fbpx

How to improve your GRE reading comprehension speed

We all know that time is of essence on the GRE reading comprehension section - it not only tests your reading skills but also your time management.

In nearly all the GRE courses that I have conducted over these years, the one thing that I have found most students struggle with is the problem of time management on the GRE verbal section – and each time the culprit is the reading comprehension questions. We all know that time is of essence on the GRE exam – it not only tests your reading and analytical skills but also your time management that one can only develop with practice. The question therefore naturally is – how do we hone our time management skills?

Well, before anything, let’s make it clear that you have almost 2 minutes for each comprehension passage. This demands a quick read and the ability to grasp the basic message in no time. As a matter of fact, the slower you read, the poorer your comprehension span gets. The aim is not to read thoroughly and understand everything – the objective is to read quickly and get a “feeler” of what the passage is about. Moreover you should give up the habit of reading a line and then translating it to Urdu (in your mind) to understand further.

To begin with, you need to read more to increase the speed – by reading more I don’t just mean that you need to read 10 articles each day, instead you need to read in a stretch to increase your attention span. I advise students to read for an hour at least each day to improve your stamina as well as your reading ability. You would be surprised at how much your brain can allow you to read. Just spend 75 minutes of your day on reading, and you will see how it enhances your reading power!!! Also, read 2 or more pages at a speed faster than usual, and this practice will surely increase your reading speed.

You have an eye span while you are reading. Widen that up!! Instead of reading word by word, try to take in more words each time. You can also group the things of the same context. This is known as working in thought units. It helps your mind to compartmentalize the related material and this way it gets easier to work and think in an organized manner rather than getting it all jumbled up in the head.

Start relying on your recognition of words – don’t use a dictionary if you come across a hard word; simply use your understanding of the context. You need to pick up on configurations and this comes with the practice of reading faster and faster. These will boost your speed up. Moreover most of us have the habit of reading out a loud – this will only hamper the reading process. In two minutes, you cannot read it out loud and comprehend. Going back over the passage, that is regression, just wastes your time. Speed up, you only have 120 seconds.

Do not fixate your eyes on every word, just read along. It is very usual to not have a uniform speed, since every passage is different. Some are found harder than others. So to be effective, adjust your rate of reading according to the passage. This basic stuff is bound to help you become a better reader. Start practicing today to get a good score, but before anything get your eyes tested. Make sure no physical weakness comes in way.

Good luck for the exam!!

SEE ALSO

Free GRE Practice Questions (Updated for 2024 Shorter GRE)

In late 2023, the GRE underwent a significant transformation, revising its exam pattern to introduce a shorter format. This new version of the GRE presents a unique challenge for test-takers; although it features fewer questions, each one is crafted to be trickier,...

read more

New Shorter GRE Passage Strategies for Top Scores

In a monumental shift, the GRE has said goodbye to the long and often cumbersome passages, giving you the opportunity to navigate through 3-4 shorter passages in each verbal section during your test-taking journey. This change means each passage will be under 150...

read more

GRE Words of the Day – March 2023

As the GRE exam continues to be a popular choice for graduate school admissions, mastering a strong vocabulary is an essential part of achieving a high score. Each month, I release a new set of challenging GRE vocabulary words that are likely to appear in future GRE...

read more

6 Best Strategies for GRE Passage Questions

Reading comprehension questions on the GRE are designed to be tricky. If you don't know what to look for and how to decipher the passages, you will end up getting many of the answers wrong. However, the good news is that we know a good deal about how GRE crafts its...

read more

Why is the GRE Verbal so Hard?

Preparing for the GRE isn't exactly an exciting prospect for many students. You have to study for months, solve hundreds of practice questions and learn a barrage of new words with the hopes that you score high enough to get into your dream school. Add to this the...

read more

All the 600 GRE Words you MUST Know in 2024

What comes to your mind when you hear about the GRE? Of course, Vocabulary. But are GRE vocabulary words that important for doing well on the verbal section of the exam? Yes. 50% of the GRE verbal section questions depend entirely on learning new words. If you don't...

read more

5 Tips for Mastering GRE Text Completion Questions

The verbal section of the GRE is designed to measure your ability to analyze and evaluate written material. Since the test's purpose is to determine your readiness for graduate school, the passages and vocabulary you will encounter in GRE would be academic. This means...

read more

5 Tips for Mastering GRE Reading Comprehensions

GRE Verbal section constitutes three question types. One of these is reading comprehension, and the other two are text completion and sentence equivalence. The objective of GRE verbal section is to gauge your aptitude for grad school. Hence, the test contents are...

read more