{"id":16529,"date":"2026-10-05T16:10:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T16:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=16529"},"modified":"2026-10-05T21:10:53","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T21:10:53","slug":"high-level-gmat-reading-comprehension-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/gmat\/high-level-gmat-reading-comprehension-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice: Difficult Passages"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Take a few minutes to review the basics of GMAT Reading Comprehension practice question types and strategies<\/a>. Then, try out your skills on this high level GMAT Reading Comprehension practice passage and questions. Give yourself about 7 minutes (1x timing), 10.5 minutes (1.5x timing), or 14 minutes (2x timing) to complete the passage and three questions, then check your analysis and answers with ours to see how you did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GMAT Reading Comprehension Example<\/h2>\n\n\n\t
\t\t
<\/p>\n

Sarah Meyers McGinty, in her new book <\/span>Power Talk: Using Language to Build Authority and Influence<\/span><\/i>, argues that while the simple lingual act of declaring power does not help a powerless person gain influence, well-considered linguistic techniques and maneuvers do.\u00a0McGinty does not dispute the importance of factors such as expertise and ability in determining stature, but argues persuasively that these power determinants amount to little in a person unable to communicate effectively.\u00a0Many surveys have shown that\u00a0the ability to communicate effectively is the characteristic judged by managers to be most critical in determining promotability in the workplace or an academic environment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

McGinty divides speech into two categories: “language from the center” and “language from the edge”.\u00a0In McGinty’s words, “Language from the center makes a speaker sound like a leader.\u201d\u00a0McGinty suggests that language from the center is not only for those in high positions of power, but also for those of lower ranks who wish to gain more power and credibility. A speaker using language from the center exhibits the following characteristics: he directs rather than responds; he makes statements rather than asks questions; he contradicts, argues, and disagrees; he uses his experience persuasively; and he maintains an air of impersonality in the workplace. McGinty suggests that the use of language from the center can alter or create a new balance of power.\u00a0These assertions are supported by studies that show that people accept leadership from those they perceive to be experts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Language from the edge stands in stark contrast to language from the center.\u00a0Language from the edge is careful, exploratory, and inquiring.\u00a0It is inclusive, deferential, and collaborative.\u00a0A speaker using language from the edge responds rather than directs; asks questions; strives to make others feel heard and protected; and avoids argument.\u00a0The main purpose of language from the center is to claim authority for a speaker, while language from the edge strives to build consensus and trust.\u00a0McGinty argues that true power comes from a deep understanding of when to use which style and the ability to use both as necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n

What distinguishes McGinty\u2019s discussion of effective communication is her focus on communication skills as a way of gaining power; this contrasts with most workplace communication theory, which focuses on communication skills as a way of preventing misunderstandings, avoiding conflict, and fostering interpersonal relationships.\u00a0McGinty, however, holds that language not only helps maintain relationships but also lends authority.\u00a0According to <\/span>Power Talk, <\/span><\/i>effective communication skill \u201cis an understanding of how situation shapes speech and how speech shapes situation\u201d and \u201can understanding of how speech styles and the forces that affect those styles . . . can build your authority, and enhance your credibility and impact.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

What are the Best Strategies to Analyze a High-Level GMAT Reading Comprehension Passage?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are the four best strategies to help you analyze a difficult GMAT Reading Comprehension passage. Do them in order: The first one will help you accomplish the second one and the second one will help you accomplish the third one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Focus on BIG PICTURE, not detail<\/li>
  2. Find the PURPOSE of each paragraph<\/li>
  3. Articulate the overall POINT of the passage<\/li>
  4. Make a PASSAGE MAP as you go.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Often, the first paragraph is mostly big picture (unless it\u2019s really long). The later paragraphs are more likely to have a topic sentence or two at the beginning and then dive into detail. When you\u2019re done reading the passage, you may already know the overall point or you may need to look back over the major message in each paragraph to confirm.<\/p>\n\n\n

    View Example GMAT Passage Analysis <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

    Here\u2019s a summary of McGinty by paragraph:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. McGinty has a theory that communication is the primary method by which managers establish their power or authority<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Two types: Center and Edge. Language from center = obvious leader-type language. You use it to assert, direct, and take charge.<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. Language from edge = the opposite. You use it to build consensus and trust. Both are necessary to establish authority\/power. Need to know when to use which.<\/span><\/li>\n
    4. McGinty\u2019s theory: Communication = Power. Not a common point of view.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      When you\u2019ve gotten through the passage, pause for a moment to review the big picture and decide what the overall point is. In this case, it\u2019s really what paragraphs one and four are about: McGinty has a theory that effective communication leads to power and authority. The rest of it is detail.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Your Passage Map might look something like this:<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. M theory: Comm = power<\/span><\/li>\n
      2. Center: obvious take charge, assert<\/span><\/li>\n
      3. Edge: softer, consensus. But need BOTH for power<\/span><\/li>\n
      4. M theory not common \/ really is new theory<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><\/section><\/div>\n\n\n
        <\/div>\n\n\n\n

        GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        When doing<\/em> the questions, identify the RC problem type:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        1. Main Idea (common)<\/li>
        2. Specific Detail (common)<\/li>
        3. Inference (common)<\/li>
        4. Why (somewhat common)<\/li>
        5. Paragraph (less common)<\/li>
        6. Strengthen or Weaken (less common)<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          When reviewing<\/em> any Reading Comp problem, answer these three questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          1. Did I know WHAT they were trying to test?<\/strong>
            1. Was I able to CATEGORIZE this question by topic and subtopic? By process \/ technique?<\/li>
            2. Did I COMPREHEND the text, vocabulary words, questions, and answer choices? Can I comprehend it all now, when I have lots of time to think about it?<\/li><\/ol><\/li>
            3. How well did I HANDLE what they were trying to test?<\/strong>
              1. Did I choose the best APPROACH? Or is there a better way to do the problem?<\/li>
              2. Did I have the SKILLS to follow through? Or did I fall short on anything?<\/li>
              3. Did I make any careless mistakes? If so, WHY did I make the mistake?<\/li>
              4. Am I comfortable with OTHER STRATEGIES that would have worked, at least partially? How could I have made an educated guess?<\/li>
              5. Do I understand every TRAP & TRICK that the writer built into the question, including wrong answers?<\/li><\/ol><\/li>
              6. How well did I or could I RECOGNIZE what was going on?<\/strong>
                1. Can I make any CONNECTIONS to problems I\u2019ve done in the past? How are they similar? How could that recognition help me do this problem more efficiently or effectively?<\/li>
                2. HOW will I recognize similar problems or similar traps in the future?<\/li><\/ol><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                  You don\u2019t have to answer every sub-question for each problem you analyze. Ask yourself what analysis is relevant based on how that problem went.<\/p>\n\n\n\t

                  \t\t
                  <\/p>\n

                  Question #1<\/h3>\n

                  The primary focus of the passage is on which of the following?<\/span><\/p>\n

                  (A) Demonstrating the effectiveness of a certain framework in the business world<\/span><\/p>\n

                  (B) Explaining the advantages and disadvantages of a proposed approach to business communication<\/span><\/p>\n

                  (C) Analyzing the details of a controversial theory of business<\/span><\/p>\n

                  (D) Presenting a new model of business communication<\/span><\/p>\n

                  (E) Articulating the major differences between two types of language<\/span><\/p>\n

                  \n<\/div><\/div>\n

                  Question #1 Answer and Explanation <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

                  The correct answer is D.<\/span><\/h3>\n

                  This is a <\/span>Main Idea<\/b> question type (\u201cprimary focus\u201d). What was the overall message of the passage? McGinty has a theory about communication and power; the passage was all about introducing and explaining McGinty\u2019s theory. The answer choice that best fits is (D).<\/span><\/p>\n

                  For the analysis below, let\u2019s pretend the test-taker chose <\/span>incorrect<\/span><\/i> answer (B).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \n
                  1. Did I know WHAT they were trying to test?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                    Questions: Was I able to categorize this question? Did I comprehend all the words, vocab, concepts, and answer choices?<\/span><\/p>\n

                    I knew that this was a main idea question because they ask about the \u201cprimary focus.\u201d Main idea correct answers are usually fairly \u201cmiddle of the road\u201d: they can\u2019t go into too much detail but they also can\u2019t go beyond what the passage actually says.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                      \n
                    1. How well did I HANDLE what they were trying to test?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                      Questions: How was my approach? Did I have the skills to follow through? Did I make any careless mistakes? If so, WHY did I make each mistake? How could I have made an educated guess? Do I understand the traps built into the question, including wrong answers?<\/span><\/p>\n

