PREPARING FOR THE VERBAL SECTION AS A NATIVE SPEAKER

As odd as it might sound, it is still highly recommended to prepare yourself for the Verbal section of the GMAT when you are a native speaker. Having a rich vocabulary and being able to formulate grammatically correct sentences will not guarantee a high score. In this blog we’ll explain you why it is so important to prepare yourself on the Verbal section, even as a native speaker.

THE TYPE OF QUESTIONS

The questions of the GMAT are specifically created for this test. Which means that there is a big chance that you are not familiar with the type of questions that you will come across. These questions do not only test your command of the English language, but also your ability to reason logically. The only way in which you can get accustomed to these kind of questions, is by taking the time to practice them, because after all; practice makes perfect.

THE SUBJECTS OF THE QUESTIONS

Next to the unfamiliar type of questions, the subject of the questions might be something even a native English speaker would find difficult.  As you may know, the questions in the Verbal section are divided in three general subjects: sentence correction, critical reasoning and reading comprehension. For example, if you get a critical reasoning question, it is possible that you will have to analyse an argument. In total there are 7 different types of critical reasoning questions alone. Therefore, it might be wise to get familiar with the variety of subjects of the questions. If you do so, by practicing with them, you will be able to recognize them during the GMAT exam.

TIME PRESSURE

There is a third aspect which makes the GMAT even more difficult. This is the fact that you will have to take the GMAT exam under time pressure. On average, you will have two minutes per question to answer it.. On top of that, every correctly answered question results in a more difficult follow-up question. This is an aspect of the GMAT that a lot of people struggle with. And it is this part of the GMAT that is most difficult to learn out of  a book. That is why we spend more than enough time on this subject during the Verbal course and Verbal Bootcamp. 

Asking for help with preparing will save you time and improve your score.