Is GMAT Verbal Arbitrary and Subjective?
UPDATED FOR THE NEW GMAT IN 2024
We received an interesting GMAT-related email from a random test-taker, whose verbal scores fluctuated so wildly that he was convinced that the questions he encountered were “arbitrary” and “subjective”. He concluded by wondering what “magic” would allow him to understand how to succeed on GMAT verbal questions.
His frustration is understandable and, unfortunately, there are no quick or easy answers.
As a starting point, I’ll be painfully honest: in some ways, the skills tested on the EA and GMAT Focus certainly are arbitrary. It’s completely fair to wonder whether the GMAT (or the GRE, EA, or LSAT) measure skills that are truly meaningful, and we’re convinced that the GMAT doesn’t say much about your overall intelligence or your ability to succeed at running an actual business.
But if you’re reading this, odds are good that you’ve already accepted reality: if you want to pursue an MBA, a great GMAT verbal score would certainly help your odds of admission.
So we’ll focus on the more practical side of the reader’s questions: are GMAT and EA verbal questions “subjective”? What are GMAT and EA verbal questions trying to test, and how can you actually improve on them?
Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension feel subjective – but they aren’t
If you stare at enough official EA and GMAT Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension questions, you’ll eventually notice that they’re extremely consistent, in a way. Yes, they can be outrageously difficult, but the test-writers are trying to test your ability to understand the nuance of language, your ability to notice fine details, and your ability to stick to the internal logic of a passage.
If you read and apply logic with precision, the correct answers to CR and RC questions aren’t “fuzzy” or subjective at all; one answer choice will always stand very clearly above the others.
If you think that answers to official CR and RC questions are arbitrary, it might be because you're allowing yourself to "think outside the question." Here’s an example of how outside knowledge can get you into trouble on GMAT Critical Reasoning questions. Once you spend enough time with official GMAT material, you'll start to see how the test can be remarkably rigid and consistent in its application of logical principles on both CR and RC. If you grasp the GMAT’s internal logic – and understand how to read the passages with precision – the correct answers are inarguable.
If you want to develop a deeper understanding of Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning without paying a bunch of money for a tutor, we recommend reading the guides to Logical Reasoning (LSAT's version of Critical Reasoning) and Reading Comprehension The Official LSAT SuperPrep. These sections aren’t necessarily an easy read, but they might help to convince you that the people who write verbal questions on standardized tests are trying hard to be fair, consistent, and systematic – and they aren’t trying to torture you with arbitrary or unfair questions. This free GMAT RC video course or this GMAT CR video course might help, too.
The Painful Reality of Improving Your EA or GMAT Verbal Score
Here comes the rough part.
Unpleasant truth, part 1: it can be incredibly difficult to improve your score dramatically in Reading Comprehension. It takes a ton of practice, and possibly a fair amount of guidance. During my long, funky history as a test-prep instructor (for the GMAT, EA, LSAT, SAT, GRE, ACT, TOEFL, and TOEIC – including a stint as a TOEFL book writer), I've rarely seen anybody make large improvements in Reading Comprehension with anything less than a heroic effort to improve their reading skills. You can certainly make moderate improvements in a few weeks, but HUGE gains in Reading Comprehension usually take months or even longer.
Unpleasant truth, part 2: unless you're using official GMAT (or LSAT, EA, or GRE) practice questions, "knockoff" verbal questions actually ARE painfully subjective and arbitrary, at least some of the time. We strongly discourage our students from touching any verbal practice questions other than those found in the GMAT Official Guide, the official GMAT Verbal Review, the EA and GMAT question packs on MBA.com, and official LSAT books.
So if you've taken tests from any non-official sources, you can expect your EA and GMAT verbal scores to be inconsistent. It’s more difficult to write "real” GMAT Reading Comprehension questions than you can possibly imagine, and most test-prep companies would never dream of spending the money it takes to produce, test, and polish a truly test-like collection of EA or GMAT verbal questions.
The bottom line: if you focus exclusively on official CR and RC questions for a month or two, the EA and GMAT will start to look far less arbitrary and subjective.
So, how much can you improve at GMAT and EA verbal?
Again, we don’t always love what the GMAT tests, or the fact that a low GMAT score can potentially be a serious barrier to your educational and career goals. But the GMAT and EA are remarkably consistent exams, and if you dedicate yourself to understanding how, exactly, to approach questions, the test’s creators give you a fair chance to improve your results if you’re willing to put in the time and effort.
One last thought: if you score a 75 on verbal on one day and an 85 on another, that’s a certain sign that your talent levels are fine, but that you lack a consistent, systematic approach to questions. With enough discipline and practice, you can learn to iron out those inconsistencies, and reliably achieve a great score on the GMAT verbal section.
Want to learn more about GMAT and EA verbal?
Our beginner’s guides to Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning.
Complete, free video courses for GMAT and EA Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning
Why you shouldn’t let reality get in the way of your Critical Reasoning