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GMAT Critical Reasoning Section Broken Down

About 11 questions in the verbal section of the GMAT fall into the “critical reasoning” category, and they will require the candidate to read short passages ranging from 20 to 200 words. Usually, a passage presents an argument and tries to persuade the reader that the point it makes is valid. To accomplish this, evidence is presented, followed by some assumptions and the resulting conclusion.

This section is meant to assess the students’ skill in constructing an argument and evaluating one that is presented to them, but they will not need any previous knowledge of the topics being covered. Instead, they must weigh the answer choices presented to them carefully, so that they can detect even the slightest error in reasoning. One of the incorrect choices will suggest something that is totally opposed to the argument maintained in the passage, a choice that is really not covered in the passage, and a choice that completely distorts the facts.

To complete the section successfully, candidates should:

● Read the question before reading the passage. This is called “working in reverse order,” and doing so will help them in finding the correct response.
● Look for the evidence and assumptions presented in the passage, and the conclusion that is at the heart of the question.
● Become familiar with the basic concepts being covered in this section. If a question seems particularly difficult, they should try translating it into simpler language and work from there, remembering that some of the questions are hypothetical and that they should only deal with the facts presented in the passage.

The various types of critical reasoning questions contained in the GMAT include:

● Numbers and statistics – Students focus on ratios and numbers because they have to distinguish between them and take the data at face value as well.
● Studies and surveys – Experiments may also be included here, and candidates are asked determine if the results have been misinterpreted in some way.
● Scope-shift – Here they will detect a slight change in emphasis. (For example, “first-time home buyers may be changed to “recent homebuyers” later on, and this is a sign of faulty argumentation.)
● Causation – In this case, the “result” is mistakenly presented as the “cause.” The passage may state that a problem arose because of a particular factor when its development was actually far more complicated than that.
● Alternative explanation – Here, the argument presented in the passage is incomplete and another solution is needed.
● Explain-a-paradox – In this case, they have to choose the response that fails to meet certain standards, and words indicating a contrast of some kind (however, but) are especially important.

Preparing for the GMAT

For online test preparation, students can visit: https://www.blinetestprep.com/gmat, and choose from one of the three unique programs this company offers to suit their specific needs and circumstances. Also, as part of their overall test preparation, candidates should develop their personal studying strategy and sharpen their professional writing skills at the same time. Taking classes to prepare for the GMAT may involve some expense, but they also provide the motivation and support that many candidates need. Many often find that by signing up for an online test prep class fits into their schedule and provides a good foundation before you take the test.

GMAT Sentence Completion Questions

The GMAT, or Graduate Management Admission Test, is one test you will have to take-not to mention all the test preparation you’ll have to do-if you plan on furthering your academic career in the business or management fields. The standardized test is used by almost two thousand graduate schools around the world, making it a necessity for those who plan on getting a masters in business administration, or in any other similar area. The test is a general exploration of the test-taker’s business knowledge, skills and experience, and subjective things like motivation and interpersonal skills. Beyond these things, the GMAT measures things that are very simple and that can be adequately prepare for with an online test prep, like your basic verbal, mathematical and analytical skills.

Regardless of why you’re taking the GMAT, you will probably want to spend at least a month on test preparation to ensure that you get a good score. This is especially true since the cost for taking the test is two hundred and fifty dollars. That’s quite a bit of money, so you’ll want to make sure you’re well prepared. Fortunately, there are plenty of great online test prep websites like B Line Test Prep that will help you to make a great score, regardless of what you think your weak areas are.

One area of the GMAT where people often have trouble is the sentence completion part of the test. These questions aim to measure your knowledge of key grammatical points. Subjects covered may include the passive voice, mismatched subject/object pairs, incorrect verb tenses, and so on. Sentence Completion questions are a part of the verbal section of the quiz, and there are usually between sixteen and eighteen of them. Since the verbal section is only about forty questions, that makes this a very important part of the test that you’ll want to focus on in your online test prep studies or in whatever other test preparation method that you use.

The GMAT’s structure gives you four hours to complete the entire test, with two timed breaks of ten minutes each to give you a bit of a breather. This means that you have a little over three and a half hours for the test, or an hour and ten minutes for each of its three sections. Since the sentence completion part is about half of the exam’s verbal section, you’ll probably be using up somewhere between thirty and forty-five minutes completing and correcting sentences.

An Example Question:

The idea on the GMAT sentence completion questions is taking the sentence given to you and replace part of it with one of the choices listed below.

A) to take the sentence given to you and replace

B) taking the sentence given to you and replacing

C) take the sentence you were given and to replace

D) to taking a number of sentences you are given and replace

E) No change is required

Choice E is a popular one, and makes this section especially tricky, since not all sentences are actually incorrect.

Key statistics for the GMAT sentence completion:

* 16-18 questions in the verbal
* Verbal section consists of roughly 41 questions
* Aim to spend somewhere between half an hour and forty-five minutes on this portion of the test

Remember, sufficient test preparation is vital for success in this and other portions of the GMAT. Fortunately, there are great online test prep sites like B Line Test Prep to help you through your study period.

GMAT Reading Comprehension Section Broken Down

The GMAT reading comprehension section of the test is comprised of around twelve to fourteen questions that are within the verbal section of the test. The time available for the verbal section of the test is seventy five minutes. There are four passages to read with three to four questions following each passage. This section of the GMAT measures the skill to precisely and thoroughly read a passage, and then be able to correctly answer questions regarding it. The ability to draw conclusions from the material while paying attention to what the actual question is asking important. Certain parts of the text might be there just to confuse the test-taker. Attention to detail is essential for scoring well on the GMAT.

There are usually three areas that the reading comprehension section focuses on. They are Science (biology, etc.), Social Sciences (history, politics), and Business. The Science section usually has the factual questions, while the Social Sciences and Business sections usually contain the more difficult inference-type questions. A student may be asked to infer an author’s mood from reading a 200-400 word passage. These passages can often be filled with obscure words to further confound the test-taker.

Some useful tips for getting the optimum score on the GMAT include preparing as much as possible for the test. A student that uses multiple study methods such as flashcards, workbooks and an online test preparation course will be much better prepared than a student who does not utilize those methods. Studying over the course of three months is definitely favorable to studying for only three weeks. During the test, the test-taker should pace them self accordingly. Jot down notes in order grasp a certain concept. If a particular question is presenting a problem, then moving on to the next question and returning back to the more difficult question later is a viable option. Spending too much time on any one question can interfere with the ability to finish the test, therefore lowering the test score considerably.

The Different Ways Students Learn

One of the fascinating facts about human nature is that we all learn differently. Some of us may find that we can listen to a speech and remember every detail. Others of us may hear the same speech, but only remember what we saw on the handout sheets or slides. Yet another group of us may listen to the speech, read the materials, but remember the details about an incident that directly relates to our own past experience. These variations may not seem critical in normal activities, but the importance of understanding learning methods becomes evident during test preparation and study sessions for an exam.

There is not a right way to learn or a wrong way, just different methods that work in a unique way for each person. The key to better learning is to evaluate each process and consider which technique will improve individual study habits.

Auditory Learning

A person that learns best through auditory methods demonstrates superior speech skills, listens closely and enjoys interactions with others. They learn test materials best by listening to audio and video presentations. Test tips for auditory learners include recording notes, repeating questions out loud and communicating with others about the materials.

Visual Learning

Visual learners need to have a clearly defined picture in their mind to understand the material. They prefer charts and graphs and study well through independent reading. Test tips for visual learners include taking written notes, watching videos of the subject and creating lists and explicit diagrams that provide a memory aid.

