One of the most common reasons people struggle to improve their GRE Verbal scores is that they complete all practice questions under timed conditions. In other words, when practicing, they give themselves the same amount of time per question that they will have on test day. While the logic behind this approach makes sense on the surface, it is often counterproductive.

To consistently answer GRE Verbal questions correctly, you need to develop specific skills for each question type. For example, to solve a Text Completion question, you must read the entire sentence carefully, identify key structural clues, understand how the parts of the sentence relate to each other, and evaluate how each word or phrase contributes to the overall meaning. That takes time and practice.

If you are still learning how to approach these steps and you try to do everything at test pace, you are likely to rush. As a result, you may miss important clues, make avoidable mistakes, and fail to build the accuracy and understanding that the section requires. Many test-takers fall into this pattern and then struggle to make progress, even after doing dozens of questions.

A better approach is to begin with untimed practice. Remove the pressure of the clock and give yourself the chance to work through questions with focus and care. Take time to understand each sentence fully, identify what made an answer correct or incorrect, and improve your process. The more consistently you get questions right without time pressure, the more your confidence and skills will grow. Then, once your accuracy improves, you can gradually reintroduce timing and learn to apply your skills efficiently.

Timed practice has value, but not at the expense of accuracy. Mastering the steps must come first.

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

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep