A very common mistake among students studying for the GRE is focusing most or all of one’s Verbal study time on memorizing vocabulary words.

Now, it’s true that learning GRE vocab words is an important aspect of GRE preparation. Plus, learning vocab is a fairly straightforward process — certainly more so than closely analyzing the logic and meaning of TC and SE sentences, learning to distinguish between trap answers and correct ones, and so on. So, when it comes to studying GRE Verbal, it can be very tempting to simply run through vocab flashcards for a while and call it a day.

However, there are many concepts that have nothing to do with vocab that test-takers need to master in order to perform well on the Verbal section — even on “vocab-focused” questions. Additionally, you must learn how to apply your vocab knowledge in Verbal questions, how to understand the logic of Verbal questions, and how to efficiently deploy specific strategies for answering the various types of Verbal questions. None of these skills and this knowledge will be acquired through memorizing word definitions.

Also, students who focus too heavily on studying vocab may find that they’ve seriously neglected their RC study. Remember, roughly half of the questions you see in the Verbal sections are Reading Comprehension questions. Adequately preparing for all the different passages and question types that RC can throw at you can take significant time and effort. An overemphasis on vocab study tends to get in the way of that work.

Reach out to me with any questions. Happy studying!

Warmest regards,
Scott