GMAT Verbal Reasoning Questions: Type, Required Skills, Tips

The Verbal Reasoning section of the GMAT aims to test the candidate’s grasp of the intricacies of the English language, their analytical skills and overall cognitive prowess. GMAT’s verbal reasoning section encompasses 23 questions which need to be completed in 45 minutes. The varied types of questions asked in the test can only be solved when the candidates possess a detailed knowledge of grammar, reading comprehension and reasoning skills.

Individuals intending to take the GMAT should read the entire blog to get a better understanding of GMAT’s verbal reasoning section and the questions asked in the section. This blog strives to explain the various verbal reasoning questions and their structure to help you crack them with high scores. 

Types of Questions in GMAT Verbal Reasoning

The major bifurcations under the verbal reasoning section are Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, and Sentence Correction. Further, aspirants don’t need specialized knowledge to ace each section as the combination of your understanding of the structure and pattern of these questions and consistent practice can assist you in nailing them within no time.

Let’s take a detailed look at the various elements of distinct verbal reasoning questions.

Critical Reasoning

In Critical Reasoning, your ability to comprehend different kinds of statements, find a logical relationship between them and grasp quantitative basics are tested. It examines how efficiently you can target the arguments, evaluate them and formulate your plan of action. In our list of verbal reasoning questions, take a look at the following example for critical reasoning:

For Example,

Q. The cost of producing a radio in country A is ten per cent less than the cost of producing radios in radios in country B. Even after transportation fees and tariff charges are added, it is still cheaper for a company to import radios from country A to country B than to produce radios in country Y. 

The statements above, if true, which of the following assertions support the arguments?

1. Labour costs in country A are ten per cent below those in country B 
2. Importing radios from country A to country B will eliminate ten per cent of the manufacturing jobs in the country B
3. The tariff on a radio imported from country A to country B is less than ten per cent of the cost of manufacturing the radio in country B
4. The fee for transporting a radio from country A to country B is more than ten per cent of the cost of manufacturing the radio in country A
5. It takes ten per cent less time to manufacture a radio in country A than it does in country Y

 Answer: (c) 

Sentence Correction 

Through this section, your language proficiency and basic knowledge to form the structure of a sentence are evaluated. The sentence correction comprises those verbal reasoning questions that target the grammatical acumen of aspirants. Read our blog on set sentence correction rules to learn about this section in further detail.

For Example,

Q. The below-mentioned question consists of a sentence which has an underlined part or section. Just after the question, you will find 5 options which represent the alternate way in which the sentence can be phrased. Choose the option which you feel is correct. The first option represents the original portion if you think that it was the most appropriate answer. 

While larger banks can afford to maintain their own data-processing operations, many smaller regional and community banks are finding that the cost associated with upgrading data-processing equipment and with the development and maintenance of new products and technical staff are prohibitive. 

1. cost associated with
2. costs associated with 
3. cost arising from
4. cost of
5. costs of

Answer: (b)

Reading Comprehension 

Out of all the verbal reasoning questions, many students are able to solve reading comprehension questions with ease. The basic criterion behind such questions is to test the candidate’s ability to understand a written passage and their analytical skills. To correctly solve such questions, you would be required to critically examine the relationship between words and draw inferences depending on the key points that you get. You need to get a hold of the logical structure to apprehend the main and supporting ideas behind the given passage. 

What Skills are Tested in GMAT’s Verbal Reasoning?

The following abilities are tested in the verbal section of the GMAT exam:

• Spotting Errors
• Synonyms and Antonyms
• Sentence Formation
• Sentence Correction
• Paragraph Formation
• Ordering of Sentences
• Comprehension
• Adjectives
• Articles
• Prepositions
• Voice
• Speech
• Idioms and Phrases

Useful Tips and Tricks to Crack Verbal Reasoning

While the above-detailed paragraphs gave you an overview of the type of verbal reasoning questions you can expect in the GMAT, some simple tricks can go a long way in giving you the success mantra to score better in the said competitive exam. So, read the following pointers thoroughly as we take you through the best tips for efficiently clearing this section:

• Elimination is the most helpful tool that you can use in all the verbal reasoning questions. To begin with, go through the options given under a question meticulously and cut down the ones that don’t go with what’s asked above. You will automatically end up with a correct answer at the end which you can recheck by verifying it with the question.
• While solving sentence correction, rule out all those possible answers where the grammar is wrong or the structure does not seem right. Then, recheck if your eliminated answers go with the sentences given.
• For critical reasoning questions, jot down what you have been asked to find. This will rule out any unnecessary information that can potentially confuse you. While reading, make sure that you reflect upon which answer focuses on the main idea or the one that is generalizing the statement or going too extreme.
• In reading comprehension, verbal reasoning questions mainly depend upon the extract you have been given. Before jumping to the questions, start with gauging the tone of the author and try taking clues from the words that have been incorporated.

So that was all about the GMAT Verbal Reasoning Questions. Hope the blog has answered your queries regarding the topic.

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