On the GRE, you’re given roughly 90 seconds per Verbal question on average. Because of this, many test-takers assume that their Reading Comprehension practice should be timed from day one. They start every drill with a stopwatch, force themselves to move quickly, and judge progress by how fast they can reach an answer.

Ironically, this well-intentioned strategy often slows real improvement.

The key distinction to remember is this: practice is not the test. Practice is where skills are built. Your goal during GRE preparation is not to beat the clock. It is to develop the abilities that will eventually allow you to work both accurately and efficiently under time pressure. When you impose strict timing too early, you interrupt that learning process.

GRE Reading Comprehension is not about skimming passages and reacting instinctively to answer choices. It demands a deliberate set of skills, including:

• Reading with intention and understanding how a passage is structured
• Identifying the author’s purpose, tone, and central ideas
• Knowing where to look in the passage instead of repeatedly rereading
• Evaluating answer choices logically rather than choosing what sounds familiar
• Spotting tempting traps designed to feel right but fall apart under scrutiny
• Making decisions based on evidence, not assumptions or test-taking habits

These skills take time to develop. Early in your preparation, it is completely normal and necessary to spend several minutes on a single Reading Comprehension question. Rushing through questions before you understand why answers are right or wrong only leads to shallow understanding. Even worse, it can lock in poor habits that become difficult to undo later.

A more effective approach is to slow down and practice with purpose. Read carefully. Analyze thoroughly. Think through each question until your reasoning is clear and confident. If one question takes ten minutes, that’s not a failure. It’s productive practice. At this stage, your priority is skill-building, not speed.

As your comprehension improves, patterns will become easier to recognize. You’ll locate information faster, evaluate answers more efficiently, and waste less mental energy on uncertainty. At that point, and only then, should you begin adding time constraints to mirror test-day conditions.

Do it right first. Speed will follow.

Reading Comprehension is one of the most challenging areas of the GRE because it rewards disciplined thinking, not shortcuts. Trust the process, give yourself the time to learn properly, and stay patient. Accuracy comes first. Efficiency comes later.

If you have questions about your GRE prep or want guidance on how to structure your practice, feel free to reach out. Happy studying.

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep