When taking the GRE, you will have on average about one and a half minutes to answer each question in the Verbal section. Naturally, many students believe they should practice Reading Comprehension under strict time constraints from the very beginning. They set timers, limit themselves to 90 seconds per question, and measure their success based on speed as much as accuracy. However, this approach often holds students back from mastering GRE Reading Comprehension.

The reason is simple. During your GRE prep, you are not taking the GRE. You are preparing for it. The purpose of your preparation is to develop the skills required to answer Reading Comprehension questions both accurately and efficiently. In the early stages of that process, limiting yourself to strict time constraints undermines learning.

Reading Comprehension on the GRE is about more than reading quickly and picking an answer. It requires you to develop specific skills:

• Reading passages actively and identifying structure, tone, and key ideas
  
• Locating information in passages without wasting time re-reading
  
• Analyzing answer choices carefully, not just reacting to what sounds familiar
  
• Recognizing traps that appear plausible but are ultimately incorrect
  
• Making decisions based on clear reasoning rather than assumptions or habits

Mastering these skills takes time. When you are just starting out, you will likely need far more than ninety seconds to complete a Reading Comprehension question. That is perfectly fine. In fact, it is necessary. If you rush the process, you sacrifice accuracy and understanding. Worse, you may reinforce bad habits that will be harder to break later.

Instead, approach your practice methodically. Give yourself as much time as you need to read carefully, think critically, and answer with confidence. If that means spending ten minutes on a single question, so be it. Your goal is to build skill, not speed. Speed will come as a natural byproduct of skill.

As you improve, you will begin to move more efficiently through passages and questions. Only then should you begin to introduce timing constraints to simulate test conditions. First focus on doing things well. Later, focus on doing them quickly.

Reading Comprehension is one of the more difficult skills to develop on the GRE. Respect the learning process. Be patient with yourself. Accuracy first. Speed second.

Reach out to me with any questions about your GRE prep. Happy studying!
Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep