60 Minutes | 3 Question Types | 40 Practice Questions
| Hour | Topic | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Hour 9 | RC Foundations — Passage Structure | RC |
| Hour 10 | RC Question Types — Main Idea to Tone | RC |
| Hour 11 | CR Argument Structure — Premises & Conclusions | CR |
| Hour 12 | CR Strengthen & Weaken Questions | CR |
| Hour 13 | CR Inference & Paradox Questions | CR |
| Hour 14 | SC Grammar Rules — Top Error Types | SC |
| Hour 15 | SC Style & Meaning — Elimination Strategy | SC |
| Hour 16 | Verbal Review — Scoring & Pacing Guide | Review |
Passage Structure Diagram
Practice Questions
Answer: Spend more time on the passage (~2.5 min) and less time per question (~1.5 min). Slow initial reading builds a mental map that dramatically speeds up answering.
Answer: To present a counter-argument that the author will then refute or qualify. Recognizing this body structure prevents misidentifying the author's position.
Answer: "3 studies → support hypothesis." Keep it to 4–5 words. Avoid full sentences; you need speed, not transcription.
RC Question Type Flowchart
Practice Questions
Answer: No. Main Idea answers must encompass the entire passage. A choice focused on a single paragraph is "too narrow" — a classic GMAT trap.
Answer: It must be 100% provable from the passage text — not merely possible or likely. If you need outside knowledge, it is wrong.
Answer: "Objective" or "informative." Avoid "critical," "enthusiastic," or "dismissive" — these require evaluative language the passage lacks.
Argument Structure Bridge
Practice Questions
Answer: No other factor (competitor entry, economic downturn, product defect) caused the sales decline. The argument assumes correlation equals causation.
Answer: "Therefore." "Additionally" signals a premise addition; "for example" signals supporting evidence. Conclusion keywords: therefore, thus, hence, so, consequently, must, should.
Answer: It is not stated in the argument — it is the unstated gap between premises and conclusion. It is required for the argument to be valid but never explicitly written.
Strengthen vs. Weaken — Balance Scale
Practice Questions
Answer: (A). It provides an alternative explanation — the trend occurred independently, so bike lanes may not be the cause. (B) and (C) are irrelevant to the causal claim.
Answer: (B). It provides direct evidence for the comparative effectiveness claim. (A) and (C) address side effects and cost — not headache reduction efficacy.
Answer: Negate the answer choice — if negating it destroys the conclusion, the choice is a necessary assumption. Use it to verify assumption answers, not strengthen/weaken answers.
Must-Be-True vs. Could-Be-True
Practice Questions
Answer: Maria receives a bonus. This is a direct syllogism — both premises guarantee the conclusion with certainty.
Answer: (B). If volume dropped ~27% but price rose 30%, net revenue change is ~−5%, reconciling the data. (A) and (C) don't explain the revenue figures.
Answer: No — "may" indicates possibility, not certainty. Must-Be-True answers must be definitive. However, "some" (at least one) can appear if provable from premises.
SC Error Frequency Chart
Practice Questions
Answer: No. The subject is "team" (singular). The correct verb is "was." Ignore the prepositional phrase "of analysts" when identifying the subject.
Answer: Dangling modifier. "Running down the street" must modify the subject — but the bus cannot run. Fix: "Running down the street, I watched the bus pass me."
Answer: Faulty parallelism. Fix: "She likes swimming, hiking, and cycling" (all gerunds) or "…to swim, to hike, and to cycle" (all infinitives).
SC Elimination Funnel
Practice Questions
Answer: Check (1) conciseness — eliminate wordy or redundant options; (2) meaning — which accurately reflects the intended idea; (3) style — avoid passive voice, awkward constructions, or ambiguous pronouns.
Answer: Active voice: "The new CEO increased the profits." GMAT consistently favors active, direct constructions unless passive is required for meaning.
Answer: No. Grammar rules override "ear feel." GMAT tests written standard English, not spoken idiom. Always apply the error hierarchy first — grammar errors disqualify a choice regardless of how natural it sounds.
| Verbal Score | Approx. Accuracy | Errors / 23 Qs | Target Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 85–90 | ~90% | ≤ 2–3 | Top 10 MBA |
| 75–84 | ~80% | 4–5 | Top 25 MBA |
| 65–74 | ~70% | 6–7 | Strong applicant |
| Below 65 | <65% | 8+ | Needs more practice |
45-Minute Pacing Guide
Practice Questions
Answer: Make an educated guess and move on immediately. Spending 6+ minutes on one question burns time needed for later questions and costs more than a potential wrong answer.
Answer: RC questions — especially the first question for a new passage, because you must read (~2.5 min) before answering. Budget your time accordingly when you see a new RC passage.
Answer: Eliminate extreme answers. On RC/CR, words like "always," "never," "all," "none" are almost always wrong. On SC, answers with distorted meaning are eliminated. Moderate, precise language is favored across all three types.