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Top Ten Ways for Better Scores on GRE Reading Passages

By posted April 30, 2012

Like figuring out the privacy settings on Facebook, or explaining the anti-aging abilities of Madonna, better scores on the Reading Comprehension questions on the Revised GRE can sometimes feel elusive. There are no “formulas” for GRE RC, but luckily there are some quick tips to better GRE scores on Reading Comprehension. These ten tips will help you turn a bad GRE score into a good GRE score; unlike doing your taxes for the IRS, the GRE doesn’t have to be painful.

1. Find the Main Idea at the bottom of the first paragraph. Just like most 5-paragraph essays, the author of a reading passage on the GRE will often put the thesis at the bottom of the introductory paragraph. If you see any questions that use keywords like “main idea” or “purpose,” look here first.

2. Use your scratch pad! It’s there for a reason. You can’t possible remember every piece of information from the passage, so take short notes to help you focus.

3. Avoid skimming. Try to find the “big picture” of the passage, but if you skim, you’ll be going back through the passage inch-by-inch later on, searching for the answers to the more specific questions! Read thoroughly the first time.

Get more help with RC by setting up a private 1 hour lesson with one of Grockit’s GRE tutors.

4. Come up with your own answer. For each question write down a Prediction based on your notes and your understanding of the passage. Process of elimination is a much more effective method than simply going straight to the answer choices as written.

5. Remember that Details support Functions. If a question asks you why the author includes a specific detail from the passage, consider that all the details within a paragraph are generally used to support the function of that paragraph. Read more »

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How to Get Every Vocab-in-Context Question Correct on the GRE

By posted April 12, 2012

Every day, we learn something new – from the discovery of the supergiant amphipod to the latest innovative cancer treatments, humans are constantly discovering that there is more to our world than meets the eye. Your GRE test prep might not feel as exciting as some of these other breakthroughs, but Vocab-in-Context questions are good opportunities to discover new vocabulary in your GRE test prep, and like these discoveries, there is also more to this question type than meets the eye. V-in-C questions look simple, but can be deceptively challenging. Don’t you just have to know the definition of the word? Nope! In fact, the common definition is often wrong (but usually one of the answer choices).

You can learn more about how to approach GRE Reading Comp in Grockit’s Video Course for the GRE.

Let’s look at how a question might appear on the GRE test.

In line 19, the word fathom means?

You may see this question and think, I know what “fathom” means. It’s like to be able to understand or comprehend. Scanning the answer choices, you’d see the following options:

  1. plaintive
  2. secondary
  3. understandable
  4. measure
  5. florid Read more »

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Structure of Ideas Question on the GRE

By posted April 6, 2012

Structure of Ideas questions on the revised GRE reading comprehension section will ask you to understand how the passage is laid out, structurally, as opposed to the ideas contained within the passage’s details. The focus is on identifying the keywords including any relevant punctuation and transitions.

Make sure you know how to answer each type of reading comprehension question.  Get plenty of practice at Grockit, and set up private lessons with expert instructors to answer all of your questions.

To get better scores on the GRE, and on Structure of Ideas questions in general, you will need to look at 1) transition words/phrase, and 2) topic sentences. These two things will give you the biggest clues as to how the ideas of the passage are put together. Let’s look at a sample paragraph with the important transitions and topic sentences highlighted:

The origin of the moon remains a subject of contention for some theorists.  There is one contingent that insists that the moon was formed in the same way that the planets of the inner solar-system were. Read more »

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Conquering Short Passages on the Revised GRE

By posted April 4, 2012

One benefit to the Revised GRE test is that there are two short Verbal sections with 20 questions each instead of one long section. Another is that you can now freely move back and forth between questions within a given section. This means that you will be able to answer look at questions and choose the order in which you can answer them.

According to the official GRE website, “reading comprehension passages are drawn from the physical sciences, the biological sciences, the social sciences, the arts and humanities, and everyday topics, and are based on material found in books and periodicals, both academic and nonacademic. The passages range in length from one paragraph to four or five paragraphs.”

