SAT Test Verbal Analogy Tips

The SAT test's favorite analogy types

Know the test writer's favorite types of analogies and you will have an extra advantage when you take the test. Do please be
aware, however, that there are other types of analogies tested as well.

Type of
This is probably the SAT test writer's most favorite analogy. DOVE : BIRD is an example.

Cause/Effect
As the name implies, cause and effect analogies involve a noun or verb that in some leads to the other word. An example is
LAUGHTER : JOKE.

"Is used to"

With these analogies, one word is "used to" in relation to the other word. A noun : noun example is STEREO : MUSIC.
(A stereo is used to play music.) A noun : verb example is FORK : EAT. (Afork is used to eat.)

Without
In this analogy, one word means to lack the other word. An example would be HUNGER : FOOD.

"Is a place where"

These analogies involve 2 nouns one of which is a place where the other noun is found. RESTAURANT : FOOD is an
example of the "is a place where" analogy.

Vocabulary
The relationships are not the primary obstacle with vocabulary analogies which seek more to test your vocabulary
knowledge. Hence, if you learn the most common vocabulary words, you will be most of the way towards getting these
questions correct. In any event, you should be able to use process of elimination for at least 1 or 2 answer choices. Since
there are a relatively small number of words the SAT test writers repeatedly use, any vocabulary deficiencies can be
overcome rather easily. You can visit ourbooks link to read our recommendations.
Now that you have seen the most common types of analogies used on the SAT, are you ready for some practice questions?

SAT Verbal Analogies

SAT Test Structure
The analogies will follow the sentence completion questions. You will see a total of 19 analogy questions, 6 in one 30 minute
verbal section and 13 in the other. Each group of analogy questions will be arranged in order of difficulty.

An analogy is two words with a direct relationship

In other words, you won't see NEWSPAPER : WATCH :: in your SAT test. Why? Because there is no direct relationship
between newspaper and watch and they are, therefore, not an analogy.

What not to do
The biggest mistake we have encountered with analogies are students who want to insist on approaching them by saying
"Wallet is to money as ..." While this may sound official, it is the wrong way to approach the analogies questions.

The right way to approach the SAT analogies

Make up a short sentence that includes both words in the analogy. Example: A wallet contains money. (It's supposed to
anyway.) Try to keep this sentence short and use an active verb whenever possible. If you still have a problem (say because
the sentence you created fits most or even all of the answer choices) go back and make the question more specific.

Process of elimination is your friend

As with other sections of the SAT, you will probably be able to use our advice to eliminate at least one of the answer choices
and increase the benefit from guessing.

Use the SAT's own restrictive rules to your personal advantage!

If you are faced with an analogy and you are unsure if the words are to be used as verbs, adjectives, or nouns, check the
answer choices. The SAT requires that all of its choices agree with the analogy pair for parts of speech. This should help
you form a good sentence.

Consider all the choices

Also keep in mind, the SAT asks you for the best answer choice. Sometimes the best choice is not perfect. Even if you think
you see the best answer choice immediately, do spend at least a few seconds considering the other choices in case one of
these proves to be even better.

Don't get tripped up on vocabulary

There are anywhere between 500 and 1,000 vocabulary words that show up rather consistently on the SAT. This may sound
like a lot of words, but with a few hours of study you should be relatively well prepared. Besides being able to impress -- or
unimpress -- your friends and family with a few new words, you will be able to increase your SAT score rather efficiently
since the test writers do heavily favor a relatively small number of obscure vocabulary words.

SAT Test Analogy Questions

1.) BIRD : NEST ::
(A) dog : doghouse
(B) squirrel : tree
(C) beaver : dam
(D) cat : litter box
(E) book : library
2.) DALMATIAN : DOG ::
(A) oriole : bird
(B) horse : pony
(C) shark : great white
(D) ant : insect
(E) stock : savings
3.) DOCTOR : HOSPITAL ::
(A) sports fan : stadium

(B) cow : farm

(C) professor : college
(D) criminal : jail
(E) food : grocery store
4.) CUB : BEAR ::
(A) piano : orchestra
(B) puppy : dog
(C) cat : kitten
(D) eagle : predator
(E) fork : utensil
5.) TENET : THEOLOGIAN ::
(A) predecessor : heir
(B) hypothesis : biologist
(C) recluse : rivalry
(D) arrogance : persecution
(E) guitarist : rock band
Come on, admit it. You're dying (well OK maybe not exactlydying) to know how well you did.

SAT Test Analogy Answers

1.) C. If you used to general a sentence such as "A bird spends time in a nest", then you would have quickly seen the need
to make your sentence more specific to eliminate some of the choices. In any event, choices D (cat : litter box) and E (book :
library) should have been relatively easy to eliminate. If you chose the sentence "A bird lives in a nest", you would have had
3 equally good answers so you would need to revise your sentence. A bird builds a nest and a beaver builds a dam.
2.) A. This is a "type of" analogy question. You may have noticed how easily choices B and C could be eliminated because
they are in the reverse order of the questioned pair. Choice E is sort of correct in that stocks are a type of savings
instrument, but A is clearly better as the oriole is a species of bird and the analogy is between 2 living things just as the
question is. Choice D is good, but once again choice A is better because A also is a "species of" in addition to a "type of".
3.) C. This is a "place where" analogy question. If you simply made a sentence around the preposition "is found in", (A
doctor is found in a hospital) however, you would have quickly realized you had to become a little more specific. A doctor
works in a hospital and a professor works in a college.
4.) B. A good question for this analogy would be "A cub is a young bear". Choice C is close, but the order is reversed. (If we
had written C as kitten : cat instead of cat : kitten, we would have provided you with 2 equally correct answers.
5.) B. Ah, you say, they snuck in a vocabulary analogy they warned me about. A tenet is a belief and a theologian is
someone who studies religion. A hypothesis is something a biologist will study as part of his or her professional endeavors.
(If you faced a vocabulary issue with this analogy, we strongly recommend a SAT vocabulary book. In fact, even if you knew
the meaning of these words, you should still check out a SAT vocabulary book as there are bound to be a few words with
which you will not be familiar. Be sure to visit our books link to see our recommendations.)

ANALOGY TIPS
Background Information:
o Analogy (analogies) is just a fancy term for word relationship(s).
o If you like math more than English, here is something you are going to like. Analogies are
the closest thing to an equation and solving for X that English class offers!

o Once you learn the most common kinds of analogies used in test situations, you will likely
find they are kind of fun to do like a word puzzle.
o Analogies involve critical thinking that is why they appear on the SAT tests, for
example. They show that you not only can tell what words mean in isolation, but you can
also find relationships that bind words together.
o Analogies involve a little bit of "secret language:"
[word 1] : [word 2] : : [word 3] : [word 4]
In this analogy format, : reads "is to" and : : reads "as"
[word 1] is to [word 2] as [word 3] is to [word 4]
Tips for Solving Analogies
Tip #1:
Answer choices are often determined by word choice:
When you are given a question like [word 1] : [word 2] : : ______________ and you have to choose
the correct set of words to complete the analogy, use the following tip:
CONCRETEare both words in the sample concrete items? (TILE: ROOF) If so, you are probably
looking for a choice of concrete items.
ABSTRACTare both words in the sample abstract ideas? (ETHICS: INTEGRITY) If so, you are likely
looking for a choice of abstract items.
COMBINATIONare both words in the sample a combination of concrete and abstract?
(INNOCENCE: CHILD) If so, you are likely looking for a choice that combines abstract and concrete.
Tip #2:
Always determine the relationship between the first two words before looking at the answer choices.
This
will help keep you from incorrectly choosing "decoy" choices.
For example: (teacher: staff)
This analogy is part to whole. The teacher is part of the staff. You now want to forget the two individual

words and just focus on the part to whole relationship. Look at how the following answer choices
purposely include references to school:A. Paper: pencil
B. Roll: roster
C. Absent: present
D. Iris: eye
E. graduate: detain
The correct answer would be D. (part to whole)
Tip #3:
Use parts of speech as a guidepost. If the first word is an adjective, followed by a noun, look for
that same
pattern among the choices.
(carnivorous: lion)
Don't reverse the pattern, either!
What if you're not certain if the first word in a few choices is an adjective or not? Use your word parts
to
guide you wherever possible. For example, many adjectives end in ive or able
Tip #4:
What if you do not know what the two words in the sample mean?
First of all, do not panic!
It is still possible to come up with a fairly educated guess!
Look closely at the two words to see if there is any prefix or suffix to help you figure out if the pair is a
simple synonym or antonym.
(intercalate: extirpate)
Interusually means between. So this word might mean something between two things or people.
(F.Y.I intercalate means to insert a day into a calendar)
Exusually means out. So this word might mean to take something out.