                      The passage does talk about McGinty\u2019s proposed theory in positive terms at times (for example, she \u201cargues persuasively,\u201d according to the passage), but the passage never discusses any disadvantages. It just talks about what McGinty\u2019s theory is and how that compares and contrasts with other existing theories. And that\u2019s pretty much what answer D says, but I wasn\u2019t paying that much attention to answer D by the time I read it, because I already thought B was the right answer.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                      So, how can I avoid making that mistake next time? First, I have to make sure that I haven\u2019t locked myself into an earlier answer so much that I don\u2019t really read the remaining answers. I should have thought of B as \u201cthis might be it\u201d rather than \u201cI already found the right answer.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                      Next, I need to make sure that I\u2019m paying attention to every word in the answer. I liked B originally because it talked about a proposed approach, which is similar to a theory or hypothesis, and because I felt that the author did like McGinty\u2019s theory and discussed its advantages. I glossed right over the word disadvantages, but I do know that every word has to be supported. There\u2019s no support in the passage to justify the word disadvantages.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                      Answer D, on the other hand, is so vague\u2026 but that\u2019s precisely what makes it work. The passage does present a new model (McGinty\u2019s model) and it is a model of business communication. Done.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                        \n
                      1. How well did I or could I RECOGNIZE what was going on?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                        Questions: Did I make a connection to previous experience? Can I make any connections now, while I’m analyzing the problem? HOW will I recognize similar problems in the future?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

                        I didn\u2019t have any problem recognizing that this was a main idea question, but I did forget that any details in an answer choice MUST be justified by the passage, or I have to cross that choice off. I knew that already\u2026how am I going to remember that for next time?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                        I\u2019m going to go through the wrong answers and articulate exactly why each one is wrong. In A, the word \u201ceffectiveness\u201d goes too far; the author presents McGinty\u2019s theory but never shows how effective it is. In B, the word \u201cdisadvantages\u201d isn\u2019t justified by the passage; similarly, the word \u201ccontroversial\u201d in answer C isn\u2019t supported by the passage either. There isn\u2019t any major conflict or controversy in the passage. Wow, all three of those answer choices can be eliminated because just one word is \u201coff\u201d or not supported by the passage.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                        I can see how E would be really tricky because of the \u201ctwo types of language\u201d part. It was all about the two types of language! But the major differences between the two types? That\u2019s a <\/span><\/i>detail<\/span><\/i> of McGinty\u2019s overall theory, but that\u2019s not the overall theory, or main point, of the passage, nor is it even the main point of McGinty\u2019s theory. Her main theory is that people can use both types of language in order to develop \u201ctrue power.\u201d So this info <\/span><\/i>was<\/span> in the passage, but it was <\/span><\/i>detail<\/span>, not the main idea. I want to watch out for that type of trap in future; that\u2019s tricky.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                        In my notes, I\u2019m going to write \u201cmain idea = middle of the road\u201d and \u201c<\/span><\/i>must justify<\/span><\/i> each word\u201d as my two main takeaways here. I\u2019m also going to note that, when they ask for main idea, I have to watch out for traps that are too detailed \/ too in the weeds. Because the justify issue was the biggest problem for me, when I do more RC passages later this week, I\u2019m going to keep a note out that just says \u201cJustify!\u201d in big letters to remind myself to do that when examining the answers.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><\/section><\/div>\n\n\n

                        <\/div>\n\n\n\t
                        \t\t

                        Question #2<\/h3>\n

                        According to the passage, McGinty believes that ineffective communication can undermine which of the following power determinants?<\/span><\/p>\n

                        (A) experience<\/span><\/p>\n

                        (B) stature<\/span><\/p>\n

                        (C) expertise<\/span><\/p>\n

                        (D) an air of impersonality<\/span><\/p>\n

                        (E) confidence<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

                        Question #2 Answer and Explanation <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

                        The correct answer is C.<\/span><\/h3>\n

                        This is a <\/span>Specific Detail<\/b> problem, signaled by the words \u201caccording to the passage\u201d and the fact that it\u2019s asking you to find a specific detail in the passage. Ask yourself where McGinty talked about power determinants and ineffective communication.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

                        She talked about this in the first paragraph. (Also, paragraph two was about center language; paragraph three was about edge language. McGinty argues both of those <\/span>are<\/span><\/i> effective. Since this question asks about <\/span>ineffective<\/span><\/i> communication, the answer probably isn\u2019t in one of those paragraphs.)<\/span><\/p>\n

