the second section is 23 minutes long and includes 15 questions. The first section is 18 minutes long and includes 12 questions, and the second section is 23 minutes long and includes 15 questions. These questions are of three main types: Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence, and Reading Comprehension.
KEY FACT:
The first GRE Verbal section is 18 minutes long and includes 12 questions, and the second GRE Verbal section is 23 minutes long and includes 15 questions.
GRE Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence Questions
GRE Text Completion (TC) questions require test-takers to choose words that logically fill blanks in sentences. There are three types of TC questions: one-blank, two-blank, and three-blank.
GRE Sentence Equivalence (SE) questions are similar to Text Completion questions in that SE questions also involve choosing words that logically fill blanks in sentences. However, whereas TC questions require choosing one word for each blank, SE questions require you to choose two words that convey the same meaning in the context of the given sentence.
GRE Reading Comprehension Questions
Answering GRE Reading Comprehension (RC) questions involves reading a passage, and then answering one or more questions about that passage. GRE RC questions appear in the following eight formats:
- Main Idea – These questions ask you to identify the main idea or primary purpose of a passage or of a paragraph within a passage.
- Author’s Tone – These questions ask about the overall tone or attitude of the author toward something discussed in a passage.
- Function – These questions ask you to determine the purpose of a sentence or thing mentioned in a passage or determine which sentence has a certain purpose in a passage.
- Passage Organization – These questions ask you to identify how a passage or paragraph within a passage is organized.
- Vocabulary – These questions ask you to determine the meaning a word conveys in the context of a passage.
- Info-Based – These questions ask you to determine what statements are supported by the information in a passage.
- Extended Reasoning – These questions ask you to apply something discussed in a passage to a context outside the passage.
- Critical Reasoning – These questions, sometimes called “Paragraph Argument” questions, present arguments or information — typically in very short passages — and ask you to determine which answer choice has a particular logical relationship with the passage.
KEY FACT:
There are eight main types of Reading Comprehension questions in GRE Verbal.
Having covered the basics of the Verbal section of the GRE, let’s now discuss how to increase your Verbal GRE score.
Step 1: Familiarize Yourself With the GRE Verbal Questions
Regardless of whether you’re planning to prepare for the GRE Verbal Section for a week or for a few months, a key first step is to familiarize yourself with the types of Verbal questions that appear on the GRE. As we just saw, the GRE Verbal section includes Text Completion questions, Sentence Equivalence Questions, and multiple types of Reading Comprehension questions. If you’re not already familiar with all these types of questions, for best results from your GRE Verbal prep, get a sense of how to handle the questions by learning how they work and answering some practice questions of each type.
Take Advantage of a Trial of the TTP Course
One easy way to familiarize yourself with GRE Verbal questions is to sign up for a 5-day trial of the Target Test Prep (TTP) GRE Course. A trial of the TTP Course is only $1, and you can strategically use it for this part of your prep.
To use the course to familiarize yourself with the various GRE Verbal question types, you could go to the Chapters section of the course and read the following:
- All of “Introduction to Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence”
- The first 4 lessons of “One-Blank Text Completion Questions”
- The first 3 lessons of “Sentence Equivalence Questions”
- All of “Introduction to Reading Comprehension”
- The first 7 lessons of “Main Idea and Author’s Tone Questions”
- The first 4 lessons of “Function, Passage Organization, and Vocab RC Questions”
- The first 7 lessons of “Info-Based and Extended Reasoning Questions”
- All of “Introduction to Critical Reasoning RC Questions”
That list may seem pretty long, given that we’re talking about how to increase your GRE Verbal score in about a week. However, some of those lessons are very short. So, you should be able to complete the list in a couple of days’ worth of studying. By reading those portions of the course, which include example questions, you can get a good foundation in GRE Verbal.
TTP PRO TIP:
A key first GRE Verbal preparation step is to familiarize yourself with the types of Verbal questions that appear on the GRE.
Let’s now discuss your next step, taking an official practice GRE.