Experiential Learning

Someone who excels in experiential learning prefers a hands-on approach and responds well to material that makes a personal connection. They enjoy laboratory experiments, active learning with others and creating realistic models. Test tips for an experiential learner include developing quick memory tools such as flash or note cards, models and notes, that bring the material to a personal level.

Which Type are You?

Being able to identify the most effective learning method will be an aid during online test preparation. A good way to determine your learning strength is to review the characteristics of each type, see which one is the best fit and focus on that method for an upcoming exam. We all learn at some degree from each method, but normally one type dominates our ability to easily retain material.

Try an experiment by first listening to an oral presentation of a specific section of a practice test. See how much you can remember of the material. Then try it again watching a video that clearly describes the subject and retake the practice exam. Third, think of ways to personalize the material and create a model that relates to the subject. Take the exam again and compare which method was most effective in helping you through the learning process. Be sure to allow time between each session to fully evaluate the method. Being able to analyze each learning style and apply the method will benefit both study habits and test results.

The SAT Exam Unveiled

The SAT exam is a student aptitude test which has selected the mediums of math and English in which to test intellectual ability. The SAT is a three hour and forty-five minute test, however, only three hours and twenty minutes count towards your test score, since the practice section takes twenty five minutes and is not graded.

The SAT exam is broken down into ten sections. The reading part encompasses three sections of the exam. In the reading section, there are nineteen questions of sentence completion problems, and forty-eight reading comprehension questions, which is a total of sixty-seven questions in all. The writing part is also three sections of the exam, and includes forty-nine grammar questions and one essay. Discounting the experimental section, the math section encompasses the last three parts of the test. In it are forty-four multiple choice questions and ten grid-in questions, making a total of fifty four questions. In short, the sections are as follows:

– Reading
1. Completing the sentence (19 questions)
2. Reading comprehension (48 questions)

– Writing
1. Short Essay
2. Identifying sentence errors*
3. Improving sentences*
4. Improving paragraphs*
* In the writing section there is one short essay question. The other three sections can be divided up as the test writer sees fit, but all are focusing on grammar.

-Math
1. Multiple choice, encompassing basic math and equations (44 questions)
2. Grid-in, such as plotting graphs and lines (10 questions)

-Experimental section
The experimental section can be contained within any part of the test, on any subject. It usually contains harder questions, but these questions aren’t scored. They are being considered for use on next year’s SATs. So if you run into questions that are especially harder or more confusing than the others, don’t worry- they may be the experimental ones.

The three sections of the SAT test are scored independently, which means that students will receive a reading score, a writing score, and a math score. Each score can range from 200 to 800 points, with a total test score of 600 to 2400 points. The total average score for students is 1500, or about 500 on each section.

But how do you achieve these scores? The key is to pace yourself and to practice. Pacing is important on the SAT because, though time is strictly limited, many of the questions require careful analyzing and consideration. Many students make the mistake of reading too quickly in hopes of gathering the gist of the question. They answer confidently, but are startled to find later that they answered incorrectly because they have misunderstood the directions or missed subtle points within the question. This of course means that it is important for students to take as much time as possible and to be confident in their answers before moving on to the next problem.

In order to perform to the best of their abilities, it is crucial for students to undergo SAT test preparation. Test prep is proven to raise test scores because students will be prepared not only for the type of questions listed within the SAT exam, but they will also be comfortable answering a large amount of questions in a seemingly short time limit. SAT practice books are readily available, but the most cost effective way for a student to practice is to visit an SAT test preparation website and practice taking the test online. Bline Test Prep is an excellent website for test preparation- it is affordable, easily accessible, and chock full of up-to-date data and questions for the SAT test preparation courses.

Taking the SAT can be an ominous task. However, it is of vital importance to any student wishing to be accepted into the majority of colleges. With the proper practice and resources, the SAT is not as foreboding as it may seem upon first glance. All it takes is a little practice and a bit of knowledge about the test and the sort of questions found therein. Online SAT test preparation sites such as Bline Test Prep will give students the confidence they need to do their best on the SAT test and succeed at getting their best possible scores.

