There will be either 2 or 3 reading comprehension passages on the verbal section of the GRE, and for each passage you should expect 2-4 questions. Although there are no tricks that you can learn to ace the reading comprehension component of the GRE, there are certain things that you can do to make sure that you approach the problem correctly and so that you give yourself the best chance to answer the questions right. But just because there is no sure way to get the reading comprehension questions correct (everybody reads differently), you can improve your reading comprehension skills with practice.
The instructions that you'll be presented for the reading comprehension questions on the GRE are the following:
| Each of the following reading comprehension questions is based on the content of the following passage. Read the passage and then determine the best answer choice for each questions. Base your choice on what this passage states directly or implied, not on any information you may have gained elsewhere. |
The reading comprehension passages are drawn from the physical sciences, the behavioral sciences, psychology, sociology, economics, etc., and are for most instances very academic in nature -- so much that most people would call the passages boring or dull. The passages are drawn from scholarly journals, from academic presses, from non-fiction books that have since come into the public domain.
In this section we explain:
- How to read actively without memorizing
- How to pick up on work clues
- How to find the central idea of the passage
- How to mentally take notes
- Should you use outside knowledge?
- What type of questions you should expect