GMAT Verbal Section: The Complete Guide (2025)

The Verbal section of the GMAT plays a pivotal role in determining your overall GMAT score and, by extension, your competitiveness for top MBA programs. While many test-takers focus heavily on the Quantitative section, the Verbal section is just as important—especially since top business schools place a premium on strong communication and critical thinking skills.

In the updated GMAT format, the Verbal section has been streamlined to focus on what truly matters: your ability to read critically, reason logically, and analyze arguments effectively. Gone are the grammar-heavy Sentence Correction questions of the past. Instead, the new Verbal section emphasizes two high-impact question types: Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning.

Whether you’re a native English speaker or someone who’s worked hard to build your language skills, mastering the GMAT Verbal section requires strategy, practice, and a deep understanding of how the test works. This guide breaks down everything you need to know—from question types and strategies to sample questions and preparation tips—to help you score higher on the Verbal section and boost your overall GMAT performance.

What is the GMAT Verbal Section?

The GMAT Verbal section is designed to measure your ability to comprehend complex texts, evaluate arguments, and apply logic to written material—skills that are crucial for success in business school and beyond.

Key Details at a Glance:

This section does not include grammar-based Sentence Correction questions anymore—those have been removed in the GMAT’s new format to make room for more relevant business communication and reasoning evaluation.

Let’s dive deeper into the two types of questions you’ll encounter:

• Reading Comprehension (RC): These questions test how well you understand the main idea, tone, and details in a given passage.
• Critical Reasoning (CR): These questions test your ability to analyze and evaluate arguments logically.

In the next sections, we’ll take a closer look at each of these question types, the skills they assess, and how to tackle them effectively.

Reading Comprehension (RC)

Reading Comprehension questions assess your ability to understand, interpret, and apply information from written material—an essential skill for MBA coursework and decision-making in real business settings.

What to Expect

You’ll be given a passage of 200–350 words followed by 3–4 multiple-choice questions. The topics span business, social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities, but you don’t need prior knowledge of the subject—the answers will always be in the passage.

Types of Questions

1. Main Idea
   Example: What is the primary purpose of the passage?
   These questions test your grasp of the overall message or argument.
2. Supporting Details
   Example: According to the passage, which of the following is true?
   You’ll need to locate specific facts or examples mentioned.
3. Inference
   Example: What can be inferred from the author’s tone or conclusion?
   Requires reading between the lines to extract logical implications.
4. Function/Structure
   Example: Why does the author mention X in paragraph 2?
   Tests your understanding of how parts of the text contribute to the whole.

Skills Tested

• Active reading
• Distilling core ideas from dense content
• Recognizing logical structure and argumentation
• Drawing inferences from indirect cues

Tips to Tackle RC Effectively

• Skim strategically: Focus on the first and last lines of each paragraph to quickly identify structure and purpose.
• Annotate mentally: Mark key themes, tone shifts, or unusual data mentally (or on your scratchpad if at a test center).
• Refer back often: Don’t try to memorize the passage—refer back for evidence.

Critical Reasoning (CR)

The Critical Reasoning questions on the GMAT Verbal section test your ability to analyze arguments, identify assumptions, evaluate evidence, and draw logical conclusions—skills that are fundamental to decision-making in business environments.

What to Expect

Each CR question presents a short passage (usually 40–100 words) that outlines an argument or a situation, followed by a question prompt and five answer choices. Your job is to choose the option that best addresses the prompt—whether that’s strengthening, weakening, or explaining the argument.

Types of Critical Reasoning Questions

1. Strengthen the Argument
   Example: Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?
   Look for evidence that reinforces the author’s conclusion.
2. Weaken the Argument
   Example: Which statement would most undermine the argument?
   These require identifying flaws, gaps, or counterexamples.
3. Find the Assumption
   Example: The argument depends on which of the following assumptions?
   Uncover the unstated premise necessary for the logic to work.
4. Evaluate the Argument
   Example: Which of the following would be most helpful to evaluate the argument?
   Think like a consultant—what info would help test the claim?
5. Draw a Conclusion
   Example: Which conclusion is best supported by the passage?
   These questions ask you to logically extend the information provided.
6. Explain a Discrepancy / Paradox
   Example: Which statement best resolves the apparent contradiction?
   Identify the option that makes two conflicting facts make sense.

Skills Tested

• Logical reasoning and deduction
• Identifying assumptions and flaws
• Abstract thinking and application of logic
• Business-style problem-solving

Tips to Master CR

• Understand the conclusion: Always identify the conclusion and premise before looking at answer choices.
• Use pre-thinking: Try to anticipate the correct answer before reviewing the options.
• Avoid extreme choices: Be wary of answer choices with strong or absolute language unless it clearly fits.
• Don’t bring outside knowledge: Only base your answer on the information provided.

Tips to Improve Your GMAT Verbal Score

1. Master the Art of Active Reading

The Verbal section, especially RC, demands high reading comprehension under time pressure.
Here’s how to build active reading habits:

• Summarize each paragraph in your head.
• Pay attention to structure: Main idea, supporting arguments, tone.
• Identify transitions and contrast words like however, therefore, but, etc.

