GRE reading comprehension tests a candidates ability to understand a passage and answer the questions. Candidates are given 5-7 GRE passages in GRE reading comprehension. GRE RC passages are excerpts from topics around social sciences, humanities, business, and natural sciences. GRE rc questions comprises approximately 50% of the verbal reasoning questions in GRE exam pattern. GRE comprehension reading passages vary in length from 100 to 450 words and each questions are to be answered within 1 minute.
GRE Reading Comprehension Syllabus Overview
The GRE reading comprehension passages can be academic and non-academic. Reading comprehension questions For each GRE reading passage, candidates come across 1-6 questions. The total number of GRE reading comprehension questions in the GRE verbal reasoning section is 10-13. Each GRE rc passage is constructed of four building blocks. Sections of GRE reading passages have been mentioned below:
| Building Blocks | Description |
|---|---|
| The Point | Carries the information that the author is trying to address. |
| The Background | Highlights the information to develop understanding of the passage. |
| Support | Additional information provided in the passage as evidence or examples. |
| Implications | The concluding part that might comprise a solution or an effective statement to end the passage. |
Question Types in GRE Reading Comprehension
GRE reading comprehension questions are based on below mentioned format:
| Question Types | Description |
|---|---|
| Multiple Choice Questions | To choose one appropriate option as an answer from five choices. |
| Multiple Choice Questions | To choose single or multiple answers from three given options. |
| Select-in-Passage | To select the appropriate sentence from reference to the passage. |
Multiple Choice Questions (Choose 1 Answer)
In this question type, candidates are to select one option as a response to the answer.
For example:
Select only one answer choice.
The passage addresses which of the following issues related to Glass's use of popular elements in his classical compositions?
- How it is regarded by listeners who prefer rock to the classics
- How it has affected the commercial success of Glass's music
- Whether it has contributed to a revival of interest among other composers in using popular elements in their compositions
- Whether it has had a detrimental effect on Glass's reputation as a composer of classical music
- Whether it has caused certain of Glass's works to be derivative in quality
Multiple Choice Questions (Choose 1 or Multiple Answer)
Candidates can choose single or multiple options as their answers.
For example:
Consider each of the three choices separately and select all that apply.
- The passage suggests that Glass's work displays which of the following qualities?
- A return to the use of popular music in classical compositions
- An attempt to elevate rock music to an artistic status more closely approximating that of classical music
- A long-standing tendency to incorporate elements from two apparently disparate musical styles
Select-in-Passage
Candidates are required to select the appropriate sentence from reference to the passage.
Select the sentence that distinguishes two ways of integrating rock and classical music.
Explanation
The passage describes in general terms how Philip Glass uses popular music in his classical compositions and explores how Glass can do this without being imitative. Note that there are no opposing views discussed; the author is simply presenting his or her views.
Concepts of GRE RC Questions
The above mentioned question types are based upon certain ideas as portrayed in the GRE passages. These ideas have been portrayed below:
- Main-idea questions: Most common question type where the candidates are required to find the main purpose or primary idea of the passage;
- Author’s tone question: Quite a tricky question type, here candidates need to recognize the tone of the author;
- Specific fact question: Candidates are required to pinpoint the particular information required;
- Implied question: Here one has to detect the implied/suggested idea;
- Structural question: this question type asks to identify the structure or writing style;
- Extrapolation questions: The most complex of all, this requires the candidate to extrapolate or compare the author’s statements with other situations;
- Negative/Exception question: Requires the candidate to identify the negative or false answer from the choices;
- Contextual questions: This requires the candidate to guess the meaning of an unknown word by reading the passage.
Skills Assessed in GRE Reading Comprehension
GRE reading comprehension is designed to assess candidates on a wide range of abilities and scores are credited accordingly. GRE reading materials prepare candidates to read and understand forms of prose that occur in graduate school. The assessment areas GRE rc passages includes:
- Understanding the significance of words and sentences;
- Understanding the significance of long passages and texts;
- Ability to differentiate between major and minor texts;
- Summarising a passage
- Concluding the major points from the passage;
- Interpreting incomplete sentences and inferring missing facts;
- Understanding the interconnections of the texts;
- Understanding the author’s assumptions
- Evaluating and concluding a text;
- Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of a passage;
- Evolving alternative responses
GRE Reading Comprehension Strategies
GRE reading passages requires candidates to understand the piece of text with respect to words and sentences. GRE rc strategies and GRE rc tips prepare candidates for ensuring active engagement with the text provided, formulation and evaluation of hypotheses and understanding relationships. GRE rc tips include the following:
- Avoid taking notes in full sentences.
- Prepare a simple passage map.
- Keep a track of singaline words.
- Understand and highlight the first paragraph and beginning and concluding sentences.
- Remember to recap your understanding.
- Practice from GRE practice papers with deadlines.
- Identify the relationship between distinctive ideas. For instance:
- Are they contradictory or persistent?
- Does one stand for the other?
- Does one indicate the other in greater detail?
- Does one cover the other in a particular sequence?
- Concentrate on every minute word in the sentence and answer exactly what is being asked.
GRE Reading Materials and Practice Papers
To ace the GRE reading comprehension test, it is suggested that candidates undertake effective GRE rc practice. There are a wide range of GRE preparation books and GRE reading reading materials available throughout the internet. To get the idea of the logical reasoning and articulated structures, exclusive academic journals can be read from ‘The New York Times’, ‘The Guardian’, ‘The Wall Street Journal Asia’, periodicals like ‘The Economist’, ‘Scientific American’ and ‘The London reviews of Books’. We also have listed a few of the top GRE reading comprehension practice book PDFs for preparation:
- GRE Verbal Workbook – Kaplan: Check PDF
- Manhattan GRE Reading Comprehension & Essays: Check PDF
- Manhattan Prep Reading Comprehension & Essays: Check PDF
- GRE Prep by Magoosh: Check PDF
- The Official Guide to GRE by ETS: Check PDF
Candidates can undertake GRE rc practice from the GRE reading comprehension practice papers available on various websites. Following are some of the practice paper for GRE reading comprehension practice questions:
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.
Comments