It might seem counterintuitive, but reading more carefully can actually help you move faster through the GRE Verbal section. Many test-takers assume that if they slow down to read closely, they will run out of time. However, the opposite is often true.

When you rush through a sentence or passage, you may miss key information. As a result, you are left with a vague understanding of what you have read. That lack of clarity can make it harder to evaluate the answer choices, and it can cause you to second-guess yourself or reread the question multiple times. In the end, you spend more time trying to compensate for that initial lack of focus.

Take, for example, a typical Text Completion question. If you read the sentence quickly and only half-process what is being said, then jump straight to the answer choices, you are likely working with an incomplete mental picture. You might think you are saving time, but more often than not, you will waste time going back and forth between the choices, trying to force them to fit into a sentence that you did not take the time to fully understand.

Now imagine a different approach. You read the sentence slowly enough to catch the key structural cues. You understand what is being contrasted or explained. You notice whether the sentence is shifting in tone, building a comparison, or reinforcing a point. When you then look at the answer choices, your task becomes much easier. The correct option often becomes obvious because it aligns cleanly with what the sentence is doing.

The same principle applies to Reading Comprehension. If you read a passage carefully and pick up on the author's tone, main idea, and key transitions, you will not need to reread the passage every time you look at a question. Instead, you can refer back with purpose, knowing roughly where to look and what to look for. Careful reading up front saves time during the question-solving process.

So, if your instinct has been to rush through GRE Verbal to save time, try doing the opposite. Give yourself permission to slow down when reading. Use that time to fully understand the material before looking at the answer choices. You may find that you answer questions more confidently, make fewer mistakes, and complete the section more efficiently overall.

Clarity speeds up decision-making. Reading carefully is what gets you that clarity.

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

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep