Scholar

Den Guide to Improve Verbal Score

Verbal section comprises of 3 main areas:

1) Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence Questions (Vocabulary + Meaning)
2) Passages (Reading Comprehension + Critical Reasoning)
3) AWA

Step 1: Learn Vocabulary

Note: If your vocabulary is weak, you need to learn at-least 650 words from
Magoosh Mobile App (Common and Basic Words Sets) - this will cover 99% of
the GRE exam vocabulary.

To improve vocabulary, download Magoosh Flash Card App on your IPhone /
Android Phone. If you don't have a smart phone, you can download flash card
from their website on your computer.

Make flash cards - hard copies (Word on one side of the card and meaning +
Mnemonics and sentence on the other side of the card). The best way to learn
words - write a word on one side of the flash card and its meaning +
Mnemonics. You can check its meaning on Magoosh app or
http://mnemonicdictionary.com/ along with sentences. Write words in a
way that would help you to remember them. Most importantly use a
Mnemonics. It is a powerful tool to remember words
(http://mnemonicdictionary.com/). For example: Burgeon (means grow or
flourish) - mnemonic can be Burger -> by eating burger, you become fat
and then grow.
Burger => Fat => Grow

Learn 15 - 50 words per day (depends on your level of understanding/time) -
Dont cram (No Ratta).

Learn and revise those words on a daily basis. Let's suppose you learn 15
words on day 1, 2nd day you would have 30 words.... so when you revise you
will also go through new words + all previous words.

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Step 2: Reading Comprehension:

Start regular reading from good sources from day 1 of your preparation. You
should be a regular reader of the following newspaper pages for at least 3
months. Some of the newspaper websites have paid subscription. You need
to use Chrome Browser and check the Ingonito browsing option or disable
cookies on your browser - this will make some of the websites free.
Understand how to tackle reading comprehension questions.


https://www.theatlantic.com/
http://www.newyorker.com/
http://www.nytimes.com/
http://www.economist.com/

Watch the following videos in the same order as mentioned below.

1. General Strategies (Inference, Function and Specific Questions)
https://vimeo.com/165699972

2. Short Passages (Multiple Options) - Inference
https://vimeo.com/135798028

3. Short Passages Inference, Function & Context
https://vimeo.com/135133590

4. Short Passage Specific & Function: (Watch after 1 hour 2 minutes)
https://vimeo.com/144296217

5. Short Passage Specific & Function: (Watch after 1 hour 8 minutes)
https://vimeo.com/111474497

6. Long Passage - Main Idea and Inference Questions
June 2, 2014
https://vimeo.com/97981166

Step 3: Critical Reasoning/Logical Comprehension:

There are 7 main topics of Critical Reasoning:
The key is to identify the Conclusion + Premise for the 5 types.

a) Assumption = Hidden assumption that author is trying to say but is not

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specified. The correct answer choices link the premises with conclusion.
Premise <-> Assumption <-> Conclusion
b) Strengthen = The correct answer will strengthen conclusion. You need to
learn + practice, how to identify premise + conclusion.
c) Weaken = The correct answer will strengthen conclusion. You need to learn
+ practice, how to identify premise + conclusion.
d) Evaluate = The correct answer choice is neutral in context and by changing
the sentence a little bit, you can either strengthen or weaken the argument.
e) Boldface = You need to learn, how to identify the structure of the passage -
building block of a passage or an argument. Once you know the overall
context and each sentence separately, then you can identify Bold Faced
questions.

The next two types dont have a conclusion

f) Inference:
Inference means "must be true" and correct answer is something that is
specified in the passage, don't imply any meaning from outside. This
question type does not have Conclusion!
Premise Premise
g) Paradox:
Conflicting opinion and you need to find the answer that will logically answer
the contradictory opinion between two statements. This type of question
doesn't have conclusion.
Premise - Premise

Strategy:

Watch the following videos

7. Step 7: Inference & Strengthen Questions
https://vimeo.com/147958274

8. Step 8: Support/Strengthen Questions
https://vimeo.com/129983202

9. Step 9: Weaken Question (Watch after 1 hour 4 minutes)
May 16, 2016
https://vimeo.com/167571832

10. General Reading Skills & Bold Faced Question(Watch after 1 hour 4 minutes)
July 21, 2014
https://vimeo.com/103839985

11. Assumption Question (Cause & Effect): (Watch after 1 hour 5 minutes)
https://vimeo.com/119447388

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12. Resolve a Paradox Questions
April 4, 2016
https://vimeo.com/162201031

For further details - you can read Critical Reasoning GMAT Guide by Manhattan
(uploaded on Google Drive)

Step 4: Sentence Equivalence & Text Completion Videos:

Once you memorize +400 words from Magoosh app, then start watching the
following videos in the same sequence:

1. Sentence Equivalence
August 31, 2015
https://vimeo.com/139120335

2. Sentence Equivalence
May 18, 2015
https://vimeo.com/128740555

3. Sentence Equivalence
June 23, 2014
https://vimeo.com/100312568

4. Text Completion
June 16, 2014
https://vimeo.com/100311843

5. Sentence Equivalence & Text Completion
February 22, 2016
https://vimeo.com/156970578

6. Text Completion
September 8, 2014
https://vimeo.com/105687577

7. Verbal Mixed Questions (SE, TC and RC)
November 23, 2016
https://vimeo.com/147958274

Step 5: Official Guide Practice Questions

Once you memorize 650 Magoosh words then watch and solve all Official Guides
Questions

1. Easy Verbal Questions (Text Completion (TC) & Sentence Equivalence (SE)):
August 15, 2015
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https://vimeo.com/179594206

2. Easy Verbal Questions (Reading Comprehension (RC))
August 29, 2016
https://vimeo.com/181320727

3. Easy & Medium Verbal Questions: Easy RC & Medium TC
September 12, 2016
https://vimeo.com/183122762

4. Medium Verbal Questions: TC (Watch after 1 hour 5 minutes)
September 26, 2016
https://vimeo.com/185147202

5. Medium Verbal Questions: SE & RC
October 10, 2016
https://vimeo.com/187478604

6. Medium Verbal Questions: RC
November 7, 2016
https://vimeo.com/197334050

7. Hard Verbal Questions: TC (Watch after 38 minutes)
November 14, 2016
https://vimeo.com/197334691

8. Hard Verbal Questions:
December 5, 2016
https://vimeo.com/197335085

Step 6: AWA

Have a look at the Manhattan Strategy guide Essay part (Book Reading
Comprehension) or Magoosh AWA Videos. It also has argument task 14 points,
which weaken an argument. More or less you will always find any of the points
mentioned from the 14 points listed in any argument task.
Issue task is also covered comprehensively in Manhattan.
Read sample ETS essays given in the ETS Official Guide. If you are very weak in
writing then Google ETS issue pool.

Step 7: Practice:

Very Important: When you practice questions, make sure you review the answers of
each question in very detail till the point that you can explain it to another student
with confidence. Give more importance to REVIEW than anything, this will help
highlight your weaknesses and improve your score in future.

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v Reading Comprehension:
Long Passages: LSAT + ETS + Magoosh + Manhattan
Medium and Short Passage: ETS + Magoosh + Manhattan

v SE & TC:
ETS and Magoosh Only

Step 8: Mock Tests:

There are 4 ETS mocks:
2 Paper Based Mocks on ETS book.
2 PowerPrep II Software.

Take 3 ETS Mock Tests in a gap of 10 days (atleast 30 days before the exam) and
Review each correct and incorrect answer in very detailed manner, so you know
why the correct answer is correct and why wrong options are wrong.

Keep ETS PowerPrep II (Test # 2) mock for the end only.

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