(F.Y.I extirpate means to pull out by the root or cut in surgery)

You are looking for two words that are antonyms! Part of speech likely is the same based upon "ate"
ending.Tip #5:
Do not think that all the words on a test are "hard" words! You will find fairly simple words that have
multiple meanings. If one meaning does not seem to fit any word relationship, try to think of other
meanings for that word. For example:
(wax: diminish)
This would be easy if it were:
o (wax: furniture)
o (wax: bees)
Wax can mean furniture polish, a product of bees, or
It can also mean to increase in size or intensity. Therefore, you are looking for an antonym
relationship to
complete the analogy, since diminish is the opposite of increase.
Tip #6:
Keep the same order in certain types of pairings.
For example, in cause & effect:
If the sample is listed cause/effect,
Look for a choice that also is
First cause, then effect.
(felony: imprisonment)
If the sample is listed effect/cause,
Look for a choice that also is
First effect and then cause.
(failure: cheating)

In verbal analogy questions students are provided with a pair of words having some meaningful relationship. This relationship
between words is generally accurate and definite. To answer analogy questions students have to select a pair of words, which outdo
all the available options and present the best connection in regard to main word expression. Consider the following example:
Sedative: Drowsiness
You feel sleepy or drowsy after taking sedative or sleeping pills.
Anesthetic: Numbness
You become numb after taking anesthetic drug
Lawyer: Courtroom
The place of lawyer is in classroom.
All these above mentioned pairs have an explicit relationship, and it is obvious that to constitute the relationship, a meaningful
sentence is to be formed taking both words into consideration.
Types of relationships for analogy questions
In analogy questions of GRE, the relationship between the words takes priority over the meanings of the words. The most common
analogy relationships include:
Definition: This type of analogy relation gives exact meaning or definition of the other word.
Eg. Meteorologist: Weather
(Meteorologist is a person who predicts weather)
Degree of intensity: One word of expression shows mild whereas other word conveys a more severe aspect of same
phenomenon.
Eg. Braying: Tittering
(Both words are different aspect of laugh braying means laugh loud whereas tittering means laugh nervously.)
Gender: One word is for male and other one represents its female counterpart.
Eg. Mare: Goat
( A female horse is a mare whereas stallion is a male horse)
Part to Whole: In this type of analogy, the first word is part of the second word or vice- versa.
Eg. Soldier: Regiment
( A soldier can be part of the regiment ).
Antonyms: In this type of analogy relation one word is the antonym of other.
Eg. Opaque: Transparency
(Both words are antonym to each other).
Synonyms: In these types of analogies both words convey similar meaning.

Eg. Beautiful: Gorgeous

(Both words are synonyms to each other).
Some useful tips to solve analogy questions:

Create logical relationship between words.

Omit options that do not have a clear and reasonably necessary relationship to the main word.
Do logical guess if you think more than one option could be a correct option.
Furthermore, contemplate about secondary meanings of words, as well as alternative parts of speech.
Beware of misleading options. They are put deliberately to confuse you.

In total there are 11 analogy questions to answer in the GREs verbal section. Analogies can be improved with little bit practice, and
could be helpful in scoring well. Do share with us your views, comments on this blog by filling up the feedback section.

GRE Test-taking Strategy for Analogies

There are two steps in solving GRE analogies: (1) Find the relationship between the two words in
the question; (2) find an answer choice that shows the relationship most similar to that of the
question.

Finding the Relationship in the Question

The best way to find the relationship between the two words in the question is to use both of them in
a sentence. Consider the following GRE analogy example:
CHOIR:SINGER
(A) election: voter
(B) anthology: poet
(C) cast: actor
(D) orchestra: composer
(E) convention: speaker
Now try to use CHOIR and SINGER in a sentence...How about
A CHOIR is made up of many SINGERS.
So now we have a relationship between the two words in the question. The next step is to find the
answer choice that shows the same relationship.

Finding the Correct Answer

To find the correct answer choice, first remove the original words from the sentence you made in
part one. In our example we remove CHOIR and SINGERS. We are left with a sentence with two
blanks:
A <blank> is made up of many <blank>.
Plug the answer choices into the sentence and find the answer choice that makes the most sense.
You will find that answer choice (C) fits our sentence the best.
A CAST is made up of many ACTORS.
Answer (C) is the correct choice!
As you practice this GRE test-taking strategy on GRE practice questions, you will find that this
analogy strategy saves you time and effort as well as earns you more points on the GRE test.

VERBAL ANALOGIES: AN INTRODUCTION

Verbal analogies provide excellent training in seeing relationships between concepts.

From a practical standpoint, verbal analogies always appear on standardized tests (like
the SAT, the GRE, and other professional exams). Increasingly, too, employers may
use these word comparisons on personnel and screening tests to determine an
applicants quickness and verbal acuity. So it is worth your while to master this skill,
and besides, theyre fun to do.
The student portion of the Web site contains three analogy exercises of varying levels.
You can do them alone, either with or without a dictionary, or with friends. Before
you begin, however, study the information on this page so that you see the many
possible relationships suggested in each pair of words. If you wish to practice with
other samples, your instructor can give you additional exercises on the instructor
portion of this Web site.
How to "Read" Analogies
The symbol ( : ) means "is to" and the symbol ( : : ) means "as." Thus, the analogy,
"aspirin : headache : : nap : fatigue," should be read "aspirin is to headache as nap is

to fatigue." Stated another way, the relationship between aspirin and headache is the
same as the relationship between nap and fatigue.
Tips for Doing Analogies

Try to determine the relationship between the first pair of words.

Eliminate any pairs in your answer choices that dont have the same
relationship.
Try putting the first pair into a sentence: "Aspirin relieves a headache."
Therefore, a nap relieves fatigue.
Sometimes paying attention to the words parts of speech helps. For example
"knife" (noun) : "cut" (verb) : : "pen" (also a noun) : "write" (also a verb).

Common Relationships Between Word Pairs

1. Sameness (synonyms)

boring : monotonous

wealthy : affluent : : indigent : poverty-stricken

2. Oppositeness (antonyms)

genuine : phony

zenith : nadir : : pinnacle : valley

3. Classification Order (general - specific)

food : fruit : peach

orange : fruit : : beet : vegetable

4. Difference of Degree (or Connotative Values)

cool : cold : frozen

slender : skinny
clever : crafty : : modest : prim
5. Person Related to Tool, Major Trait, Skill, or Interest

writer : novel

entomologist : insects : : philosopher : ideas

6. Part and Whole

wheels : bicycle

eraser : pencil : : tooth : comb

7. Steps in a Process

birth : life : death

cooking : serving : : word processing : printing

8. Cause and Effect (or Typical Result)

poison : death

fire : scorch : : blizzard : freeze

9. Thing and Its Function

shovel : dig

scissors : cut : : pen : write

10. Qualities or Characteristics

gold : valuable

aluminum : lightweight : : thread : fragile

11. Substance Related to End Product

cow : milk

silk : scarf : : wool : sweater

12. Implied Relationships

light : knowledge

clouds : sun : : hypocrisy : truth

13. Thing and What It Lacks

spinster : husband

atheist : belief : : indigent : money

14. Symbol and What It Represents
dove : peace : : four-leaf clover : luck

Uncle Sam : U. S.

Click Here for

K-3 Themes

Verbal Analogies

In verbal analogies, the student is given one pair of related

words and another word without its pair. The student must find a
words that has the same relationship to the word as the first pair.
For example: fire is to hot, as ice is to cold.
Pairs of words in verbal analogies can be related in many ways,
including the following types:
Type of Analogy
things that go
together
opposites
synonyms
object and
classification
object and group
object and related
object
object and a
characteristic

Examples
bat/ball, bow/arrow, salt/pepper, bread/butter, fork/knife
big/small, stop/go, hot/cold, tall/short, wide/narrow, early/late,
graceful/clumsy, laugh/cry, dark/light, sharp/dull
big/large, stop/halt, cold/icy, thin/slim, small/tiny, sad/unhappy,
show/reveal, hide/conceal, hint/clue
green/color, ants/insect, rabbit/mammal, table/furniture, pants/clothing,
3/odd number, apple/fruit, lunch/meal, uncle/relative, sandal/shoe,
spring/season
whale/pod, kitten/litter, bird/flock, cow/herd, lion/pride, wolf/pack
plant/sprout, butterfly/caterpillar, cat/kitten, mother/baby, dog/puppy

grass/green, sponge/porous, marshmallow/soft, elephant/big, desert/dry,

gold/shiny, party/happy, skunk/smelly, ball/round
car/garage, stove/kitchen, tub/bathroom, fire/fireplace, lion/zoo,
object and location
eraser/pencil
object and part of hand/fingers, book/pages, foot/toes, fireplace/bricks, year/month,
turtle/shell
the whole
object and function pen/write, knife/cut, shovel/dig, book/read
performer and
teacher/teach, movie star/act, artist/paint, fish/swim, bird/fly
action
eat/ate, win/won, buy/bought
verb tenses
plant/grow, fire/burn, trip/fall, spin/dizzy
cause and effect
problem and
hungry/eat, thirsy/drink, itch/scratch, broken/repair, tired/sleep
solution
big/enormous, cold/freezing, hot/burning, wave/tsunami, small/miniscule
degrees of a

characteristic

Analogy Types & Analogy Examples

Opposites Analogies
Opposites are exactly as the word suggests, things that are opposite to each other. This is a common analogy type
which you will encounter fairly often and since words have only one opposite this this a pretty straightforward type
which does not leave much room for discussion.

Examples: crying & laughing, fire & water, question & answer, etcetera.

Object and Classification Analogies

Objects can be given a classification, a group of objects to which they belong. Most objects can even be classified to
several different groups as shown in the example in which a knife is classified as kitchenware or as weapon. In
analogy test questions both are completely legitimate. This can provide multiple correct solutions to a problem
however most analogy tests are multiple-choice so in the answers only one correct classification should be
given. Examples: knife & kitchenware, knife & weapon, red & color, pants & clothing, etcetera.

Object and Related Object Analogies

As shown the words mentioned in the example are all related to each other in some way or another. Be careful not to
confuse this type of analogy with the things that go together analogy type which is described below. The related
object in this object and related object analogy is an obvious relation however the object are not inseparably
intertwined to one another like for example a knife and a fork. The objects in this analogy type have a relation to one
another however the correct relation should be determined by looking at the concerning question and
answers. Examples: cat & kitten, plant & seed, dog & puppy, etcetera.

Object and Group Analogies

These are objects which form a specifically named group when several are put together. A several wolves together
form a pack, several trees a forest etc..
Examples: wolf & pack, tree & forest, seagull & flock

Degrees of a Characteristic Analogies

The degrees of a characteristic relation in analogies can best be explained by looking at an example. Lets use the
warm and hot from below. One degree higher then warm can be hot, another degree higher could be burning. We
can also go the other way around like from cold to freezing. This analogy type mostly consists of adjectives but this
does not always have to be the case like the flat to skyscraper example depicts. Examples: flat & skyscraper, tired &
exhausted, warm & hot, cold & freezing

Cause and Effect Analogies

The similarity in these types of analogies derives from the cause on one side and its indisputably connected effect on
the other side. From spinning youll be dizzy, from fire youl get burned etc.. Be careful not to mix this type up with the
effort and result analogy which is discussed below, since for the cause and effect analogy type you do not have to
put in an extra effort to obtain the result. If you spin youll get dizzy wether you like it or not, this is a side effect of
spinning since you will not likely to spin just to become dizzy. Examples: spin & dizzy, fire & burn, read & learn,
etcetera.