Pro tip: Practice with articles from The Economist, Scientific American, and Harvard Business Review to simulate GMAT-level passages.

2. Identify and Pre-think in Critical Reasoning

CR questions are logic puzzles. The trick is to:

• Identify conclusion, premise, and assumption.
• Pre-think: Before looking at answer choices, try to predict what would strengthen, weaken, or resolve the argument.

Pro tip: Keep a CR journal. For every question, write down the argument’s structure to train your logical brain.

3. Focus on Accuracy Before Speed

Speed will come with accuracy. First:

• Aim for 90–100% accuracy untimed.
• Then slowly reduce time per question to ~2 minutes for RC and ~1.5 minutes for CR.

4. Use Official GMAT Material

Stick to official GMAT questions from the GMAT Official Guide and GMATPrep mocks. These are closest to what you’ll see on test day.

Avoid third-party questions for CR and RC unless you’re very confident in their quality.

5. Track Your Mistakes

Create an error log. For each mistake, ask:

• Did I misread the passage?
• Did I misidentify the conclusion?
• Was I tempted by an extreme/irrelevant choice? Over time, patterns will emerge—and so will improvements.

6. Practice Reading Long Passages Under Pressure

Long RC passages (~300–350 words) can kill your timing. Practice:

• Reading and summarizing within 2 minutes.
• Answering each question in ~1 minute.

Pro tip: Don’t reread the whole passage for each question—refer back only when needed.

7. Use Elimination Strategically

Most GMAT Verbal questions have 2-3 clearly wrong choices.

• Eliminate extreme, irrelevant, or distorted answers first.
• When in doubt, pick the most moderate and supported option.

8. Build Verbal Stamina

You’ll be reading and reasoning intensely for 45 minutes. Train your brain:

• Practice full-length Verbal sections at least twice a week.
• Gradually increase question sets from 5 → 10 → 23 questions.

9. Use Split Review Technique

When reviewing RC and CR:

• Split the passage and question into components.
• Review why each wrong option is incorrect—not just why the right one is right.

10. Don’t Ignore the Question Stem

Especially in CR, the wording matters. Strengthen ≠ support ≠ assumption. Spend an extra 5 seconds to read carefully—this clarity saves you from falling into traps.

4-Week GMAT Verbal Improvement Plan (New Format)

This plan assumes you’re studying ~1 to 2 hours/day and already have a basic understanding of GMAT Verbal. If you’re a beginner, you can stretch this into a 6-week plan.

Week 1: Build Foundations

Goal: Understand question types, develop reading habits, and accuracy.

Focus Areas:

• RC: Passage structure, main idea, tone, inference
• CR: Argument structure (conclusion, premise, assumption)

Weekly Tasks:

• Study concepts from the GMAT Official Guide (Verbal)
• Practice:
  • 10 RC questions/day (mix short + long passages)
  • 10 CR questions/day (easy to medium)
• Log all mistakes in an error tracker
• Read 1 article/day from The Economist or NYT

Week 2: Master Strategy

Goal: Improve logical reasoning and question-solving technique.

Focus Areas:

• RC: Inference and detail questions
• CR: Strengthen, weaken, and evaluate questions

Weekly Tasks:

• Practice timed sets:
  • 2 RC passages per day
  • 10 CR questions per day
• Use the “pre-think” method for CR
• Review all explanations (even for correct answers)

Week 3: Refine & Reinforce

Goal: Speed up accuracy and build endurance.

Focus Areas:

• Mixed RC questions (inference + logic)
• Tougher CR (paradox, assumption, boldface)

Weekly Tasks:

• 2–3 timed Verbal sections this week (23 Qs in 45 mins)
• Track timing per question (~2 mins RC, ~1.5 mins CR)
• Practice 1 full-length mock (Focus Edition format)

Week 4: Final Push & Mock Drills

Goal: Simulate the test experience and focus on error patterns.

Weekly Tasks:

• Take 2 full-length mocks (with Verbal section)
• Focus only on weak areas in final practice
• Revisit error log and retake questions you got wrong
• Lightly review notes from earlier weeks

Tools You’ll Need:

• GMAT Official Guide (Verbal questions)
• GMATPrep Free Mock (official site)
• Error log spreadsheet
• Timer (to develop pacing)

Sample GMAT Verbal Questions with Solutions

Here are sample GMAT Verbal questions with detailed explanations for each type you’ll encounter on the new GMAT exam. These reflect the two key question types:

Reading Comprehension (RC)

Question 1: Main Idea

Passage (excerpt):
“Despite the proliferation of digital media, print books continue to hold strong appeal for readers. Studies suggest that readers retain more information when reading from print than from digital formats. This trend persists even among younger demographics who are often presumed to prefer digital options.”

