The inscrutable GRE reading comprehension

[thegraydude]

Hello,

 

I have my exam in a month. I get around 154 on ETS practice tests in the verbal section. Mostly, the bad score is due to inability to decipher the reading comprehension; I score well in the TC and SE parts.

 

In particular, I will almost always get the multiple answer questions wrong (the ones with square bracket choices).

 

Also, I seem to run out of time because of having to read this passages multiple times due to lack of comprehension. I am not a native English speaker, which doesn't help. However, I have always been decent in my performance in English. But somehow, for some reason, these passages seem invincible to me.

 

Did any of you feel the same way about the GRE passages? And can those of you with high verbal scores, give me some tips on managing time and strategies to improve my reading comprehension?

[SandS2009]

Hey just wondering where you were able to take the practice tests? Were they part of a program you had to pay for? Also, IDK how to post my own blog but I was just wondering if anyone knows how important GRE scores are? I have a 3.7 GPA in undergrad SLP & AUD, I currently work in EI as a sub teacher, and I'm taking my GRE in 2 weeks and am super nervous if I will get into any grad schools at all, does anyone know if you have a low GRE and a high GPA what are the changes of getting accepted to schools in NY/NJ?

[VulpesZerda]

Hello,

 

I have my exam in a month. I get around 154 on ETS practice tests in the verbal section. Mostly, the bad score is due to inability to decipher the reading comprehension; I score well in the TC and SE parts.

 

In particular, I will almost always get the multiple answer questions wrong (the ones with square bracket choices).

 

Also, I seem to run out of time because of having to read this passages multiple times due to lack of comprehension. I am not a native English speaker, which doesn't help. However, I have always been decent in my performance in English. But somehow, for some reason, these passages seem invincible to me.

 

Did any of you feel the same way about the GRE passages? And can those of you with high verbal scores, give me some tips on managing time and strategies to improve my reading comprehension?

 

It must be tough reading those passages with English as a second language. I have a hard time myself and I'm a native English speaker. It could help to practice reading dense passages using the remaining month you have. Try the Economist or a similar publication; just get used to the length and density of these pieces. Also, they will almost always ask you about the main idea of the passage, so automatically figure this out while you're reading ("actively" read).

 

And, since you know your strengths on the verbal section, it might be a good idea to use the test's feature that allows you to skip questions. Since each question is worth the same number of points, you might as well get all the easy points first. That is, do all the SE and TC questions first since they're easier for you. Good luck! 

[Meglet]

Manhattan has some really helpful tips about reading comprehension questions, especially the ones that deal with inference:  They're not looking for you to make any inferences that require any real thinking or reading between the lines.  Correct answers are basically going to be slight rewordings of the text.  If you can't justify every single word in an answer with evidence in the text, it's not correct.

[L13]

I would advise you to approach the verbal sections strategically. Skip the long passages (of which there should be one or two) on your first run through each section and answer the sentence and short passage questions first. For the single-paragraph passages, it is often a good idea to read the question before the passage because that way you can find the information you need more quickly. When you're done with those questions, go back to the longer passages.

 

When working on a long passage, try not to reread it. Read it once, then try to answer the question at hand. Isolate answers that are obviously wrong as soon as you know they're wrong. If you're choosing between two or three answers and have no idea what to pick, go back to the relevant sentence. If there is no single sentence that addresses your question, or the answer is contingent on information provided elsewhere in the text, reread the entire paragraph. Reread the whole passage only if, after doing all of the above, you still have absolutely no idea what the text is telling you.

 

I admit I don't know how useful my tips are because I've never really thought about my critical reading strategies too deeply. However, I've never been pressed for time on the verbal section of a standardized test either, and I think part of the reason is that I follow most of the advice I've given you.

 

(BTW, I'm not a native English speaker either.)

Edited October 30, 2014 by L13

[thegraydude]

 Try the Economist or a similar publication; just get used to the length and density of these pieces. Also, they will almost always ask you about the main idea of the passage, so automatically figure this out while you're reading ("actively" read).

 

...it might be a good idea to use the test's feature that allows you to skip questions. Since each question is worth the same number of points, you might as well get all the easy points first. That is, do all the SE and TC questions first since they're easier for you. Good luck! 

 

Thank you! I am going to be solving the TC SE first; RC seems to be a tough nut to crack.

Edited October 30, 2014 by thegraydude

[thegraydude]

I would advise you to approach the verbal sections strategically. Skip the long passages (of which there should be one or two) on your first run through each section and answer the sentence and short passage questions first. For the single-paragraph passages, it is often a good idea to read the question before the passage because that way you can find the information you need more quickly. When you're done with those questions, go back to the longer passages.

 

When working on a long passage, try not to reread it. Read it once, then try to answer the question at hand. Isolate answers that are obviously wrong as soon as you know they're wrong. If you're choosing between two or three answers and have no idea what to pick, go back to the relevant sentence. If there is no single sentence that addresses your question, or the answer is contingent on information provided elsewhere in the text, reread the entire paragraph. Reread the whole passage only if, after doing all of the above, you still have absolutely no idea what the text is telling you.

 

I admit I don't know how useful my tips are because I've never really thought about my critical reading strategies too deeply. However, I've never been pressed for time on the verbal section of a standardized test either, and I think part of the reason is that I follow most of the advice I've given you.

 

(BTW, I'm not a native English speaker either.)

 

Thank you! Your advice is very useful. I will definitely try this approach!

 

Congratulations on your score!