Last visit was: 19 Nov 2025, 04:44 It is currently 19 Nov 2025, 04:44
Home
GMAT
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
Rewards
Chat
My Profile
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
User avatar
ssmohanta
User avatar
Joined: 13 Dec 2013
Last visit: 11 Mar 2016
Posts: 13
Own Kudos:
12
 [3]
Given Kudos: 86
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, Operations
GMAT 1: 660 Q51 V27
WE:Information Technology (Manufacturing)
GMAT 1: 660 Q51 V27
Posts: 13
Kudos: 12
 [3]
Scoring above V40 20 Apr 2015, 09:49
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I would like to know what accuracy level is required in each section (SC, CR, RC) for scoring above V40 in verbal section.
In a MGMAT CAT test few weeks ago my verbal score was V25 with following accuracy.
SC: 10/13
CR: 5/11
RC: 3/12
Also I couldn't finish the section on time (left 5 question).

Archived Topic
Hi there,
This topic has been closed and archived due to inactivity or violation of community quality standards. No more replies are possible here.
Where to now? Join ongoing discussions on thousands of quality questions in our Verbal Questions Forum
Still interested in this question? Check out the "Best Topics" block below for a better discussion on this exact question, as well as several more related questions.
Thank you for understanding, and happy exploring!
User avatar
GMATPill
User avatar
Joined: 14 Apr 2009
Last visit: 17 Sep 2020
Posts: 2,260
Own Kudos:
3,817
 [3]
Given Kudos: 8
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 2,260
Kudos: 3,817
 [3]
Scoring above V40 21 Apr 2015, 10:27
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
As always, it depends - but for V40+, we would generally aim for no more than 2 or 3 wrong each subsection.

Looks like you could use some help for RC: https://www.gmatpill.com/practicequestio ... tions.html
User avatar
gmatgrl
User avatar
Joined: 19 Mar 2015
Last visit: 05 Jul 2023
Posts: 48
Own Kudos:
52
Given Kudos: 11
Posts: 48
Kudos: 52
Scoring above V40 03 May 2015, 10:21
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I also scored in the lower 20s in verbal and am dreaming at getting 40+.

From your mock test, it is quite clear that RC is were you need the most boost. Just today I read in an expert's post that the website JSTOR.org provides a very good collection of GMAT like passages. So, you might want to try that.

The good news for you is that your accuracy rate in SC seems to be very good. I am quite bad at that as well:(.
User avatar
RichEconomistGMAT
User avatar
Economist GMAT Tutor Instructor
Joined: 27 Mar 2015
Last visit: 31 Aug 2015
Posts: 165
Own Kudos:
15
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 165
Kudos: 15
Scoring above V40 04 May 2015, 12:57
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi ssmohanta,

Definitely agree that you'll want to start by focusing on RC. There's a particular format you should know about passages in the RC section, which you can read more about on our blog here: https://bit.ly/1R7dG6K

Best,
Rich
User avatar
zero722
User avatar
Joined: 05 May 2015
Last visit: 16 Oct 2015
Posts: 66
Own Kudos:
5
Given Kudos: 14
Posts: 66
Kudos: 5
Scoring above V40 07 May 2015, 19:50
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
You should def practice on your RC as it seem to be the weak area, remember always to read the first question before getting into the reading!
User avatar
ssmohanta
User avatar
Joined: 13 Dec 2013
Last visit: 11 Mar 2016
Posts: 13
Own Kudos:
12
Given Kudos: 86
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, Operations
GMAT 1: 660 Q51 V27
WE:Information Technology (Manufacturing)
GMAT 1: 660 Q51 V27
Posts: 13
Kudos: 12
Scoring above V40 08 May 2015, 00:10
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
zero722
You should def practice on your RC as it seem to be the weak area, remember always to read the first question before getting into the reading!
Show more
Yeah I've a phobia of RC. I'm having difficulty in concentrating on a passage & working on it to improve it.
Another thing, the MGMAT RC seems to be tougher than OG/GMATPrep RC. If it's true then I can reduce my worry about RC little bit. Also in my MGMAT CAT2 I got 50% RC questions right.
avatar
SavageBrother
avatar
Joined: 18 Dec 2014
Last visit: 03 Oct 2015
Posts: 95
Own Kudos:
51
 [2]
Given Kudos: 5
Posts: 95
Kudos: 51
 [2]
Scoring above V40 08 May 2015, 00:15
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I scored a V39 on GMATprep CAT 1, with 12 mistakes in verbal. I think I had 6 SC incorrect, 1 CR incorrect and 5 RC incorrect.

