GMAT Verbal Reasoning: Pattern, Syllabus, Preparation Tips

What is GMAT Verbal Reasoning?

GMAT Verbal Reasoning is a section in the GMAT exam that measures the candidate’s ability to understand written material, analyse and evaluate the issue, and express ideas effectively. There are 36 multiple-choice questions in the GMAT Verbal Reasoning section, and you should complete them in 65 minutes.

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a standard assessment for international students who wish to study Master of Business Administration (MBA) or other management studies. The exam determines a candidate’s knowledge and skills in maths, verbal reasoning, and analytical writing. The GMAT exam is accepted in over 2,400 educational institutions across the world.

GMAT is a computer-adaptive assessment, meaning the flow of the exam and the difficulty depends on your performance. The AI adapts to your answers and provides the following question based on your performance level. Here we cover everything you should know about the GMAT Verbal Reasoning section.

GMAT Verbal Reasoning: An Overview

Also read: A guide to GMAT test centres

GMAT Verbal Reasoning pattern

No. of questions: 36
Duration: 65 minutes

The GMAT Verbal Reasoning section consists of 36 multiple-choice questions that determine your skills in reading and understanding written materials and expressing your ideas. The section is computer-adaptive. You can expect three types of questions in the GMAT verbal syllabus section. 

• Reading comprehension
• Critical reasoning
• Sentence correction

GMAT Verbal Reasoning syllabus

The Verbal Reasoning section measures your ability to read and comprehend the written material and convey your ideas. There are three types of GMAT verbal syllabus and check below for more details.

• Reading comprehension - The question includes a passage to read and tests your ability to identify and understand the main idea, supporting ideas, application, inferences, logical structure, and style.
  The passage can be based on subjects, including social science and humanities, physical and biological sciences, and business.
• Critical reasoning - GMAT verbal critical reasoning questions determine your ability to analyse and evaluate arguments and develop or assess a plan of action for the issue. The tasks are usually based on reading a short passage and choosing which answer option strengthens or weakens the argument.
• Sentence correction - This task determines your skill in correcting expressions in sentences. The question has a sentence for you to analyse with options to rephrase (or part of it). You should select the one that has the best grammar, word choice, and sentence construction.

Major changes in GMAT exam: GMAT Focus Edition

The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) announced some significant changes in the GMAT exam’s pattern and syllabus in March 2023. The GMAT exam will adapt to these changes in the latter half of the year. Here are the changes to the new GMAT Focus edition.

• The test duration has been reduced to 2 hours and 15 minutes.
• All sections will be 45 minutes long.
• The entire exam will consist only of multiple-choice questions.
• The Analytical Writing Analysis section will be removed.
• Sentence correction questions will be removed from the GMAT Verbal Reasoning section.
• Students can opt for either version of the exam, but GMAC will stop providing the old version by June 2024.

Best tips to prepare for GMAT Verbal Reasoning

The GMAT exam is considered a difficult assessment among students, but with dedication and regular practice, you can get great scores in no time. Here are some useful tips that would help you prepare for the GMAT exam syllabus:

• Create a customised GMAT study plan. It helps you to plan your study hours, set goals, and work towards them. You can also create a timeline that includes the duration for covering specific topics when you take practice tests and others.
• Familiarise yourself with the GMAT exam syllabus by learning about the sections, the questions and their types, and other details.
• Several study materials with GMAT verbal reasoning questions and answers are available, including practice tests, study guides, and online courses. Therefore, it is important to identify the resources that best meet your needs and utilise them to prepare for the exam.
• Understanding your weaknesses is another important tip for preparing for the GMAT Verbal Reasoning. Take some practice tests to identify which questions you need more practice with.
• Develop your reading habit and try to simplify the language in the passage. It gives you a clear understanding of the text and eases the difficulty of the task.

Frequently asked questions

Can you get 45 in GMAT verbal?

51 is the maximum score in the GMAT Verbal Reasoning section, so 45 is a great score for the exam. Many might consider it a difficult task, but you can get the desired results with regular practice and preparation.

How to prepare for GMAT Verbal?

Here are some useful preparation tips for GMAT Verbal Reasoning.

• Create a customised GMAT study plan, set your study hours and goals, and work towards them.
• Familiarise yourself with the exam syllabus by learning about the sections, the questions and their types, and other factors.
• Make use of practice tests, study guides, and online courses. It is important to utilise them and prepare for the exam.
• Understand your weaknesses and work on rectifying them.
  Take some practice tests to identify which types of questions you need more practice with.
• Develop your reading skills and try to break down the language in the passage into simple terms. It gives you a clear understanding of the text and eases the difficulty of the task.

What is the verbal score for GMAT?

The score range for the GMAT Verbal Reasoning section is between 6-51.

What are the subjects in GMAT?

GMAT exam subjects are Analytical Writing, Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Integrated Reasoning.

What is the GMAT exam syllabus for 2024?

There are four sections with different formats of questions in the GMAT exam. The sections include Analytical Writing, Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Integrated Reasoning. GMAC has introduced a new syllabus for the GMAT exam, the GMAT Focus edition, which will become available for students later this year. Here are the major changes announced by GMAC.

• The GMAT exam duration has been reduced to 2 hours and 15 minutes, and all sections will be 45 minutes long.
• The Analytical Writing Analysis section will be removed.
• The entire exam will consist only of multiple-choice questions.
• Sentence correction questions will be removed from the GMAT Verbal Reasoning section.
• Students can opt for either version of the exam, but GMAC will stop providing the old version by June 2024.