Are you thinking about taking the GMAT in order to get into business school?

It’s a good idea to learn more about the test before you jump in to studying. This article will give you a quick overview of the GMAT verbal section.

The GMAT verbal section consists of 41 questions in three category types: reading comprehension, critical reasoning, and sentence correction. Students are allowed 75 minutes to complete the verbal section.

Because the GMAT is a computer adaptive test, test-takers will be presented with one question at a time. If the question is answered correctly, the next question will be at a harder difficulty level. If the question is answered incorrectly, the next question will be at an easier difficulty level.

Here’s a quick look at what skills you’ll need to apply in each GMAT question category:

GMAT Reading Comprehension

– Understand information presented in written form

– Locate and apply information contained within a passage

– Analyze concepts discussed in a passage

GMAT Critical Reasoning

– Identify arguments being made in a passage or set of statements

– Evaluate the validity or applicability of an argument

– Derive logical consequences or next steps from a passage

GMAT Sentence Correction

– Express ideas clearly and concisely

– Identify weak sentence structure or inappropriate word usage

– Demonstrate an understanding of English-language grammar rules

All of the questions on the GMAT verbal section are multiple choice.

The test does not directly assess vocabulary, so there are no analogies, fill-in-the-blanks, or questions that ask the test-taker to define a word. However, a strong vocabulary can be an important tool when it comes to understanding a passage.

If you are not a native English speaker or do not have a strong vocabulary, it would be a good idea to spend some time improving your vocabulary and reading comprehension skills.

The GMAT verbal section is scored on a scale from 0 to 60. Most student’s scores fall in a range from 9 to 44. The mean GMAT verbal score is 27, and a score of 40 would put you in the 90^th percentile.

Your Turn

Ready to get started taking the test?

We have more tips about studying for the GMAT on our blog, you can and you can find a free practice GMAT at MBA.com.