Step 2: Take a Practice GRE
Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the types of Verbal questions that appear on the GRE, if you haven’t already taken a GRE practice test, your next move is to take an official practice GRE. By taking a practice test, you’ll see where your GRE Verbal skills stand. Also, you’ll get a clearer sense of what you’re preparing for.
To take an official practice test, go to ets.org, the website of the maker of the GRE, and create an account. Then, take one of the free PowerPrep practice tests. For best results, take the entire test, including the Analytical Writing section. Also, mimic GRE test conditions by not pausing the test or taking breaks other than those that will be allowed when you take the actual GRE.
TTP PRO TIP:
By taking a practice test, you’ll see where your GRE skills stand and get a clearer sense of what you’re preparing for.
Let’s now discuss analyzing your practice test results to determine what to focus on.
Step 3: Analyze Your Practice Test Results
At this point, if you’ve followed the preceding steps, you have a decent understanding of how most types of GRE Verbal questions work. Also, you’ve seen those questions in action on an official GRE practice test. You now have your practice test results, which indicate not only how you’d score on the Verbal section of the GRE right now, but also which types of questions you should focus on as you prepare.
The two Verbal sections of the practice test, like the actual GRE, include a total of roughly 7 Text Completion questions, 7 Sentence Equivalence questions, and 13 Reading Comprehension questions. Using the Review function, you can analyze your performance on each question type. Calculate your percentage correct for each question type by counting the number of questions of that type you got correct and dividing by the total number of questions of that type.
The information you get by doing these calculations is very useful. It will tell you whether you should focus your GRE Verbal prep primarily on certain types of questions or you should work on the entire Verbal section in a balanced way. For example, if you get 85 percent of the Text Completion, 70 percent of the Sentence Equivalence, and 50 percent of the Reading Comprehension questions correct, then you know to focus mainly on RC. Alternatively, it may be clear from your test results that you should work on all types of questions equally.
TTP PRO TIP:
Use your practice test results to determine whether to focus your GRE Verbal prep primarily on certain question types or work on the entire Verbal section in a balanced way.
Let’s now discuss how to increase your GRE Verbal score by developing more knowledge and stronger skills.
Step 4: Do a Mix of Learning and Practicing
If you study for GRE Verbal for only about a week, you won’t have time to learn a huge number of GRE Verbal concepts and strategies. However, learning some high-value concepts and strategies will help you maximize the results of your week of GRE preparation. Accordingly, your daily GRE prep routine could involve spending some time learning concepts and strategies and the rest practicing.
For instance, using the TTP GRE Course, in a day, you could work on one-blank TC questions and Function questions. For each one, you’d first learn the basics of answering that type of question. Then, you would practice answering questions of that type.
TTP PRO TIP:
A smart daily GRE prep routine would be to spend some time learning concepts and strategies and the rest practicing.
Practice One Topic at a Time
One of the best ways to improve your GRE Verbal score is to focus on one question type at a time when practicing. By practicing one question type at a time, you can use what you learn in answering one practice question to better answer the next one, and thus develop your skills.
So, for example, let’s say you do what we just discussed and work on one-blank TC questions and Function questions during a particular day. When practicing, you would focus on one of those types of questions at a time, answering many such questions to develop skill in that one type.
A great source of GRE Verbal practice questions categorized by topic is the TTP GRE course. The course includes example questions with each lesson and chapter tests focused on each question type. Alternatively, you could do topic-focused practice by going through the Official Guide to the GRE and answering one type of Verbal question at a time.
TTP PRO TIP:
A key aspect of effective GRE Verbal practice is to work topic by topic, focusing on one question type at a time to master answering questions of that type.
Practicing is going to be an important aspect of how you increase your GRE Verbal score. Let’s now discuss a key thing to work on as you practice.
Step 5: Improve Your Execution
In total, there are about 17 different types of GRE Verbal questions. At the same time, we’re talking about how to improve on GRE Verbal in about a week. So, you won’t have time to learn a lot about each of those question types. However, there is something you can work on that applies to answering Verbal questions of all types correctly: good execution.
In fact, one of the best GRE Verbal improvement tips is to improve execution. By improving your execution, you’ll improve your performance on all types of GRE Verbal questions.
The best way to improve your execution is to answer GRE Verbal practice questions untimed and focus on accuracy. By answering practice questions in this way, you can repeatedly go through the motions that lead to success. A key factor here is that the same basic things that lead to success in answering one type of GRE Verbal question lead to success in answering the other types. Let’s talk about what those things are.
Reading Carefully
Regardless of what type of GRE Verbal question you’re answering, reading carefully and paying close attention to details is going to help you get it correct.
Carefully Considering Every Answer Choice
Another key aspect of doing well in GRE Verbal is carefully considering every answer choice. You’ll get more questions correct if you read every choice and really think about why it’s incorrect or correct than you will if you quickly eliminate or choose choices without fully analyzing them.
Basing Your Answers on Solid Logic
When you’re answering GRE Verbal questions, it’s tempting to choose an answer on the basis of hunches or for vague reasons. However, to improve execution and accuracy, when doing your untimed Verbal practice, look for solid, logic-based reasons for choosing your answers. In the beginning, answering a question in this way may take a few minutes or more. However, by continuing to practice, you’ll develop skill and naturally speed up.
TTP PRO TIP:
The best way to improve your GRE Verbal execution is to answer practice questions untimed and focus on accuracy.
Let’s now talk about another aspect of studying for the GRE Verbal section, learning vocabulary.
Step 6: Work on Vocabulary as You Go
Normally, in preparing for the GRE, people study anywhere from around 500 to around 1,200 GRE vocabulary words. However, studying for about a week, you won’t have time to master that many words. What you can do is at least study vocabulary words you don’t know that you see in practice questions. One reason why doing so can be helpful is that you’ll likely already be somewhat familiar with many of the words. So, often, by putting a little energy into learning words, you can quickly go from being somewhat familiar with words to knowing exactly what they mean.
To study GRE vocabulary, you can create a document into which you place each vocabulary word you don’t know. Then, you can put the definition of each word directly below the word. You can find definitions online or in a GRE vocabulary list, such as the one in the Resources section of the TTP GRE course. Clearly, if you’re planning to prepare for about a week, your personal list won’t be very long. However, you can at least learn some common GRE vocabulary words.
Once a day, you can scroll through your list, seeking to define each word. If you don’t recall a definition, you can scroll down to the definition below the word and review it. As you learn words, you can move ones you’ve mastered to the bottom of the document in a “Mastered” section.
TTP PRO TIP:
Often, by putting a little energy into learning words, you can quickly go from being somewhat familiar with words to knowing exactly what they mean.
Finally, during the last day or two of your week of GRE Verbal preparation, you should start doing timed practice. Let’s discuss that now.
Step 7: Do Timed Practice to Get Into GRE Mode
Whether you prepare for the GRE for a week or for months, most of your practice should be untimed, so that you have time to learn and improve your execution. However, toward the end of your preparation, you should start practicing timed to get into GRE mode.
Your timed practice could involve simply doing sets of practice questions with a timer going and giving yourself an average of 1:30 per Verbal question, as the GRE will. However, you could also take another practice test as part of your timed practice. Keep in mind that it’s not a good idea to take a practice test the day before you take the actual GRE. You could, however, take a test two or three days before.
TTP PRO TIP:
For best results, do most of your GRE Verbal practice untimed, but do some timed practice toward the end of your preparation.
In Conclusion
By taking the following steps to prepare for the Verbal section of the GRE, you can increase your GRE Verbal score, and you may be able to hit your GRE score goal in about a week:
- Familiarize yourself with the GRE Verbal questions.
- Take a practice GRE.
- Analyze your practice test results.
- Do a mix of learning and practicing.
- Improve your execution.
- Work on vocabulary as you go.
- Do timed practice to get into GRE mode.
What’s Next?
For some more GRE score improvement tips, see this post on how to prepare for GRE quant and this one on how to increase your accuracy on the GRE.
