Tackling GMAT/ GRE RC Passages – A Strategy by Narendran

Solving Reading Comprehension passages is a nightmare for the GMAT and GRE test - takers. To a large number, the passages are neither readable nor comprehensible within the limited time available in the test. On top of it, the RC questions tend to appear in the latter part of the test, when one encounters acute time pressure and is almost sucked up due to fatigue in the closing minutes. The result is that you always feel like saying 'Oh! My God! Why should the RC passage come now?" Out of frustration, some people get out of the test saying that GMAT or GRE is not their cup of tea. How do you tackle this defeatism?

My first suggestion to the students is to realize that there are some workable strategies to get almost 100% of the questions rightly. I repeat again - almost 100% and not always 100%. And the next thing is to believe that you can understand that strategy, effectively implement it, and confidently practice it. And that strategy includes one important step i.e. that you do not read the entire passage, just as you read your text book.


Even if God were to take the GMAT or GRE Reading Comprehension passages, he will miserably fail, if he resorted to normal reading. The very reason of giving such a long passage and giving so little time is enough to make one understand that one can not fully red the passages for solving the question within the available time .
Therefore, there should be a short-cut for solving RC and that short - cut is known as Gisting, a process in which you run through the passage with an eye for answers to a few normal common sense questions such as the ensuing.




1 Why the author has written this passage (not definitely becos, he has nothing better do} He must be trying to say something. What is that something?

2 What is his point of view?

3. Is he trying to discuss a theory?

4 How does he introduce his purpose?

5 Does he talk about some numbers? Say like there are three ways in which some body or something will react. So it may that the author wants to describe those three methods.


What are the special words he uses to describe things or his feelings? Does he call any given thing as a problem? In the last sentence of the first paragraph, is he trying to sum his proposal?


6. Then what does he do in the middle paragraphs? Is he describing any examples?

7. Does he counter one example with another?

8. Dose he say in his conclusion that anyone is better than the others? Or does he simply say that all are equally good or bad, taking a neutral stand



Although the questionnaire may look exhaustive, yet it is not exclusive. One may add his own tit-bits to the template and improvise.


The answers to the above questions will in the firs place give a mental picture of the essay, as one glides through it. Generally you will find that the first paragraph is more conceptual and broad based than the subsequent paragraphs


Then try to scurry through the subsequent paragraphs, to see whether what specific things the author is discussing. The body or middle paragraphs will always be more specific than the head paragraphs

The last or the tail paragraph may sum up the whole issue and give an idea of what stand the author takes regarding the contents of what he is discussing.

The mental picture you form during the Gisting, may also give you a clue to some more global questions such as what the author’s feelings are, and what can be suitable title for the passage, The Gisting will also help you to solve some specific inference question such as what he author might agree or disagree with certain issues.

In other words, you can hit so many mangoes with one stone. Why don’t you try it out?

Narendran