The Knewton Blog

You’ve probably heard that the GMAT doesn’t require math or verbal skills beyond the high-school level and that it tests your analytical ability as opposed to your knowledge of a particular subject. All this, while true, may lead you to think you don’t have to memorize anything for the test. But this isn’t true, particularly with the verbal section. This series of posts will focus on areas where you can’t necessarily rely on your reasoning… Read more

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Tricky science passages on the GMAT may be the bane of your existence, but they don’t have to be. Here are 7 expert tips to help you conquer your science fears. 1. Recognize that you don’t need to know any outside information. It may not seem like it when you’re slogging through esoteric scientific terms, but you really are not required to have any specialized knowledge of science (or any other topic!) to tackle GMAT… Read more

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If you’ve taken a look at any GMAT Reading Comprehension skills, you’ve probably figured out that GMAT passages are, on the whole, much more difficult to read than passages you’d find in a novel, newspaper article, or blog post. (Check out our other GMAT Reading vs. Everyday Reading posts for more.) If you’re looking to enhance your GMAT Reading Comprehension skills, the best thing you can do for yourself is to understand what exactly makes… Read more

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If you’ve started studying for the GMAT, you know that reading passages on the GMAT is very different from reading “normal” things–novels, newspaper articles, magazines, blogs. Check out our first GMAT Reading vs. Everyday Reading blog post for more. If you’re looking to enhance your GMAT Reading Comprehension skills, the best things you can do for yourself are: Understand what exactly makes GMAT passages tricky Develop strategies for processing complex information, so that you can… Read more

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In the final installment of our Critical Reasoning Lesson 2, Jen and Dave walk you through two sample Critical Reasoning “Weakening” questions. Test out your skills and learn how to work efficiently without getting distracted by tricky answer choices. Looking for more CR help? Earlier installments of this CR lesson feature tips on tackling assumption, strengthening, and weakening questions. Check all the videos out here!

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In this video, Jen and Dave will run through the basics of “weaken” CR questions. In past CR videos, you’ve learned how to strengthen a CR argument; now learn to identify answer choices that act as weakeners. As Jen and Dave explain, two of the most common ways an answer choice will weaken a CR argument include: Invalidating an assumption on which the argument depends Providing a piece of evidence that makes the conclusion less… Read more

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If you’ve done a bit of GMAT verbal practice, you’ve probably figured out the general tendency of GMAT CR questions: they present an argument, and then ask the test-taker to take on the role of an outside observer and identify or judge parts of that argument. One common kind of CR question is the strengthening and weakening question. These questions present an argument, and then ask test-takers to identify the answer choice that, if true,… Read more

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In earlier segments of this Critical Reasoning lesson, Jen and Dave explained the best ways to approach GMAT Critical Reasoning “strengthen” questions. Now, in the fourth installment of the lesson, it’s your turn to test your skills with two sample questions. Jen and Dave will give you time to tackle the question on your own, and then walk you through the easiest, most efficient way to arrive at the right answer. Remember to look out… Read more

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You’ve probably heard that the grammar section of the GMAT features a lot of questions about “idioms.” If all you’ve heard about idioms is that they tend to be annoying, here’s a more formal definition: The distinction between those two types of idioms is important. We get many reports of students who speak English as a second language spending countless hours memorizing the meaning of phrases like “throw the baby out with the bathwater” to… Read more

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In this video, Dave and Jen provide an introduction to “strengthen” questions on the GMAT Critical Reasoning section. As Dave and Jen explain, there are two main ways for an answer choice to strengthen an argument presented in a CR question stem: Validate an assumption on which the conclusion depends Provide an additional piece of evidence that supports the conclusion Be sure to check out the earlier segments of this Critical Reasoning lesson, part of… Read more

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