Critical Reasoning Tip: What’s the Difference Between a Conclusion and an Argument?
Recently, a few of our students had some questions about this Critical Reasoning problem: Some ecologists claim that forest fires are a natural part of the ecosystem in certain types of forest environments. Botany experts support this claim, citing the fact that some plant species have adapted to survive and …
The AWA Isn’t That Important… So Can I Blow It Off?
I want to take a moment to address some common confusion about the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) portion of the GMAT exam. As many of you inveterate students know, the AWA portion involves two essays, and you get a maximum of 30 minutes for each essay. And no, you don’t …
Puritans and Parallelism on GMAT SC
Last time I wrote about how some students place too great an emphasis on memorizing grammar rules. This misplaced emphasis can cause those students to eliminate answer choices that are grammatically and logically correct. Let’s look at a sample problem: Jean-Michel Basquiat, who was a painter and a musician, created …
The Perils of Grammar Puritanism on GMAT SC
It is definitely important to learn the rules of grammar when studying Sentence Correction. But as a GMAT instructor, I’ve noticed that some students try to apply grammar rules so ruthlessly that they sometimes do not understand how certain sentences can be correct. When we teach the past perfect tense, …
More Fun with the Denial Test: Try This CR Assumption Question
In my last post, I covered the theory behind the Denial Test for Critical Reasoning Assumption questions and demonstrated how to do negations properly. If you’re not sure what the Denial Test is or want a refresher on negations, be sure to check out that post before you read on. …
The Denial Test: a Must-Know Strategy for CR Assumption Questions
Critical Reasoning Assumption questions ask you to identify an unspoken assumption made by the argument’s author. On these types of questions, one of the most powerful techniques you have at your disposal is the denial test. Before we go into the details of the test, let’s take a look at …
What to Memorize for the GMAT: 5 More Must-Know Grammar Rules
In the first post of our “What to Memorize for the GMAT Verbal” series, we covered the business and logic vocabulary you should know for the test. In the second post, we covered 5 must-know grammar rules. Next up: more grammar! While GMAT grammar isn’t easy, there are certain concepts …
Why to Avoid the Word “Methodology” in RC Answers — and Other Tips
Sometimes, even as a GMAT teacher, it can be easy to be cynical about Reading Comprehension. “Why bother spending much time teaching Reading Comprehension?” I ask myself in those moments of despair. After all, it’s just reading and answering questions about a passage. It doesn’t have the diverse question types …
Why the Most Boring Answer is Probably Right on CR Inference Questions
I recently taught a particularly difficult Critical Reasoning Inference question. When no one chose the correct answer, I realized that many of my students were not employing one of most effective strategies on inference questions. Here’s the question: Not all art museums depend on financial support from the government. Some …
What to Memorize for the GMAT Verbal: 5 Must-Know Grammar Rules
In the first post of our “What to Memorize for the GMAT Verbal” series, we covered the business and logic vocabulary you should know for the test. Next up: grammar rules. Like the SAT and other standardized tests, the GMAT includes a “sentence correction” section. Unlike the SAT, the sentences …
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