Effort and Result Analogies

The difference between this analogy type and cause and effect type, which is explained above, is the fact that for
the effort and result connection an actual effort has to be made. If you put your hand in fire it will burn without effort. A
painting on the contrary has to be painted and painting is an effort somebody has to perform and it has to be
performed in a certain way. Examples: paint & painting, build & house, write & letter.

Problem and Solution Analogies

Some problems have very obvious solutions like for example if you have an itch(problem) you can scratch(solution) to
solve that problem. These problems and solutions are gratefully used in word analogy problems. Examples: itch &
scratch, unemployment & job application, tired & sleep.

Verb Tenses Analogies

This are exactly as the word says a type of analogy in which two tenses of a verb are analogous to two of the same
tenses of another verb. This is a pretty simple and easy reckognizable types. Examples: walk & walked, eat & ate,
sent & send, etcetera.

Performer and action Analogies

This is again a very straightforward analogy type which is based on taking two sets of performers and their
corresponding actions. The relation between a painter and to paint is the same as the relation between a soldier and
to fight.Examples: painter & paint, soldier & to fight, scientist & to research.

Object and part of the whole Analogies

Be careful not to confuse this type of analogy with the object and group analogy which is described above. The
difference derives from the fact that in the object and part of a whole relation the object is not automatically the
whole when lots of the objects are brought together. For example glass and window match the description of object
and part of a whole, but glass could just as easy match light bulb so the glass will only be a light bulb if you process it
in certain ways. Examples: brick & wall, glass & window, glass & light bulb, page & book.

Object and Function Analogies

Some objects have designated functions which are inseparably connected to the concerning object like for example
you use a keyboard for typing and a telephone for calling. These relations ar often used in in analogy test
problems.Examples: keyboard & to type, telephone & to call, paintbrush & to paint.

Object and Location Analogies

In this relation objects are designated to their most logical location. This is not always strictly defined e.g. a tree can
be in the forest but it can just as easily be in the park. You will have to find the correct answer again by carefully
analyzing the analogy problem and its possible solutions. Examples: plane & hangar, dog & doghouse, tree & forest.

Things That Go Togethe Analogiesr

Some objects like for example salt and pepper are indisputably connected to each other. These sets of objects are
gratefully used in modern verbal analogies. Examples: salt & pepper, statue & socket, fork & knife.

Rhyme Analogies
Rhyme comes in lots of different shapes and is used sometimes in word analogies. Keep in mind that not only the
standard perfect rhymes can be used but also other types like syllabic rhyme or half rhyme can be encountered. We
are not going to discuss all possible types of rhyme but for a full list click here. The rhyme analogy problem provided
it is no basic rhyme type can be a very hard analogy to encounter. Examples: deer & steer, red & rod, glasses &
mosses.

This should give you a nice lead for solving analogy problems in verbal reasoning tests. Please try our tests, read
some more about verbal reasoning in general or return to the home page by clicking one of the buttons below. For
more information about analogies and aptitude tests

Tips for Answering GRE Reading Comprehension Questions

Following is a list of GRE test-taking tips that apply specifically to theReading Comprehension format one of
three basic question formats you'll encounter during each of the exam's Verbal Reasoning sections.
NOTE: Reading Comprehension questions account for nearly half of all questions on a typical Verbal Reasoning
section, and they're generally presented in groups each group based on a different reading passage.
1.
2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Read the first question before you begin reading the passage.By doing so, you can read more actively
with an eye out for the information you need.
Read the entire passage straight through, with pencil in hand.As you read, jot down the passage's
key points in the form of a bullet list or rough outline. Your notes can help you locate details as you tackle
the questions. Your notes can also help you recall passage details without re-reading the passage.
Think thesis. After reading the entire passage, take about 15 seconds to sum it up by formulating a thesis
statement of sorts. With the passage's central idea firmly in mind you can confidently eliminate any answer
choice that runs contrary to it, no matter the question type.
Beware sucker-bait answer choices. Look out for answer choices that provide accurate passage
information but don't answer the question at hand. Also look out for answer choices that introduce
information or ideas beyond those stated or implied in the passage. Finally, if the passage's author
expresses his or her own viewpoint on the topic but discusses other points of view as well, beware answer
choices that attribute a viewpoint to the wrong source.
Consider each and every answer choice. Never confirm your answer to a question until you've read all
five choices. Keep in mind: the difference between the best response and the second-best response can be
subtle, especially when it comes to challenging questions.
Review all your answers before leaving a question set. GRE Reading Comprehension questions come
in sets of 2-4 questions per passage. Once you attempt all of the questions in a set, you'll probably have a
more complete understanding of the passage than when you started and may very well change your mind
about one or two of your answers, especially for earlier questions.

Getting good score in GER Verbal depends on how well you perform in GRE Verbal Reading
Comprehension section. If you have good reading seed, you can save time and spend more time in solving
the problem. Follow the Reading Comprehension Tips in this blog post and for sure you can see
improvement in your GRE Score.

Improving reading speed is something that you have to practice. To get started find your reading

speed then work to improve the speed.

Improve Reading Speed

There are several techniques that can be followed to improve the reading speed. Follow the technique you
feel comfortable
1.

Use pen or index finger and move it faster than the speed at which you read.

2. Practice to read more number of words when you move the eyes.
3. Use a card to block the text and move the card and try to read bit faster than the pace at which you can
understand.
Many of you will finds easy to read a given passage faster than your regular reading speed. But, can you
understand the message while reading at a pace faster than your regular speed? Overnight you cant
expect to improve the reading speed. Constant effort is required over a period of time. [20 Step by Step

GRE Exam Study Plan]

3 keys to improve your RC score are

1.

Improving Reading Speed

2. Learning RC Strategies
3. Practicing new RC Strategies and remembering Reading Comprehension Tips
Increased reading speed with new Reading Comprehension strategies will help you improve your Verbal
Score. After reading this article, you will try practicing one of the 3 techniques above and when you take
Verbal practice test next day, you are not going to see any score improvement.
Hot Tips for GRE Reading Comprehension

1. Try to read the whole text of the passage once, if possible. Many people think you should just skim the passage or read the first lines of every
paragraph, and not to read the passage. We believe this is an error: if you misunderstand the main idea of the passage, you will certainly get at
least some of the questions wrong. Give the passage one good read, taking no more than 3 minutes to read all of the text. Do not read the passage
more than once that wastes too much time. If you have not understood it completely, try to answer the questions anyway. Note: this point of
reading the whole passage is important for test-takers whose first language is not English, provided that they can read the passage in 3 minutes or
less.

2. Make brief notes on the text on your scrap paper. As we will see below in greater detail, you should write down a couple of words on

A)
the
Main
Idea
or
Primary
B)
Organization/Structure
of
the
passage,
C)
the
Tone
or
Attitude
of
the
author
(if
You just need a few words for each of these areas, and altogether it should not take longer than 30 seconds to write down.

Purpose,
and
applicable).

3. Remember that the tone or attitude of the passage is usually respectful and moderate, never going to extremes of praise nor criticism. ETS
obtains its Reading Comprehension passages from real articles about real academics and professionals. So the tone of the articles, even when
there is criticism in the passage toward an academic or her work, is always balanced and moderate. In the same vein, articles that deal with
minorities or ethnic groups are almost always positive and sympathetic.

4. Look out for structural words that tell you the important ideas or transitions in a passage.

the

Continue
Similarly
Moreover
Additionally
In
Likewise

the

Idea

Words

same

way

Words

Conclusion
Thus
Therefore
Hence
So
In
In conclusion

Contradiction
Neverthless
Nonetheless
However
But
Although
Though
Even
Notwithstanding
Yet
Despite
In
On
While
Unlike

summary

or

Words

Contrast

though

spite
the

one

hand

on

the

other

of
hand

5. Go back to the text of the passage for the answers. Many test-takers fail to return to the text of the passage to look for the correct answers. They
rely solely on their memories and understanding of the passage after having read or skimmed it. Wrong. ETS is counting on that. Go back to the
text to look for information to answer the questions. Nine times out of ten, the answer lies within the passage.