New to the Revised GRE? Try this GRE Reading Comprehension practice question to get a feel for the format of the questions!

So how should your approach change from longer to shorter passages? For longer passages, it makes sense to thoroughly read and take notes on the important information presented (main idea, function of each paragraph, author’s point of view, etc.). Shorter passages, however, will usually only be accompanied by 1-2 questions.

Therefore it makes sense to read the questions first before looking at the passage. Quickly identify the pieces of information you’ll need to find. For example, let’s say the first question asks about the “Main Idea” and the second question asks about the Logic behind the author’s use of a specific detail. You will only have two tasks as you read: find the purpose, and find out why the detail is included.  There’s no point in trying to focus on the author’s point of view if it isn’t necessary to answer any of the given questions! Make your job as simple as possible. J

Creating these clear tasks for yourself is an effective strategy for shorter passages, since you don’t have as much text to decipher.

Ready for more GRE practice? Check out the new Revised GRE lobby in Grockit – study with other students, and ask for help when you need it by clicking the blue “Ask for Help” button. The best way to learn is together!

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How to Approach “Select One Choice” RC Questions on the GRE

By posted March 28, 2012

The Revised GRE has changed its Reading Comprehension question format from simple multiple choice questions into three question types: Select One, Select One or More, and Select in Passage. Luckily, Select One questions are exactly like the former GRE RC questions, or any other RC format you may have seen from other exams such as the SAT or the GMAT. Here is how you should approach the Select One multiple choice reading questions on your GRE test day!

Need to know what to practice next? Click on “Skill Data” in the Grockit GRE lobby to see a detailed percentile breakdown of your strengths and weaknesses!

1. Rephrase each answer choice. Put the question in your own words. If it’s an “Except” or “Not” question, reverse the wording of it so that it is clear to you.

2.Go back to the Scope of the passage. What is the author’s focus? What does he spend the majority of the time discussing? The correct answer will always be within the scope of the passage AND within the scope of the question itself. A “main idea” question must be broad enough to encompass every paragraph, but specific enough to relate to the author’s focus on the topic.

Having a hard time understanding “Scope”? Need more help in general? Contact one of Grockit’s GRE tutors to set up a private tutoring lesson. A more detailed template for GRE note-taking is available, and tutors can give specific feedback on your profile and study plan!

3. Find the difference between the choices. If you have narrowed it down to two choices, ask yourself where the subtle differences lie. Does one choice use negative or extreme language? Does one choice contain weakeners like “could” or “would” or other qualifying language?

4. Select the one choice that best answers the question. For this “Select One Choice” only one will be correct. You can always recognize a “Select One Choice” question because it has more answer choices than the “Select One or More” type, which only has three options.

Ready to try a practice GRE question? Try this GRE reading comprehension question for more practice.

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4 Tips for Logic Questions in GRE Reading Comprehension

By posted March 16, 2012

Reading comprehension on the GRE has a number of question types you can expect to see on Test Day: Main Idea, Detail, Function, Vocab in Context, etc. These are slightly easier ones, but there are also some that tend to be a little harder: Inference, Application, and Logic questions. Logic questions ask about information based on implications in the passage that have to do with structure. Here are three tips to keep in mind for dealing with this question-type.

1. Go back to the passage whenever possible. Even if the question feels somewhat open ended, the correct choice will always be based on some sort of implication from the passage. ALWAYS go back to the passage to make sure you understand the concepts in the lines the question asks about. Think of yourself like Robert Downey Jr. in Sherlock Holmes – you have to find the necessary clues! They may be very subtle, but they are there!

2.  Beware of choices that are out of scope. A logic question will never be correctly answered by something that is not relevant to the author’s focus. When you read the answer choices, remember that you are looking for a choice that is the closest to what is directly supported by the passage, not for a choice that sounds plausible to you. If you’ve narrowed it down to two choices, check to make sure you aren’t being swayed by one that “feels reasonable” but has no substantial support from the passage.