Doesn't say that much ofcourse.
User avatar
ssmohanta
User avatar
Joined: 13 Dec 2013
Last visit: 11 Mar 2016
Posts: 13
Own Kudos:
12
 [2]
Given Kudos: 86
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, Operations
GMAT 1: 660 Q51 V27
WE:Information Technology (Manufacturing)
GMAT 1: 660 Q51 V27
Posts: 13
Kudos: 12
 [2]
Scoring above V40 08 May 2015, 03:18
Kudos
Add Kudos
2
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
SavageBrother
I scored a V39 on GMATprep CAT 1, with 12 mistakes in verbal. I think I had 6 SC incorrect, 1 CR incorrect and 5 RC incorrect.

Doesn't say that much ofcourse.
Show more
Thanks for the info. I was looking for such reply. I need to focus more on CR & RC.
User avatar
dominicraj
User avatar
Joined: 05 Apr 2015
Last visit: 27 Jan 2018
Posts: 284
Own Kudos:
747
 [3]
Given Kudos: 39
Products:
My Reviews
Posts: 284
Kudos: 747
 [3]
Scoring above V40 19 May 2015, 22:02
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
ssmohanta
SavageBrother
I scored a V39 on GMATprep CAT 1, with 12 mistakes in verbal. I think I had 6 SC incorrect, 1 CR incorrect and 5 RC incorrect.

Doesn't say that much ofcourse.
Thanks for the info. I was looking for such reply. I need to focus more on CR & RC.
Show more

Hi,

Please dont correlate the number of errors with the score. The key lies with spending a little extra time on the first 10-15 questions than the remaining questions and obviously with good accuracy in them.

This I have learned the hard way. The questions thrown at you intially are of medium level. Once you get them right the algorithm will throw at you tough questions and will presume your level to be at medium to difficult. You can get several(~12-15) of such (high level)questions wrong and still get a good score..(ie. >35).

So stick to this logic for verbal:

1) Spend more time on an average on questions 1-10 or 1-15..(accuracy>70%)
2) Always try to use POE(Process of Elimination) since it will usually boil down the options to 2 or 3.(thereby making your accuracy to 50% or 33.33% respectively)
3) Try to lap your timing during practice so you are sure that you are going at a good pace. Gmatclub gives you "TIMER" so use it well.
4)On an average time should be used like this: SC<CR<RC. For RC the time should be lost only to read the passage and max. 1minute to make a decision on a question.
4)Once you are sure you are being thrown tough questions.. try to squeeze your time and if all options look tough and POE does not work.. give your best bet and move on.
5) Last but not the least never leave a question unanswered. If you have run out of time.. click wherever your mouse is... :lol: cause there is penalty for unattended questions.

