Need help with comprehending passages

Question

Hi,

I gave GMAT thrice and the best I could get was 630. The best verbal score I got was 33.
One area of concern for me is, comprehending a passage and I think this effects my RC, CR as well as SC.
While RC and CR both require me to understand the passage to answer the questions, I also found that few of my SC errors are because of the same reason. Since I can't understand what few of the sentences mean, I end up selecting a wrong tense.

While I know most of the rules for CR, those rules are of no use as I cannot understand the passage well. Same is the case with RC. To improve I'm reading books and WSJ (not as much as I would want to). Some how I'm still unable to make much inroads in developing my comprehension.

Can someone please suggest me or give me tips to understand a passage better. I need to improve my comprehension and I think it will help me do better in GMAT.

Thank you,
Vinay

georgepaul0071987 · Answer

Are you not able to understand passages because you have to rush through them ?If that's the case then I think first what you should do is just read each passage carefully without worrying about the time . Then keep practicing this way and then focus on improving your speed . If you feel that you need a lot of help with your basics , then you could try starting off with the MGMAT Verbal Foundations book . When you are trying to read a passage , try to get involved in the topic . This is very important to keep your interest . If you lose interest or just "hate" the topic of the passage , then it's unlikely that you'll understand anything in the passage .

Regarding the "rules for CR" - I personally feel that you should'nt use any kind of rules for CR . There's no use in memorizing a bunch of rules , CR is just logic . These question just test your reasoning ability . In fact by memorizing rules , you might be preventing your brain from being able to do any kind of logical reasoning . For CR and RC just stick to the OG questions , doing questions from other sources is just going to confuse you .

macjas · Answer

have you seen this thread?
 https://gmatclub.com/forum/paragraph-summaries-an-approach-to-main-point-134468.html

number101 · Answer

Whenever I read RC passages, without timing myself, I tend to get most of the ans right. my speed is also good. But whenever I time myself, I panic. I don't understand the passages, I have to read same lines twice to comprehend. This seems to be a pressure problem. When i see timer on the screen, I can't perform under pressure. What do I do?

Any suggestions will b much appreciated. thanks in advance.

Any suggestions will b much appreciated. thanks in advance.

	Target Test Prep - Save up to $599 $400 Discount + $99 Bonus GMAT Club Tests
	e-GMAT: 60% Off on GMAT Focus Get to 735+ from any starting point
	Magoosh increases your score, guaranteed - 15% off ALL Magoosh GMAT plans with code GMATCLUB15 + Free GMAT Club Tests.
	Manhattan Prep: $99 Bonus Score Higher on Your GMAT Exam. Guaranteed.
	Experts' Global - ~~$1720~~ $960 End-to-End GMAT Prep + App Support: 150+ Videos, 2000+ Questions, 15 FLTs +
	GMATWhiz - $299 ~~$499~~ Experience the course through a free trial.
	GMAT Club Tests - Free Included with every course purchase of $149+ View all deals

Need help with comprehending passages

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards