Pacing is essential for mastering GRE Reading Comprehension (RC) questions. By mastering pacing for both the passages and questions, you can enhance your overall score and ensure you have sufficient time for all the questions in each of the two GRE Verbal sections.
GRE RC includes various types of passages that each require a strategic approach.
At the end of the day, you’ll have encountered around 11 RC questions in total: Around 4 in the first, 18-minute passage and around 7 in the second, 23-minute passage.
Critical Reasoning—also known as Paragraph Argument—is another type of RC passage. For these, you’ll read a short paragraph that presents an argument, and then answer just one multiple choice question about that argument. You might be asked to find an answer that weakens or strengthens the argument or be asked about some other element of the argument.
RC questions vary in type and complexity; some demanding more cognitive engagement and time than others. And, while there are categorically “harder” types, much of what determines difficulty will depend on test takers and their unique set of strengths and weaknesses.
Understanding your strengths and weaknesses across different question types can significantly improve your pacing strategy. Again, using an Error Log will help you identify them faster. But, there are other essential tools…
A critical aspect of RC pacing is knowing when to move on from a question.
Pacing for GRE Reading Comprehension requires careful planning and adaptability. Here are some final tips to keep in mind:
By mastering pacing specifically for GRE RC, you’ll enhance your ability to manage your time effectively, allowing your true understanding of the material to shine through on test day. Remember, with the right pacing strategy, you can navigate even the most challenging passages and questions with confidence.
Chris graduated from UCLA with a BA in Psychology and has 20 years of experience in the test prep industry. He’s been quoted as a subject expert in many publications, including US News , GMAC , and Business Because .