Hope this helps. :-D

Regards,
Dom.
User avatar
ssmohanta
User avatar
Joined: 13 Dec 2013
Last visit: 11 Mar 2016
Posts: 13
Own Kudos:
12
Given Kudos: 86
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, Operations
GMAT 1: 660 Q51 V27
WE:Information Technology (Manufacturing)
GMAT 1: 660 Q51 V27
Posts: 13
Kudos: 12
Scoring above V40 20 May 2015, 10:58
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
dominicraj
Yeah I've been also experiencing the same pattern & learning that high scoring is dependent on accuracy of initial questions.
User avatar
EMPOWERgmatVerbal
User avatar
EMPOWERgmat Instructor
Joined: 23 Feb 2015
Last visit: 17 Feb 2025
Posts: 1,694
Own Kudos:
15,175
 [1]
Given Kudos: 766
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 1,694
Kudos: 15,175
 [1]
Scoring above V40 22 May 2015, 22:43
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
ssmohanta
dominicraj
Yeah I've been also experiencing the same pattern & learning that high scoring is dependent on accuracy of initial questions.
Show more

Hi ssmohanta,

I'm glad dominicraj hopped in to discuss the critical difference between % accuracy, and your score.

On the GMAT Prep algorithm, two test-takers can get the same number of questions wrong, and by off by up to 180 points. I'm serious. So you can imagine my reaction when I saw the initial question, "how many questions do I need to get right to score V40+?".

The difference lies in how you're able to guide the algo to your 50th percent fail rate at a 40+ level question, so let's discuss improvement:

    ● Are you finishing Verbal early? If so, by how much? Do you run out of time? If so, how many questions do you get jammed up on at the end of the section?
    ● Describe your reading pace. Would you say you are skimming or skipping parts of a prompt or passage?
    ● What typically happens on your last RC passage? Do you skip the passage, or hyper-skim? Anything along those lines?
    ● Additionally, are you doing the AWA and IR before your CATs? On the real test, your stamina in verbal will hinge on your ability to withstand the FULL test.

Looking forward to hearing.
User avatar
ssmohanta
User avatar
Joined: 13 Dec 2013
Last visit: 11 Mar 2016
Posts: 13
Own Kudos:
12
 [1]
Given Kudos: 86
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, Operations
GMAT 1: 660 Q51 V27
WE:Information Technology (Manufacturing)
GMAT 1: 660 Q51 V27
Posts: 13
Kudos: 12
 [1]
Scoring above V40 23 May 2015, 01:31
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
EMPOWERgmatMax
ssmohanta
dominicraj
Yeah I've been also experiencing the same pattern & learning that high scoring is dependent on accuracy of initial questions.

Hi ssmohanta,

I'm glad dominicraj hopped in to discuss the critical difference between % accuracy, and your score.

On the GMAT Prep algorithm, two test-takers can get the same number of questions wrong, and by off by up to 180 points. I'm serious. So you can imagine my reaction when I saw the initial question, "how many questions do I need to get right to score V40+?".

The difference lies in how you're able to guide the algo to your 50th percent fail rate at a 40+ level question, so let's discuss improvement:

    ● Are you finishing Verbal early? If so, by how much? Do you run out of time? If so, how many questions do you get jammed up on at the end of the section?
    ● Describe your reading pace. Would you say you are skimming or skipping parts of a prompt or passage?
    ● What typically happens on your last RC passage? Do you skip the passage, or hyper-skim? Anything along those lines?
    ● Additionally, are you doing the AWA and IR before your CATs? On the real test, your stamina in verbal will hinge on your ability to withstand the FULL test.

Looking forward to hearing.
Show more
No I'm having difficulty finishing verbal on time. In my last MGMAT CAT I was at Q31 with only 5 min left. So I had to guess toward the end.
About my reading pace I'd say that I'm somewhat ok with RC but taking more time whenever faced with a hard CR.
Yes I had skimmed the last RC because of lack of time. I'm doing the AWA IR before CATs. That's also a strong reason for my low
verbal score as often I feel exhausted When I'm at the very middle of the verbal section (In my last MGMAT CAT in verbal my %tile
was 99% till Q13 (12 correct, 1 wrong & lagging 4 min from target time). But after that I was surprised to see that I was making
mistake in even 500-600 Q level. Finally I ended up at score V31, 61%).
User avatar
EMPOWERgmatVerbal
User avatar
EMPOWERgmat Instructor
Joined: 23 Feb 2015
Last visit: 17 Feb 2025
Posts: 1,694
Own Kudos:
15,175
 [8]
Given Kudos: 766
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 1,694
Kudos: 15,175
 [8]
Scoring above V40 23 May 2015, 14:11
4
Kudos
Add Kudos
4
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
ssmohanta