Preparing for the SAT Critical Reading Section

The Critical Reading section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test focuses on two things: sentence completion and reading comprehension. When combined, the two sections exemplify a student’s grasp of the English language and their ability to recognize and utilize various parts of speech. The critical reading section, in the past, was known simply as the verbal section but now its goal has expanded; the idea being that a student shouldn’t simply know a variety of words congruent with their grade level, but also be well versed with their precise usage.

The sentence completion section is designed to gauge the student’s familiarity with a range of words: their form of speech, usage, and of course, meaning. The latter of which is can be very specific, often the range of answers will include synonyms and/or homophones in order to eliminate the usage of the ever-popular educated guess. Aside from meaning and usage, sentence completion questions measure the student’s ability to structure and form sentences, to know logically how all the parts work together in order to communicate a clear and complete idea. Knowing words and their meanings is the most reliable form of preparation for the sentence completion section, guessing is not a recommended strategy.

The other half of the Critical Reading section is passage based reading. Passages are selected from a wide range of subjects and topics and can be as short as one hundred words to eight hundred. This means one passage can be a half of a short story that is followed by the opening paragraphs of George Kennan’s Article X. Scientific articles are often used as well as humanities based and political pieces. The passages will be presented within a range of styles and normally feature several elements: narration, exposition, argumentation, and the like.

A student preparing for the SAT should be aware of the range the critical reading passages can cover, but simultaneously they should be aware that the major focus of the passage based reading is to test vocabulary, comprehension, and extended reasoning. Vocabulary questions are, somewhat like the sentence completion questions, formulated in order to know that a student is capable of determining meanings of words and phrases based on context. The focus of literary comprehension is to make certain that the student grasps and understands the material. Extended reasoning comprises a majority of the passage based reading questions and they oblige the test taker to make inferences or analyze and identify causes and effects. Reasoning questions can be broader as well, requiring identification of main ideas, purpose, or tone. Another popular but very necessary sort of question, which focuses much more on the extended part of the reasoning, will ask that the test taker replicate the logic of arguments or analogies within the text and apply them to ideas extraneous to the text. Simply put, the objective behind the questions is to determine whether or not the test taker can analyze texts rather than read them and prove that basically, they understand them.

Click the following link for information on free online SAT prep.

SAT Math Section Breakdown and Tips

Every year millions of high school students take the SAT Reasoning test in a bid for acceptance by the college or university of their choice. The pressure to score well enough to get into the right school can cause tremendous stress on young men and women dedicated to seeking a higher education. In order to help you avoid this worry, we present here what you need to know about the SAT Math section and some tips to help you succeed.

The SAT Math test is comprised of three separate sections. Two of the sections are entirely multiple choice; the third section includes 8 multiple choice questions and 10 questions requiring an original response, also called “grid-in” questions for the format in which responses are recorded. On all three sections you are allowed to use a graphing calculator, and while the authors of the test recommend you use one, none of the responses requires a calculator. The SAT Math section is scored on a scale of 200-800.

Some hints to help you score your best on the SAT Math:

First, if you are unsure of the response on a multiple choice question and decide to plug in the various options to see which works, always start with the answer marked “C.” The options are arranged in ascending order according to the value of the number offered. If you plug in “C” and it is correct, you can move on. If it is too high, you can immediately eliminate “D” and “E;” if it is too low you can do the same with “A” and “B.” Thus you should, at most, only have to plug in two choices before determining the correct response. This saves valuable time and can mean the difference between leaving questions blank or responding to them all.

Second, know what is on the test so you can properly prepare. Online test prep help you with this by going over the most important areas covered. These include functional notation (and significant digits), exponents, absolute value, linear and tangent line functions and their properties as well as general number sense. Basically if you have gotten through algebra and done well enough to be considering a four year university you should be in good shape. Some refreshers from BLineTestPrep.com can help make sure you are in the very best shape.

Finally, just like the proctor says – always check your work! If you have time left at the end of the section, go back to the beginning to the section and check both your calculations and your marking of the answer sheet. Even better, begin by checking those questions you were most unsure about and then go back to the rest.

Whatever you do remember that no test is life-or-death and despite all the pressure you may be feeling now, as soon as you get accepted to a college you are done with this test forever and it will only come up as gossip. Keep a proper perspective and you’ll be sure to succeed!

GMAT Test Taking Tips

The GMAT is a requirement for most graduate school programs, and like the SAT taken in high school, the GMAT can be a harrowing experience. Weeks of study will be for naught if the test is taken without a strategy. However, by keeping a few tips in mind, greater success and a higher score on the GMAT is possible.

Preparation is the number 1 key to ensuring your success. There are several methods for preparing for your date with the GMAT test such as books, one on one tutoring, or creating flash cards. Today more people are enrolling to take their online  GMAT test preparation course with B Line Test Prep. The courses at B Line Schools are designed to acquaint students with the types of questions encountered on the GMAT. By taking a test preparation course with B Line Schools, one’s score can rise by critical points.

During our online test prep courses, the student is presented with tips and strategies for taking the GMAT. Some of these are common sense, and some are specific to the test. For best results, an online test preparation course should be taken just a few weeks before the test to keep the information learned fresh in one’s mind.

Some of the best test taking strategies are:

Keep an even pace. If one problem is too difficult, it will be best to skip it and continue on with the rest of the test, returning to the missed problem after the easier questions have been completed. Missing a single problem does not have as severe a penalty as spending all of the time on that one question and then skipping all of the questions after it.

Try to eliminate at least one or two choices. This strategy is taught for many different types of multiple choice tests, how to best eliminate options on the GMAT is a topic discussed in online test prep courses.

Use the scratch paper provided to work out math problems. Writing out even simple equations can put the tester in a clearer frame of mind.

More specific tips for GMAT testing are found through online test preparation courses such as B Line Test Prep. These are highly recommended for those serious about doing well on the GMAT.

GMAT Test Overview

The GMAT, or Graduate Management Admission Test, is a widely recognized tool for evaluating the aptitudes of business school applicants. The GMAT is designed to measure an applicant’s analytical writing aptitude, mathematical ability, and verbal skills. Online test prep will help you prepare, at your own pace, for the kinds of questions to expect.

The first section of the GMAT is the Analytical Writing Assessment, or AWA. Thirty minutes are given to complete each of two writing tasks. The first involves analysis of a particular issue, and the second is analysis of an argument. Online GMAT Test Preparation will help you understand what sort of issues and arguments to expect and how to prepare your answer.

The second section of the GMAT is the quantitative, or mathematical, section. Seventy-five minutes are allowed for the completion of 37 randomly-generated multiple-choice questions. Some of these questions will ask whether the right information has been supplied to answer a specific question. Others will be calculation and word problems. A quality online GMAT test preparation course will familiarize you with these two different forms of quantitative questioning.

The last section of the GMAT evaluates verbal skills, including critical reasoning, reading comprehension and sentence correction. Online GMAT test preparation will guide you through reading samples and comprehension questions, sentences and their possible errors, and how to identify assumptions and draw conclusions from a given argument.

The verbal and quantitative portions of the test feature randomly generated questions that adapt to your answers. If an easier question is successfully answered, the next one will be slightly harder. Incorrect answers are scored higher than skipped questions. Online test prep will help you get the feel for how this adaptive component of the GMAT works.

A GMAT score includes a ranking in each of the three skill areas. The total score for the verbal and quantitative sections will range from 200 to 800, with the median being about 500. This is what is usually referred to as the GMAT score. The AWA section is scored separately from the two other sections. Top business schools require GMAT scores above 700 for admission.


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