3.  Remember to find the Function of each paragraph. The Function of each paragraph answers the question, what is the author doing with this paragraph? Think of how the passage is put together structurally. As you read, write down the Functions as infinitive verbs, “to introduce,” “to explain,” “to describe,” etc. It will help you eliminate answer choices that are also in this format!

4.  You can always make some kind of prediction. Even for open-ended GRE questions, you need to take a few seconds to look back. It’s okay sometimes to make a vague prediction like, “Something kind of like…” or “An answer that has something to do with…” Trust your instinct!

Join a Group Game in the Grockit lobby to work on more GRE Verbal Reading passages and show off your new skills to other students!

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How to Handle Detail Questions on the GRE

By posted March 14, 2012

“Details” questions on the GRE Verbal section involve reading comprehension questions that ask about, you guessed it, details! To answer details questions, there is one important rule: always go back to the passage. GRE passages can be difficult to remember most of the time, so don’t try.  Gather the main gist on the first read, taking a few key notes on the passage as needed, then simply go back and scan to locate the relevant details that the questions ask about. Put your finger on it when you’ve found the detail, write down a prediction for the correct answer, and then eliminate the incorrect choices. Process of elimination will always lead to higher accuracy on the GRE than simply scanning the choices.

Need extra practice with Reading Comprehension and practice GRE questions? Check out Grockit’s question bank.

Now that you know how to approach Detail question, how can you learn to recognize them on your GRE test day? Like many GRE Reading Comp questions, they have common phrasing and include specific words. Phrases like “according to the passage,” “according to the author,” “as stated in the passage,” and “the author describes” are all big clues that you are looking at a detail question.

Once you’ve recognized the question type, look for the “key phrase” – what is the specific type of detail the question is asking about? Let’s look at this sample question:

  1. According to the author, the motivation behind the discovery of the Titanic shipwreck was:

We can tell this is a detail question because of the phrase “according to the author.” The “key phrase” here is “motivation….discover of the Titanic.” We’ll need to scan back through the passage, asking ourselves where did the author discuss WHY the Titanic was discovered? Don’t try to rely on memory alone. Use these key phrases to help you refer back to the passage effectively.

Once you look to the answer choices, you will also improve your accuracy on GRE Detail questions if you ca identify the most common wrong answer traps. For detail questions, incorrect answers will commonly distort the detail, be opposite of the detail, or be outside the scope of the passage. Distortions may be answer choices that are “half-right” or ones that take the correct answer in an extreme or negative direction. Opposite choices are 180 degrees in the wrong direction and may hinge on a single word. Choices that are outside the scope introduce information beyond what is covered in the passage. Look-out for these as you practice your Grockit GRE questions!

Not sure what to study next? Check out your personalized skill data on your Grockit profile!

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Top 10 essential tips for GRE reading comprehension

By posted March 5, 2012

Studying for the new GRE to get into graduate school?  Get off Facebook and Twitter, put some classical music on Pandora, and brush up on your reading comprehension strategies for the GRE test.  Apply these tips to practice tests and you’ll be on your way to acing the GRE and getting that masters!

1. Focus on the opening and closing paragraphs of longer passages. - The majority of the passages you will encounter on the reading comprehension questions of the GRE will be shorter, but one or two will be longer.  If you are running out of time, read the opening and closing paragraphs and skim the middle.  The first and last paragraphs contain the passage’s main idea in most passages.  You can go back and read body paragraphs more carefully as questions call for it.

2. Use context to help you. - If a question asks about a particular line, don’t go back in to the passage and read just that line.  A good rule of thumb is to read at least 2 sentences before and after the line in question.  This will give you an idea of where the point started and where the author is going with it.

3. Save unfamiliar passages for last. - The GRE passages will cover a variety of subjects, from history to science to literature.  Like with any question type, do the questions that are easier first and save the harder ones for last.  Each question is worth the same amount, so you don’t want to waste a big chunk of time on a passage with a few questions when you could answer twice as many questions on easier passages.  If science passages are confusing to you, come back to that one after you’ve completed the rest.  The great thing about the GRE is that it lets you skip around within a section, so use this to your advantage.

4. Really understand what the question is asking. - Reading comprehension questions have the most “gray area” of any question type on the GRE.  Some people skim through the question, not really understanding what it is specifically asking, start reading the answer choices, and pick the first one that sounds true.  This is not a good strategy–many times more than one answer choice will ring true or partially true with the passage, but only one will specifically and best answer that particular question.

5. Do not bring in outside knowledge. - The GRE does not require you to have any outside knowledge for the reading comprehension passages, so check any you have at the door.  Your own biases might actually hurt you when answering the questions, especially if it is an opinion passage.

Try this GRE reading comprehension application question for practice.

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Revised GRE Verbal: What to Expect

By posted January 28, 2012

The Verbal Reasoning sections of the GRE assess your reading comprehension skills and your understanding and usage of vocabulary.  About half of the Verbal questions will require you to read a passage and answer questions about it.  The other half will have you fill in the blanks of sentences or paragraphs with vocabulary.

Timing: There will be 2-3 Verbal Reasoning sections on the GRE, depending if the unidentified, unscored section is Verbal or Quantitative.  Each section will contain approximately 20 questions which you will be given 30 minutes to complete.

Format: The three types of questions that make up the Verbal sections are:

-Reading Comprehension

-Text Completion

-Sentence Equivalence

There are several different question formats, so let’s break down the formats within each question type.

Reading Comprehension: Some questions will be standard multiple choice, with 5 possible answer choices and 1 correct answer.  The letter for each answer choice will appear in a circle.

Test your GRE skills with this reading comprehension, long passage practice question.

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3 Tips to Find the “Big Idea” in GRE Reading Passages

By posted January 13, 2012

It’s important to keep in mind for all GRE Reading Comprehension questions that just because an answer choice is reasonable, true, or (and this is critical) mentioned in the passage, does NOT mean it is necessarily correct. Always ask yourself: which answer choice best addresses the specific question being asked here? Look to eliminate answer choices that are outside the scope of the question, or ones that contain extreme language such as always and never. These three tips will help you get more “Big Idea” questions correct in your GRE practice.

  1. Keep it within Scope. For “Big Idea” questions, we’re looking for the answer choice with a scope that matches that of the entire passage. For example, if the passage was about hurricanes and the necessary steps that need to be taken in order to predict and prevent hurricane damage, then perhaps one paragraph referred to one leading hurricane researcher. However, it would be incorrect to say that the main idea of the passage was to “research Mount St. Helen’s” as that is the main idea of only one paragraph. The “Big Idea” would need to be something like “to discuss ways of predicting and preventing eruptions” since that is the more general focus. For “Big Idea” questions, we need to try to see the picture that is being formed by all of the puzzle pieces, and not get distracted by the individual pieces themselves.
  2. Always find the Purpose. It’s easy to do this if you write down the Purpose of the passage BEFORE reading the first question. Remember that active reading and note-taking are essential to GRE Reading Comp success. When you see a “Big Idea” question, you can quickly refer back to your Purpose to form a prediction.
  3. The Thesis and the Conclusion count most. If you forgot to write down the Purpose, or you can’t make a strong prediction, there are a few good places in the passage to look for the “Big Idea.” Try re-reading the last few sentences of the opening paragraph. Does the author include a thesis? Does he express a strong point of view about the topic? In the final paragraph, what conclusion does the author leave the reader with? Does the author re-iterate a main purpose here? What is he summarizing? Focus especially on the first and final sentences of the conclusion.

Try this GRE Reading Comprehension practice question and put these tips to the test!.
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