    ● Are you finishing Verbal early? If so, by how much? Do you run out of time? If so, how many questions do you get jammed up on at the end of the section?
    ● Describe your reading pace. Would you say you are skimming or skipping parts of a prompt or passage?
    ● What typically happens on your last RC passage? Do you skip the passage, or hyper-skim? Anything along those lines?
    ● Additionally, are you doing the AWA and IR before your CATs? On the real test, your stamina in verbal will hinge on your ability to withstand the FULL test.

Looking forward to hearing.

No I'm having difficulty finishing verbal on time. In my last MGMAT CAT I was at Q31 with only 5 min left. So I had to guess toward the end.
About my reading pace I'd say that I'm somewhat ok with RC but taking more time whenever faced with a hard CR.
Yes I had skimmed the last RC because of lack of time. I'm doing the AWA IR before CATs. That's also a strong reason for my low
verbal score as often I feel exhausted When I'm at the very middle of the verbal section (In my last MGMAT CAT in verbal my %tile
was 99% till Q13 (12 correct, 1 wrong & lagging 4 min from target time). But after that I was surprised to see that I was making
mistake in even 500-600 Q level. Finally I ended up at score V31, 61%).
Show more

There are two things happening here: Since the GMAT is adaptive, you’re pushing the difficulty level so high coming out of the first 13 questions that you’re getting stuck both in terms of time, and getting stuck in the weeds with the trickiest questions in the pool.

We call this “difficulty overshoot”. We see this a lot when a test-taker has a strong inherent ability, but is treating the GMAT like a traditional exam in which the goal is to get 100% correct. Your early accuracy pushes the question difficulty to an unsustainable range, mid-section. The GMAT doesn’t care how great you were in the middle of the section though. It would be great it did, because you’d walk away with V47. What matters is your trailing average coming out of the last several questions of the section. Right now, you’re rising to soaring heights, and then falling below your true score level on the latter half of the section, thus delivering a score below your true capability.

There’s some really good news for you here though. You have a strong ability in Verbal if you’re able to track to the 99th that far into the section, and even getting to that point takes a lot of skill.

Now you just need to make some tactical adjustments. You need a cohesive strategy for the entire section, instead of just focusing on the first dozen:

    • Right now, if you want to earn your best Verbal Score, you’re going to need to be willing to intentionally let a small handful of the worst-of-the-worst questions go. Those could include EXCEPT questions, Bolded Statement questions, or any other question that you know could either take too long, or that you don’t think you have a great shot of getting right.
    • You are probably spending upwards of 5 minutes plus on certain questions. You’re going to need to stop that habit immediately.
    • Let 3 questions go after 30 seconds, instead of spending 5 minutes on them. Keep in mind that these are questions you are most likely to miss anyway.

Here are the huge perks by making that bad for good trade:

➊ Time Savings: 13.5 Minutes (1.5 Minutes vs 3x5). You’re going to be able to save over 13 minutes. Imagine what you could do with that 13 minutes instead?

➋ Better algorithm management. Instead of going for everything earlier on and crashing, you’ll be able to better track your true talent level.

➌ Time to read carefully, and take interest on the questions that matter – Imagine how many other questions, and passages you could handle better with that extra time, ALL THE WAY TO THE END of the section. Imagine what that could mean for your score?

➍ Time to read all 4 RC passages thoroughly – Many people who lack a cohesive Verbal section strategy, go down in flames on the last RC passage, either skimming it, or even skipping it altogether. Ouch. That string of 4 resulting questions can be extremely costly. Now, you'll be able to avert that loss.