Question:
What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Print books are becoming obsolete due to digital media.
B. Digital reading is more popular among younger readers.
C. Readers generally prefer digital formats for convenience.
D. Despite the growth of digital media, print books remain preferred and effective.
E. Younger readers exclusively use digital media for reading.

✅ Correct Answer: D
Explanation: The passage contrasts digital vs. print but clearly emphasizes the continued preference and effectiveness of print—making D the best summary.

Question 2: Inference

Passage (excerpt):
“Although electric vehicles (EVs) reduce reliance on fossil fuels, the environmental benefits are somewhat offset by the impact of battery production, which involves significant mining of lithium and cobalt.”

Question:
It can be inferred from the passage that:

A. EVs are worse for the environment than gas-powered cars.
B. Mining has no impact on EV adoption.
C. Battery production is completely sustainable.
D. EVs have both environmental benefits and drawbacks.
E. Lithium is not necessary for EV batteries.

✅ Correct Answer: D
Explanation: The passage presents a nuanced view—EVs reduce fossil fuel use but have environmental costs. D captures this balance.

Critical Reasoning (CR)

Question 3: Strengthen the Argument

Argument:
“A company claims that switching to a 4-day workweek increases productivity. In a recent trial, employees worked one less day but reported completing the same amount of work.”

Question:
Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the company’s claim?

A. Employees enjoyed the longer weekends.
B. The trial involved only one department.
C. Employees were not paid overtime during the trial.
D. The quality of work remained the same or improved.
E. Other companies have tried 4-day weeks before.

✅ Correct Answer: D
Explanation: The key is “productivity”—which includes quality and output. D supports the idea that despite fewer days, the work was still strong—therefore productivity increased.

Question 4: Weaken the Argument

Argument:
“A study found that people who eat more vegetables tend to have lower blood pressure. Thus, increasing vegetable consumption causes a decrease in blood pressure.”

Question:
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument?

A. People who eat more vegetables also tend to exercise more.
B. Vegetables are high in vitamins.
C. Blood pressure fluctuates with stress levels.
D. Most people enjoy vegetables.
E. The study did not include fruit consumption.

✅ Correct Answer: A
Explanation: The argument assumes causation between eating vegetables and lower blood pressure. If people also exercise more (a confounding factor), then the real cause could be exercise—not vegetables.

Final Thoughts on the GMAT Verbal Section

The GMAT Verbal section plays a pivotal role in evaluating your readiness for business school—testing not just your language skills but also your logical reasoning, comprehension ability, and critical thinking under time pressure. Mastering Verbal can be a game-changer, especially when aiming for a competitive GMAT score.

Whether you’re naturally strong in English or not, success in this section comes down to strategic practice, understanding question logic, and maintaining clarity under pressure. Make sure you internalize core concepts, practice with official-style questions, and review your mistakes thoroughly.

And remember: GMAT Verbal is not just about grammar or vocabulary—it’s about how well you read, reason, and respond to complex ideas in real time. If you prepare consistently and smartly, a strong verbal score is absolutely within your reach.

FAQs – GMAT Verbal Section

1. What is tested in the GMAT Verbal section?
The Verbal section tests your ability to read and comprehend written material, evaluate arguments, and correct written sentences to conform to standard written English. It includes Reading Comprehension, and Critical Reasoning.

2. How many questions are there in the GMAT Verbal section?
In the current GMAT format, there are 23 Verbal questions, and you get 45 minutes to complete the section.

3. What are the different question types in the Verbal section?
The GMAT Verbal section includes the following:

• Reading Comprehension (RC)
• Critical Reasoning (CR)

4. Is the Verbal section more difficult for non-native English speakers?
It can be challenging for non-native speakers, but with focused practice on grammar rules, reading comprehension, and argument analysis, you can significantly improve your score.

5. How is the Verbal section scored?
The Verbal section contributes to your overall GMAT Total Score, which ranges from 205 to 805. The Verbal score itself is on a separate scale, and its exact conversion is determined by a scoring algorithm based on difficulty and accuracy.

6. What’s a good score in the GMAT Verbal section?
A Verbal score in the 85th percentile or above is considered strong. That typically means scoring above 40 on the Verbal scale in the old format, or doing well consistently in the new GMAT’s adaptive structure.

7. How can I improve my Verbal score?
Improving your score involves:

• Reading and analyzing high-level business and academic articles
• Practicing RC and CR questions regularly
• Reviewing answer explanations to understand logic and traps
• Using official GMAT prep resources

8. Are GMAT Verbal questions adaptive?
Yes, in the new format, the Verbal section is adaptive by section, meaning the difficulty of the questions depends on your overall performance across the section.

9. Can I skip or flag questions in the Verbal section?
You cannot skip or revisit individual questions. Once you submit an answer, you move to the next one. However, you can choose the order of sections at the start of the test.

10. Which section should I attempt first – Verbal or Quant?
It depends on your personal strength and test-taking strategy. If you’re stronger in Verbal and want to build early confidence, start there. You’ll choose the section order when starting the test.