                        Paragraph one says:<\/span><\/p>\n

                        \u201cMcGinty does not dispute the importance of factors such as expertise and ability in determining stature, but argues persuasively that these power determinants amount to little in a person unable to communicate effectively.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                        In other words, expertise and ability can be important, but if you are ineffective at communication, then expertise and ability won\u2019t do much for you. Scan the answers. Expertise, answer (C), is the correct answer. (Ability isn\u2019t in the answer choices.)<\/span><\/p>\n

                        For the question analysis, pretend that the test-taker chose incorrect answer (D).<\/span><\/p>\n

                          \n
                        1. Did I know WHAT they were trying to test?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                          Questions: Was I able to categorize this question? Did I comprehend all the words, vocab, concepts, and answer choices? Do I know what I\u2019m supposed to do for questions of this type?<\/span><\/p>\n

                          I knew that this was a specific detail question because the question stem says \u201cAccording to the passage.\u201d For these, I\u2019m supposed to go back into the passage to find a certain sentence (or sentences) in order to answer the question.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                            \n
                          1. How well did I HANDLE what they were trying to test?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                            Questions: How was my approach? Did I have the skills to follow through? Did I make any careless mistakes? If so, WHY did I make each mistake? How could I have made an educated guess? Do I understand the traps built into the question, including wrong answers?<\/span><\/p>\n

                            I picked D; the correct answer is C. I had no idea why until I read the explanation: I was looking at the wrong place in the passage.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                            When I read the question, I really didn\u2019t know where to look. I remembered reading \u201cpower determinants\u201d in the passage but didn\u2019t know where. I felt that \u201clanguage from the center\u201d was the more powerful type, and the question stem said something about power, so I started skimming paragraph 2, which talks about language from the center. I noticed that the paragraph lists a bunch of characteristics of someone using language from the center, including an \u201cair of impersonality,\u201d so I picked that one.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                            I didn\u2019t notice, though, that at that point the passage says nothing about <\/span><\/i>ineffective<\/span> communication, which is what the question asks about. Paragraphs 2 and 3 are both about what McGinty says <\/span><\/i>is<\/span> effective. I wasn\u2019t looking in the right place.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                            The correct answer was actually in the first paragraph, and the key words were \u201cpower determinants.\u201d Also, the fact that paragraphs 2 and 3 talk about the center and edge language should have tipped me off; McGinty argues that both of those types of language are effective, not ineffective.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                            I knew that I had seen the phrase \u201cpower determinants\u201d somewhere in the passage, and I should\u2019ve scanned until I found it.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                              \n
                            1. How well did I or could I RECOGNIZE what was going on?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                              Questions: Did I make a connection to previous experience? Can I make any connections now, while I’m analyzing the problem? HOW will I recognize similar problems in the future?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

                              I did recognize that this was a specific detail question. My real problem was not finding the right place in the passage. And I\u2019ve actually made this kind of mistake before; I get impatient and just go for the first thing that sort of seems like what the question says. I need to make myself focus on the precise wording of the question.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                              In particular, I knew I had seen \u201cpower determinants\u201d somewhere in the passage but I didn\u2019t actually try to go find it again! Next time, when there\u2019s a keyword like that, I have to make myself find it. It\u2019s okay if that takes a little extra time; the reward is actually getting to the right answer.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                              Also, I\u2019m just noticing that answer B is tempting. If I had gone to the right location in the first place, I would\u2019ve narrowed it down to B and C; both words are in the sentence. Why is it C and not B? Oh, I see. The two factors in question are expertise and ability; stature is mentioned only as what you can gain if you do have those factors. But expertise and ability are the actual \u201cpower determinants.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><\/section><\/div><\/p>\n\n\n

                              <\/div>\n\n\n\t
                              \t\t

                              Question #3<\/h3>\n

                              The passage suggests that McGinty would be most likely to agree with which of the following?<\/span><\/p>\n

                              (A) Language from the center is more effective than language from the edge.<\/span><\/p>\n

                              (B) Managers who use language from the edge are not authoritative.<\/span><\/p>\n

                              (C) Powerful people are both authoritative and inclusive.<\/span><\/p>\n

                              (D) The only way to become powerful is to learn to use language from the center.<\/span><\/p>\n