➎ There’s also the intangible benefit of avoiding the worst of the worst, and feeling even better about the questions you do

Now knowing what you need to adjust is one thing. Doing it is an altogether different thing. Bringing all of this together will take A LOT of discipline on your part. That’s why we stress the difference between studying and training for the GMAT. You’re getting ready for a performance, so you need to REHEARSE.

Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions down the road.
avatar
stevelev
avatar
Joined: 22 May 2015
Last visit: 18 Jun 2015
Posts: 4
Own Kudos:
2
Given Kudos: 1
Posts: 4
Kudos: 2
Scoring above V40 23 May 2015, 18:56
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
EMPOWERgmatMax
ssmohanta


    ● Are you finishing Verbal early? If so, by how much? Do you run out of time? If so, how many questions do you get jammed up on at the end of the section?
    ● Describe your reading pace. Would you say you are skimming or skipping parts of a prompt or passage?
    ● What typically happens on your last RC passage? Do you skip the passage, or hyper-skim? Anything along those lines?
    ● Additionally, are you doing the AWA and IR before your CATs? On the real test, your stamina in verbal will hinge on your ability to withstand the FULL test.

Looking forward to hearing.

No I'm having difficulty finishing verbal on time. In my last MGMAT CAT I was at Q31 with only 5 min left. So I had to guess toward the end.
About my reading pace I'd say that I'm somewhat ok with RC but taking more time whenever faced with a hard CR.
Yes I had skimmed the last RC because of lack of time. I'm doing the AWA IR before CATs. That's also a strong reason for my low
verbal score as often I feel exhausted When I'm at the very middle of the verbal section (In my last MGMAT CAT in verbal my %tile
was 99% till Q13 (12 correct, 1 wrong & lagging 4 min from target time). But after that I was surprised to see that I was making
mistake in even 500-600 Q level. Finally I ended up at score V31, 61%).

There are two things happening here: Since the GMAT is adaptive, you’re pushing the difficulty level so high coming out of the first 13 questions that you’re getting stuck both in terms of time, and getting stuck in the weeds with the trickiest questions in the pool.

We call this “difficulty overshoot”. We see this a lot when a test-taker has a strong inherent ability, but is treating the GMAT like a traditional exam in which the goal is to get 100% correct. Your early accuracy pushes the question difficulty to an unsustainable range, mid-section. The GMAT doesn’t care how great you were in the middle of the section though. It would be great it did, because you’d walk away with V47. What matters is your trailing average coming out of the last several questions of the section. Right now, you’re rising to soaring heights, and then falling below your true score level on the latter half of the section, thus delivering a score below your true capability.

There’s some really good news for you here though. You have a strong ability in Verbal if you’re able to track to the 99th that far into the section, and even getting to that point takes a lot of skill.

Now you just need to make some tactical adjustments. You need a cohesive strategy for the entire section, instead of just focusing on the first dozen:

    • Right now, if you want to earn your best Verbal Score, you’re going to need to be willing to intentionally let a small handful of the worst-of-the-worst questions go. Those could include EXCEPT questions, Bolded Statement questions, or any other question that you know could either take too long, or that you don’t think you have a great shot of getting right.
    • You are probably spending upwards of 5 minutes plus on certain questions. You’re going to need to stop that habit immediately.
    • Let 3 questions go after 30 seconds, instead of spending 5 minutes on them. Keep in mind that these are questions you are most likely to miss anyway.

Here are the huge perks by making that bad for good trade:

➊ Time Savings: 13.5 Minutes (1.5 Minutes vs 3x5). You’re going to be able to save over 13 minutes. Imagine what you could do with that 13 minutes instead?

➋ Better algorithm management. Instead of going for everything earlier on and crashing, you’ll be able to better track your true talent level.

➌ Time to read carefully, and take interest on the questions that matter – Imagine how many other questions, and passages you could handle better with that extra time, ALL THE WAY TO THE END of the section. Imagine what that could mean for your score?

➍ Time to read all 4 RC passages thoroughly – Many people who lack a cohesive Verbal section strategy, go down in flames on the last RC passage, either skimming it, or even skipping it altogether. Ouch. That string of 4 resulting questions can be extremely costly. Now, you'll be able to avert that loss.

➎ There’s also the intangible benefit of avoiding the worst of the worst, and feeling even better about the questions you do

Now knowing what you need to adjust is one thing. Doing it is an altogether different thing. Bringing all of this together will take A LOT of discipline on your part. That’s why we stress the difference between studying and training for the GMAT. You’re getting ready for a performance, so you need to REHEARSE.

Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions down the road.
Show more

Wow Max. You're my hero. This is awesome. Do you have any advice or tips about rehearsing?
User avatar
EMPOWERgmatVerbal
User avatar
EMPOWERgmat Instructor
Joined: 23 Feb 2015
Last visit: 17 Feb 2025
Posts: 1,694
Own Kudos:
15,175
Given Kudos: 766
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 1,694
Kudos: 15,175
Scoring above V40 26 May 2015, 15:15
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
stevelev
Wow Max. You're my hero. This is awesome. Do you have any advice or tips about rehearsing?
Show more

Hi stevelev, Thank you. You ask a very wise question, one that really should be asked a lot more often. I actually just posted an extensive article addressing that exact question, here:

GMAT Assassin's Manifesto - How to Master Essential Content & Tactics
verbal-advantage-gmat-assassin-s-manifesto-master-content-tactics-198768.html
User avatar
ssmohanta
User avatar
Joined: 13 Dec 2013
Last visit: 11 Mar 2016
Posts: 13
Own Kudos:
12
Given Kudos: 86
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, Operations
GMAT 1: 660 Q51 V27
WE:Information Technology (Manufacturing)
GMAT 1: 660 Q51 V27
Posts: 13
Kudos: 12
Scoring above V40 31 May 2015, 09:46
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
EMPOWERgmatMax
ssmohanta


    ● Are you finishing Verbal early? If so, by how much? Do you run out of time? If so, how many questions do you get jammed up on at the end of the section?
    ● Describe your reading pace. Would you say you are skimming or skipping parts of a prompt or passage?
    ● What typically happens on your last RC passage? Do you skip the passage, or hyper-skim? Anything along those lines?
    ● Additionally, are you doing the AWA and IR before your CATs? On the real test, your stamina in verbal will hinge on your ability to withstand the FULL test.

Looking forward to hearing.

No I'm having difficulty finishing verbal on time. In my last MGMAT CAT I was at Q31 with only 5 min left. So I had to guess toward the end.
About my reading pace I'd say that I'm somewhat ok with RC but taking more time whenever faced with a hard CR.
Yes I had skimmed the last RC because of lack of time. I'm doing the AWA IR before CATs. That's also a strong reason for my low
verbal score as often I feel exhausted When I'm at the very middle of the verbal section (In my last MGMAT CAT in verbal my %tile
was 99% till Q13 (12 correct, 1 wrong & lagging 4 min from target time). But after that I was surprised to see that I was making
mistake in even 500-600 Q level. Finally I ended up at score V31, 61%).

There are two things happening here: Since the GMAT is adaptive, you’re pushing the difficulty level so high coming out of the first 13 questions that you’re getting stuck both in terms of time, and getting stuck in the weeds with the trickiest questions in the pool.

We call this “difficulty overshoot”. We see this a lot when a test-taker has a strong inherent ability, but is treating the GMAT like a traditional exam in which the goal is to get 100% correct. Your early accuracy pushes the question difficulty to an unsustainable range, mid-section. The GMAT doesn’t care how great you were in the middle of the section though. It would be great it did, because you’d walk away with V47. What matters is your trailing average coming out of the last several questions of the section. Right now, you’re rising to soaring heights, and then falling below your true score level on the latter half of the section, thus delivering a score below your true capability.

