Preparing for the
Verbal Reasoning Measure
Overview
• Introduction to the Verbal Reasoning Measure
• Question Types and Strategies for Answering
• General Strategies
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Skills Assessed on the Verbal
Reasoning Measure
Assesses ability to:
• Analyze and evaluate written material and
synthesize information obtained from it
• Analyze relationships among component parts of
sentences
• Recognize relationships among words and concepts
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Content of the Verbal Reasoning
Measure
• Two 30-minute sections; 20 questions in each
section
• Contains three question types:
– Reading Comprehension Sets
– Text Completion Questions
– Sentence Equivalence Questions
• No longer contains
– Analogies
– Antonyms
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Content of the Verbal Reasoning
Measure (continued)
• To accommodate different interests and
backgrounds, there is a balance of questions in:
– Natural Sciences (e.g., Physical Sciences and Biological
Sciences)
– Social Sciences (e.g., Business, History, Political
Science, Sociology, Psychology, Economics, and
Anthropology)
– Humanities (e.g., Literature, Philosophy, Art,
Sculpture, Architecture, Music, Dance and Theater)
• No specific knowledge of any subject is
required.
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Question Types and
Strategies for Answering
Verbal Reasoning Question Types
• Reading Comprehension Sets
• Text Completion Questions
• Sentence Equivalence Questions
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Reading Comprehension Sets
• Consist of a passage and one or more associated
questions
• Require you to read and to understand what is read.
–
–
–
–
–
Recognizing purpose and main idea
Recognizing specific points made
Recognizing assumptions
Making inferences
Evaluating purpose and structure
• Each reading passage contains all of the information
needed to answer the questions that follow it.
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Reading Comprehension Changes
•
•
•
•
•
More questions
More passages
New shorter passages
New question formats
No line numbering
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Reading Comprehension Question Formats
• Multiple Choice — Select One Answer Choice
– Five answer choices, choose correct one
• Multiple Choice — Select One or More Answer
Choices
– Three answer choices, choose all that apply
• Select in Passage
– Choose the sentence in the passage that fits a given
description
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Reading Comprehension
Multiple Choice — Select One Answer Choice
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Reading Comprehension
Multiple Choice — Select One Answer Choice
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Reading Comprehension
Multiple Choice — Select One or More Answer Choices
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Reading Comprehension
Multiple Choice — Select One or More Answer Choices
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Reading Comprehension
Select in Passage
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Reading Comprehension
Select in Passage
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Strategies for Reading Comprehension Sets —
Reading the Passage
• Read the passage and get a sense of its overall
meaning and purpose.
• Use your scratch paper to make notes.
• Note key words and phrases and try to clarify what
is being expressed.
• Note which claims the author makes and which are
made by others and merely described by the author.
• Similarly, note whether the author is hypothesizing
something or maintaining it with some certainty.
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Strategies for Reading Comprehension Sets —
Reading the Passage (continued)
• Remember, all the necessary information to answer
each question is in the passage.
– You do not need subject-matter knowledge to answer
the questions.
– Even with unfamiliar material, with a little work you
can answer the questions.
• When practicing to take the test, try to determine
which method is best for you:
– Whether to read the passage thoroughly first
– Whether to skim the passage first
– Whether to look at each question before reading the
passage
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Strategies for Reading Comprehension Sets —
Answering the Questions
• When answering reading comprehension questions
– Make sure you understand what the question is asking
– Answer strictly on the basis of what the passage
says — do not rely on outside knowledge
– Do not select an answer simply because it is a true
statement
– Do not select an answer that is only partially correct
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Strategies for Reading Comprehension Sets —
Answering the Questions (continued)
• When answering main idea questions
– Make sure that your answer picks the main idea
rather than a subsidiary one
• When identifying what the passage says explicitly
– You should be able to pick out specific portions of the
passage that make the relevant statement
• When identifying what the passage says implicitly
– Do not be limited by what is stated explicitly
– Do not substitute your own ideas or interpretations;
stick to what the author is committed to
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Text Completion Questions
• Consist of one or more sentences with one to
three blanks.
• Answer choices consist of alternatives for filling
the blanks.
• Answer choices are independent.
• Require you to grasp the meaning of the
sentences and, by analyzing the relationships
among their parts, to select the most appropriate
word or words to fill in the blanks.
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Text Completion Questions
How They Work
The GRE revised General Test
®
Better by Design™
Text Completion Questions
How They Work
The GRE revised General Test
®
Better by Design™
Strategies for Text Completion Questions
• Read the passage to get an overall sense of it.
• Identify words or phrases that seem particularly
significant.
• Try to fill in the blanks with your own words and
find answer choices that match.
• Focus on whichever blank seems easiest to
complete.
• After making your answer choices, reread the
whole passage to be sure it makes sense.
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Strategies for Text Completion Questions
(continued)
When filling a blank, ask yourself
• Should the word be similar to or contrasted with a
nearby word in the passage?
• Should the word have a positive or negative
character?
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Sentence Equivalence Questions
• Consist of a single sentence with one blank and
six answer choices.
• Require you to find the two answer choices
that complete the sentence coherently and also
produce sentences alike in meaning.
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Sentence Equivalence Questions
How They Work
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Sentence Equivalence Questions
How They Work
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Strategies for Sentence Equivalence
Questions
• Read the sentence to get an overall sense of it.
• Identify words or phrases that seem particularly
significant.
• Try to fill in the blank with your own words and find
answer choices that match.
• After making your answer choices, reread the two
completed sentences to be sure they both make
sense and say the same thing.
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Strategies for Sentence Equivalence
Questions (continued)
• Do not assume that if two of the answer choices have
the same meaning, they are the correct answer.
– The answer choices will often contain words that do not
fit the sentence.
– The two correct choices do not themselves have to have
the same meaning.
• When filling a blank, ask yourself
– Should the word be similar to or contrasted with a
nearby word in the passage?
– Should the word have a positive or negative character?
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General Strategies
General Strategies
• Become familiar with formats and directions
beforehand.
• Try to answer every question.
–
–
–
–
Read each question thoroughly.
Make notes.
Read all answer choices before answering.
Use knowledge you have to figure out answers to
unfamiliar questions.
• Be aware of time.
• Use the Review screen wisely.
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Other Points to Remember
• Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses.
• Set realistic goals.
• Allow enough time for improvement to occur.
– Start early and work regularly.
– Take courses that include complex reading material.
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Resources
• ETS materials (e.g., materials on GRE website,
sample tests)
• College faculty (e.g., English and Math
Professors)
• Study groups
• Magazines, newspapers and other reading
material
– Analyze what you read.
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Questions?
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