                              (E) Language from the edge is used primarily by low-level employees.<\/span><\/p>\n

                              \n<\/div><\/div>

                              Question #3 Answer and Explanation <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

                              The correct answer is C.<\/span><\/h3>\n

                              This is an <\/span>Inference<\/b> question, signaled by the word \u201csuggests\u201d in the question stem. Inference questions require an answer that is directly supported by specific evidence in the passage. The correct answer will be something that is not directly written in the passage but nevertheless must be true based upon some evidence given in the passage.<\/span><\/p>\n

                              For the question analysis below, pretend that the test-taker chose incorrect answer (B), which is the most commonly chosen wrong answer on this problem.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

                                \n
                              1. Did I know WHAT they were trying to test?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                Questions: Was I able to categorize this question? Did I comprehend all the words, vocab, concepts, and answer choices? Do I know what I\u2019m supposed to do for questions of this type?<\/span><\/p>\n

                                I knew that this was an inference question because they use the word \u201csuggest.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                                  \n
                                1. How well did I HANDLE what they were trying to test?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                  Questions: How was my approach? Did I have the skills to follow through? Did I make any careless mistakes? If so, WHY did I make each mistake? How could I have made an educated guess? Do I understand the traps built into the question, including wrong answers?<\/span><\/p>\n

                                  I assumed that the two types of language were \u201cone or the other\u201d\u2014you either use language from the center or language from the edge, but not both. The passage doesn\u2019t actually say that, though. In fact, the last sentence of paragraph 3 says the opposite:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                                  \u201c\u2026<\/span><\/i>true power comes from a deep understanding of when to use which style and <\/span>the ability to use both as necessary<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                                  Why did I miss that the first time? I\u2019ve gotten into the habit of skimming the ends of paragraphs, but clearly there can be important info at the end. So I have to break that habit. But reading every single word carefully will take too long, so what do I do?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                                  Ah, I get it. The second-to-last sentence starts \u201cthe main purpose\u2026\u201d That right there tells me that the sentence contains a big idea. The final sentence says \u201cMcGinty argues that true power comes from\u2026\u201d Again, the language signals a big idea, so I should have paid attention to the rest of the sentence, not just skimmed it. It doesn\u2019t matter that it\u2019s the last sentence of the paragraph; if it\u2019s a big idea, I have to read it more carefully.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                                  I crossed off answer C (the correct one) because I mistakenly thought that someone couldn\u2019t use both types of language. That last sentence of paragraph 3, though, tells me that not only can people use both types, but that using both types is how we gain \u201ctrue power\u201d (according to McGinty).<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                                    \n
                                  1. How well did I or could I RECOGNIZE what was going on?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                    Questions: Did I make a connection to previous experience? Can I make any connections now, while I’m analyzing the problem? HOW will I recognize similar problems in the future?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    I did recognize that this was an inference question. My real problem was not reading the passage carefully enough. How am I going to do this better next time?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                                    I\u2019m going to practice picking up on \u201cbig idea\u201d cues in the wording of a passage. First, I\u2019ll re-read this passage and note down all of the \u201cbig idea\u201d language. Then I\u2019ll do the same with at least 2 or 3 other passages that I\u2019ve done in the past.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                                    Also, just to make sure I fully understand the question, how does my new knowledge affect my assessment of the other wrong answers? I already thought answer A was wrong simply because McGinty didn\u2019t seem to pick one over the other, but now it\u2019s even more obvious: if she thinks we need both, then it\u2019s unlikely she thinks one is more effective than the other.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                                    Answer D is a little more tempting now that I have read the passage properly, but it seems to turn things on their side a little. McGinty says that you <\/span><\/i>can<\/span><\/i> develop power by using these two types of language, but she doesn\u2019t say, \u201cHey, anyone who does this will definitely develop power!\u201d That\u2019d be too easy.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                                    Finally, I eliminated E before simply because I thought B was stronger, but now I see why E is wrong: if people can successfully use both types of language, then at least some people who successfully build consensus, which is a characteristic of language from the edge, will also use language from the center.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><\/section><\/div><\/p>\n\n\n

                                    <\/div>\n\n\n\n

                                    Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                                    Below are commonly asked questions about solving difficult reading comprehension problems on the GMAT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                    How Do I Correctly Determine the Scope and Purpose of a GMAT Reading Comprehension Text?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                                    Look for big picture \/ big idea language. Articulate the overall purpose of each paragraph (no more than one sentence!). And when you\u2019re done reading the passage, pause for a moment and articulate the overall point of the entire passage (again, do this in more than one sentence!). Don\u2019t worry about thoroughly understanding examples or details on your first read-through; save those for when you get to the detail questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                    What is the Best Way to Tackle Inference Questions on the GMAT Verbal Section Without Falling for Traps? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                                    First, if you see the words infer<\/em>, imply<\/em>, or suggest<\/em> in the question stem, you have an Inference question. Second, the answer to an Inference question will never be stated outright in the passage. Rather, you\u2019ll use other evidence in the passage to draw a conclusion (or inference!) that must be true based on the evidence that is written in the passage. For example, if someone tells you that gas prices have been steadily rising for the last 30 days, then you can infer that, 30 days ago, gas prices were lower than they are today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                    What is the Exact Difference Between Main Idea, Specific Detail, and Inference Questions on the GMAT?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                                    Main Idea<\/strong> questions are about summarizing the overall point of the passage. The correct answer needs to take into account all of the major ideas in the passage, so one trap is to make an answer about a subset of the details\u2014too narrow. The correct answer shouldn\u2019t go beyond the scope of the passage, so another trap is to make an answer cover the entire passage and more information\u2014too broad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                    Specific Detail <\/strong>questions are about finding a detail that the passage explicitly states. On easier questions, they\u2019ll match parts of the exact wording from the passage. On harder questions, they\u2019ll use synonyms so that you can\u2019t just do a \u201cword match\u201d to answer; you actually have to understand the detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                    Inference<\/strong> questions are also about passage details, but the answer is never explicitly stated in the passage. You\u2019ll use the evidence given in the passage to make an inference about something else that must be true, given that evidence. Inference questions tend to be a bit trickier than Specific Detail questions because they\u2019re asking you to take the extra step of drawing a conclusion yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                    How Much Time Should I Realistically Spend on Reading and Answering a Difficult GMAT RC Passage? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                                    Aim to read the passage in a max<\/em> of about 2 minutes. On hard Reading Comp passages, you\u2019re going to have to get pretty aggressive about focusing on the big picture ideas while skimming the details. Don\u2019t learn all of the details on your first read-through; you\u2019re not going to be asked about most of those details, so it would be a waste of time to learn all of that information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                    On the questions, spend about 1 minute for main idea \/ big picture questions and about 1.5 to 2 minutes for detail questions.When you\u2019re done with your initial read of the passage, you\u2019ll know what the big ideas are and you\u2019ll know where<\/em>, by paragraph, the details and examples are. As you are asked about one specific detail, you can go back to the necessary paragraph, find the relevant 1-3 sentences, and learn the details you need just for that one question. You\u2019re only going to be asked 3 or 4 questions total; the passage contains a lot of detail that you\u2019ll never need to use, so don\u2019t get sucked into learning it all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                    How Do I Use a Passage Map to Answer GMAT Reading Comprehension Questions Faster? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                                    By the time you\u2019re done with the first read-through, you want to be able to articulate the big picture \/ point of the passage, but you only want to know where<\/em> the details are; you don\u2019t want to fully understand the details. Your Passage Map helps you to keep track of where the major details are. When a question asks you about specific detail X, your passage map will help you quickly realize that detail is in paragraph 2. At that point, you\u2019ll go back to paragraph 2 to re-read the relevant sentence or two more carefully; it\u2019s only at this point that you\u2019ll learn the detail well enough to be able to answer the question. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                    Why do it this way? Because the passage contains a lot more detail than they\u2019ll ever ask you about. So trying to learn all of that detail up front, before you know what the questions are, is a waste of valuable time. Only learn what you need to learn to answer that question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                    [NEXT:<\/strong> <\/a>More Free GMAT Practice Questions<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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                                    <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                    Take a few minutes to review the basics of GMAT Reading Comprehension practice question types and strategies. Then, try out your skills on this high level GMAT Reading Comprehension practice passage and questions. Give yourself about 7 minutes (1x timing), 10.5 minutes (1.5x timing), or 14 minutes (2x timing) to complete the passage and three […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":49865,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[55],"tags":[56,515,84],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16529"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16529"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16529\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50727,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16529\/revisions\/50727"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}