There’s some really good news for you here though. You have a strong ability in Verbal if you’re able to track to the 99th that far into the section, and even getting to that point takes a lot of skill.

Now you just need to make some tactical adjustments. You need a cohesive strategy for the entire section, instead of just focusing on the first dozen:

    • Right now, if you want to earn your best Verbal Score, you’re going to need to be willing to intentionally let a small handful of the worst-of-the-worst questions go. Those could include EXCEPT questions, Bolded Statement questions, or any other question that you know could either take too long, or that you don’t think you have a great shot of getting right.
    • You are probably spending upwards of 5 minutes plus on certain questions. You’re going to need to stop that habit immediately.
    • Let 3 questions go after 30 seconds, instead of spending 5 minutes on them. Keep in mind that these are questions you are most likely to miss anyway.

Here are the huge perks by making that bad for good trade:

➊ Time Savings: 13.5 Minutes (1.5 Minutes vs 3x5). You’re going to be able to save over 13 minutes. Imagine what you could do with that 13 minutes instead?

➋ Better algorithm management. Instead of going for everything earlier on and crashing, you’ll be able to better track your true talent level.

➌ Time to read carefully, and take interest on the questions that matter – Imagine how many other questions, and passages you could handle better with that extra time, ALL THE WAY TO THE END of the section. Imagine what that could mean for your score?

➍ Time to read all 4 RC passages thoroughly – Many people who lack a cohesive Verbal section strategy, go down in flames on the last RC passage, either skimming it, or even skipping it altogether. Ouch. That string of 4 resulting questions can be extremely costly. Now, you'll be able to avert that loss.

➎ There’s also the intangible benefit of avoiding the worst of the worst, and feeling even better about the questions you do

Now knowing what you need to adjust is one thing. Doing it is an altogether different thing. Bringing all of this together will take A LOT of discipline on your part. That’s why we stress the difference between studying and training for the GMAT. You’re getting ready for a performance, so you need to REHEARSE.

Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions down the road.
Show more
The cohesive strategies make a lot of sense & I'm gonna apply them in future.
Thanks for the extensive reply.
User avatar
EMPOWERgmatVerbal
User avatar
EMPOWERgmat Instructor
Joined: 23 Feb 2015
Last visit: 17 Feb 2025
Posts: 1,694
Own Kudos:
15,175
Given Kudos: 766
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 1,694
Kudos: 15,175
Scoring above V40 01 Jun 2015, 19:43
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
ssmohanta


The cohesive strategies make a lot of sense & I'm gonna apply them in future.
Thanks for the extensive reply.
Show more

Sure thing ssmohanta! I also think that this recent 2015 Verbal Advantage post about how to boost your training might help as well:
GMAT Assassin's Manifesto - How to Master Content & Tactics

I'd like to hear how things progress. Update us here in this thread if you have a chance, or feel free to PM me if you'd prefer.
User avatar
GmatKnightTutor
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 31 Jan 2020
Last visit: 01 Nov 2025
Posts: 5,228
Own Kudos:
1,568
Given Kudos: 18
Posts: 5,228
Kudos: 1,568
Scoring above V40 22 Apr 2022, 00:45
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
How to get a V40 or higher on the GMAT? What about a V51?

All the best.

Archived Topic
Hi there,
This topic has been closed and archived due to inactivity or violation of community quality standards. No more replies are possible here.
Where to now? Join ongoing discussions on thousands of quality questions in our Verbal Questions Forum
Still interested in this question? Check out the "Best Topics" block above for a better discussion on this exact question, as well as several more related questions.
Thank you for understanding, and happy exploring!
Moderators:
miag
188 posts
u1983
Current Student
710 posts
MikeScarn
Current Student
275 posts