GRE Verbal Reasoning Scores

The GRE is made up of five graded, or scored, sections: one Analytical Writing section, two Verbal Reasoning sections, and two Quantitative Reasoning sections. The Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections result in section scores as well as total scores. The Analytical Writing section does not contribute to your total GRE score and is scored separately. There are three types of questions on the Verbal Reasoning sections: Reading Comprehension, Text Completion, and Sentence Equivalence.

Reading Comprehension questions account for approximately 50% of all Verbal Reasoning questions, Text Completion questions account for 25%, and Sentence Equivalence questions account for the remaining 25%. Verbal Reasoning questions either ask students to analyze and answer questions about a passage (Reading Comprehension), or to fill in the blanks in a sentence or paragraph using a selection of provided vocabulary words (Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence).

There are a total of 27 Verbal Reasoning questions (12 questions in the first section and 15 questions in the second section). You have 18 minutes to complete the first Verbal Reasoning section and 23 minutes to complete the second Verbal Reasoning section. As you can see, this mean you have less than two minutes per Verbal Reasoning question, which means you must quickly identify the type of question you are being asked and employ an effective strategy to arrive at the correct answer or answers.

Verbal Reasoning scores fall within a range of 130-170. While you receive points for correct answers, you do not lose points for incorrect answers; you simply receive no credit. You will receive your unofficial GRE scores upon completing your exam, and official GRE will be sent to you within approximately 8-10 days after completing the exam.

Computer Adaptation and Scoring

The GRE is computer adaptive at the section level. This means that your performance on the first Verbal Reasoning section affects the difficulty of the questions you will receive on the second section. If you perform well on the first section, you will be given more challenging questions on the second section. If you perform poorly on the first section, the questions you receive on the second section will be less challenging. While some test-takers may choose to perform poorly on the first section in order to purposefully have easier questions to answer on the second section, this is a mistake and not recommended by industry professionals.

This is because the GRE takes the difficulty level of a section into account when converting your raw score into a standardized score. More difficult sections will be associated with higher scores, which is why you should do your absolute best on the first Verbal Reasoning section.

Verbal Reasoning Techniques and Strategies

The GRE Verbal Reasoning sections tend to be more difficult for non-native speakers of English. This is because it is important to know what words mean in context, rather than simply memorizing their definition. Think of words as the paints on your palate: not only do you need to be capable of naming and using them individually, you must also be able to blend them together to create new colors. In order to achieve a top Verbal Reasoning score, you must be familiar with nuances and shades of meaning, as well as distinctions and similarities between words. How can you learn to perform at such a high level? Through dedicated, methodical study, perhaps with additional help from an instructor or tutor if there are particular content areas that trouble you.

GRE Vocabulary Builder

One of the most challenging components of earning a top Verbal Reasoning section score is absorbing enough vocabulary to excel at the Sentence Equivalence and Text Completion questions. Effective vocabulary building takes time, so you should begin studying vocabulary words very early in your GRE preparation process. The first step to expanding your vocabulary to find a list of vocabulary words to review. At Manhattan Review, we use a proprietary list with our students, but there are numerous free vocabulary building lists available on the internet. One of the best free options for test-takers is the Magoosh GRE Vocabulary Flashcards, which contain numerous vocabulary lists separated by difficulty level, and presented in a format that makes it easy to identify the words you do not fully understand.

Once you have identified words that you need to spend additional time on, start by looking the words up in a dictionary, or multiple dictionaries, paying special attention to how the word is used in various contexts or how its usage has evolved over time. Search the word on the internet and try to find some usage that you can remember it by. For some words, you may remember an exemplary usage from classic literature; for others, you may remember them because they describe one of your pets or friends. The specific association does not matter; what matters is forming connections that are meaningful to you, as these connections are the key to expanding your vocabulary.

Summary of Vocabulary Building Strategies:

  1. Find a list of vocabulary words common to the GRE to study
  2. Identify the words you don’t understand
  3. Search for the words online or in dictionaries to understand how they are used in different contexts and how their meanings have changed over time
  4. Create associations between words and people, places, or things that matter to you to help you remember the meaning of the word and how to use it in various sentences

GRE Reading Comprehension

Manhattan Review offers several strategies to help you approach Reading Comprehension questions. Firstly, try to fall in love with each reading passage or at the very least, find something that sparks a reaction. Maybe the passage contains the name of an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend. Maybe you thoroughly disagree with or despise the topic of the passage. Or maybe the passage reminds you of a treasured childhood experience with a grandparent. However small it may be and however much you must force yourself, do your best to establish a connection, good or bad, positive or negative, with the passage, as this will improve your focus and make it easier to get through otherwise dry and boring sections of text.

Second, if you are not a native speaker of English or not an especially fast reader, you will want to focus on improving your reading speed. You can improve your reading speed, as well as your ability to comprehend complex material, by consistently reading a diverse selection of articles from publications such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, American Scientist, Popular Science, The Economist, and other magazines or scientific journals that contain GRE-like content. A top GRE score is not something that can be achieved overnight; it must be worked towards over the course of weeks or ideally, months.

A third useful strategy for Reading Comprehension questions is to continually summarize the passage while you are reading. GRE passages are deliberately written with challenging and convoluted language to make the gist difficult to understand, and simple notes can help immensely. Note-taking style is extremely subjective, which means it is important to find and use a style that can help you efficiently extract and remember the information contained in the reading passage. Abbreviate technical and difficult terms where possible and become comfortable inferring the meanings of unfamiliar words. It is equally important to learn how to skim the details and cut out the extraneous information included only to confuse you or slow you down; only remember (and keep track of) what is important.

Summary of Reading Comprehension Strategies:

  1. Find a way to connect with the passage
  2. Improve your reading speed and speed of comprehension by regularly reading challenging articles or books
  3. Continually summarize the passage as you read it
  4. Practice identifying important details and ignoring unnecessary information in high-level publications

Preparation Materials

Manhattan Review offers three preparation guides for the Verbal Reasoning sections of the GRE:

  • the GRE Reading Comprehension Guide
  • the GRE Sentence Equivalence & Text Completion Guide
  • the GRE Vocabulary Builder 

Taking a practice test to evaluate your strenths and weaknesses may help you determine what preparation materials are right for you. If you enroll in a prep course, your instructor will provide comprehensive Verbal Reasoning preparation. If you prefer to work with a private tutor where you can learn at your own pace, your tutor will work with you to customize the curriculum, tailoring their instruction to your specific needs and interests. Contact Manhattan Review today to learn more about raising your GRE score through mastering the Verbal Reasoning sections and ensure you are thoroughly prepared on the day of your exam.

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