GMAT Reading Comprehension
Passages of dense prose with several questions each. The passages are deliberately drawn from unfamiliar fields, and the questions reward following the structure of the argument rather than retaining its details.
Read for structure
- What is the main claim, and whose is it?
- What evidence supports it?
- Where does the passage turn — however, yet, more recently?
- What does the author think, as opposed to what they report?
Four answers to those questions handle most of what is asked. Details can be found again; structure cannot, and re-reading to recover it is what costs the time.
How wrong answers are built
| Distractor | The giveaway |
|---|---|
| True but not stated | Plausible, and nowhere in the passage |
| Too strong | all, never, proves — where the passage hedged |
| Too broad | Claims about the field where the passage discussed one case |
| Right words, wrong relation | Reuses the passage vocabulary with the logic reversed |
| Half right | First clause supported, second not |
Heavy word overlap with the passage is a warning rather than a signal. Correct answers usually paraphrase; distractors usually quote.
Reading Comprehension — FAQs
2 questions
No, and bringing it is risky. Everything needed is in the passage.
Read the passage first for structure. With several questions per passage, structure pays back more than a targeted hunt.
More verbal question types
Sources
Written from the test board's own published material and checked on 1 October 2026.