In this article, we’re going discuss best practices for the reading comprehension section of the GMAT exam. You can either read this article or watch this GMAT reading...
In this article, we’re going to discuss best reading comprehension practices for the GMAT exam. You can either read this article or watch this GMAT reading comprehension video on YouTube. To make things easier to digest, we’ve broken the contents of the video up into 3 parts. In this segment, hosted by one of MyGuru's most experienced GMAT tutors, we will outline the overall steps of the reading comprehension process. In part 1 of this article, we discussed the frequency and format of reading comprehension questions and their strategic implications. In part 2, we worked through a few examples of reading comprehension questions. If you haven’t yet read those, we suggest you go back and make sure you understand them first.
Summary of the Reading Comprehension Process
Step 1: Identify the question task
When taking a reading comprehension test, it is crucial to read each question thoroughly and understand what is being asked of you. Depending on the question, you may need to identify specific details, make inferences, or analyze the author's tone or purpose. Take note of whether the question is broad or narrow in scope and make sure you understand what you are being asked to do.
Step 2: Read what you need to address in that subject and task
Once you have identified the question's focus and task, you can determine the most effective reading strategy. If the question is broad, you may need to do a full read of the passage and take notes to ensure you have a clear understanding of the text's main ideas. However, if the question is more specific, a targeted reading approach may be more effective. In this case, you would focus on the relevant section of the passage, re-reading as necessary to answer the question accurately.
Step 3: Prediction
After understanding the question and reading the relevant passage, make a prediction about the answer before looking at the answer choices. This will help you to avoid being swayed by answer choices that seem plausible but are ultimately incorrect. If you have a clear understanding of the text's main ideas and details, you will be better equipped to make an accurate prediction.
Step 4: Elimination
When answering a multiple-choice question, it is essential to eliminate incorrect answer choices systematically. Focus on objective criteria such as actions and descriptions presented in the passage to eliminate options. If you are down to two answer choices, choose the option with fewer direct references from the passage and less absolute claims. Often, a less bold or less extreme answer is more likely to be correct. If all else fails, choose a bland answer rather than a highly specific or highly subjective one.
By following these steps, you can approach reading comprehension questions in a systematic, effective way, which can help you to maximize your score on the test.
Conclusion
We hope this overview of the reading comprehension process has demystified the steps necessary to excel on these kinds of questions!
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