1. Preparing for the Verbal Reasoning Measure

2. Overview Introduction to the Verbal Reasoning Measure Question Types and Strategies for Answering General Strategies ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

3. Skills Assessed on the Verbal Reasoning Measure Assesses ability to: Analyze and evaluate written material and synthesize information obtained from it Analyze relationships among component parts of sentences Recognize relationships among words and concepts ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

4. Content of the Verbal Reasoning Measure Two 30-minute sections; 20 questions in each section Contains three question types: – Reading Comprehension Sets – Text Completion Questions – Sentence Equivalence Questions No longer contains – Analogies – Antonyms ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

5. Content of the Verbal Reasoning Measure (continued) To accommodate different interests and backgrounds, there is a balance of questions in: – Natural Sciences (e.g., Physical Sciences and Biological Sciences) – Social Sciences (e.g., Business, History, Political Science, Sociology, Psychology, Economics, and Anthropology) – Humanities (e.g., Literature, Philosophy, Art, Sculpture, Architecture, Music, Dance and Theater) No specific knowledge of any subject is required. ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

6. Question Types and Strategies for Answering

7. Verbal Reasoning Question Types Reading Comprehension Sets Text Completion Questions Sentence Equivalence Questions ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

8. Reading Comprehension Sets Consist of a passage and one or more associated questions Require you to read and to understand what is read. – Recognizing purpose and main idea – Recognizing specific points made – Recognizing assumptions – Making inferences – Evaluating purpose and structure Each reading passage contains all of the information needed to answer the questions that follow it. ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

9. Reading Comprehension Changes More questions More passages New shorter passages New question formats No line numbering ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

10. Reading Comprehension Question Formats Multiple Choice — Select One Answer Choice – Five answer choices, choose correct one Multiple Choice — Select One or More Answer Choices – Three answer choices, choose all that apply Select in Passage – Choose the sentence in the passage that fits a given description ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

11. Reading Comprehension Multiple Choice — Select One Answer Choice ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

12. Reading Comprehension Multiple Choice — Select One Answer Choice ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

13. Reading Comprehension Multiple Choice — Select One or More Answer Choices ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

14. Reading Comprehension Multiple Choice — Select One or More Answer Choices ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

15. Reading Comprehension Select in Passage ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

16. Reading Comprehension Select in Passage ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

17. Strategies for Reading Comprehension Sets — Reading the Passage Read the passage and get a sense of its overall meaning and purpose. Use your scratch paper to make notes. Note key words and phrases and try to clarify what is being expressed. Note which claims the author makes and which are made by others and merely described by the author. Similarly, note whether the author is hypothesizing something or maintaining it with some certainty. ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

18. Strategies for Reading Comprehension Sets — Reading the Passage (continued) Remember, all the necessary information to answer each question is in the passage. – You do not need subject-matter knowledge to answer the questions. – Even with unfamiliar material, with a little work you can answer the questions. When practicing to take the test, try to determine which method is best for you: – Whether to read the passage thoroughly first – Whether to skim the passage first – Whether to look at each question before reading the passage ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

19. Strategies for Reading Comprehension Sets — Answering the Questions When answering reading comprehension questions – Make sure you understand what the question is asking – Answer strictly on the basis of what the passage says — do not rely on outside knowledge – Do not select an answer simply because it is a true statement – Do not select an answer that is only partially correct ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

20. Strategies for Reading Comprehension Sets — Answering the Questions (continued) When answering main idea questions – Make sure that your answer picks the main idea rather than a subsidiary one When identifying what the passage says explicitly – You should be able to pick out specific portions of the passage that make the relevant statement When identifying what the passage says implicitly – Do not be limited by what is stated explicitly – Do not substitute your own ideas or interpretations; stick to what the author is committed to ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

21. Text Completion Questions Consist of one or more sentences with one to three blanks. Answer choices consist of alternatives for filling the blanks. Answer choices are independent. Require you to grasp the meaning of the sentences and, by analyzing the relationships among their parts, to select the most appropriate word or words to fill in the blanks. ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

22. Text Completion Questions How They Work

24. Strategies for Text Completion Questions Read the passage to get an overall sense of it. Identify words or phrases that seem particularly significant. Try to fill in the blanks with your own words and find answer choices that match. Focus on whichever blank seems easiest to complete. After making your answer choices, reread the whole passage to be sure it makes sense. ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

25. Strategies for Text Completion Questions (continued) When filling a blank, ask yourself Should the word be similar to or contrasted with a nearby word in the passage? Should the word have a positive or negative character? ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

26. Sentence Equivalence Questions Consist of a single sentence with one blank and six answer choices. Require you to find the two answer choices that complete the sentence coherently and also produce sentences alike in meaning. ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

27. Sentence Equivalence Questions How They Work ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

28. Sentence Equivalence Questions How They Work ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

29. Strategies for Sentence Equivalence Questions Read the sentence to get an overall sense of it. Identify words or phrases that seem particularly significant. Try to fill in the blank with your own words and find answer choices that match. After making your answer choices, reread the two completed sentences to be sure they both make sense and say the same thing. ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

30. Strategies for Sentence Equivalence Questions (continued) Do not assume that if two of the answer choices have the same meaning, they are the correct answer. – The answer choices will often contain words that do not fit the sentence. – The two correct choices do not themselves have to have the same meaning. When filling a blank, ask yourself – Should the word be similar to or contrasted with a nearby word in the passage? – Should the word have a positive or negative character? ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

31. General Strategies

32. Become familiar with formats and directions beforehand. Try to answer every question. – Read each question thoroughly. – Make notes. – Read all answer choices before answering. – Use knowledge you have to figure out answers to unfamiliar questions. Be aware of time. Use the Review screen wisely. ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

33. Other Points to Remember Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses. Set realistic goals. Allow enough time for improvement to occur. – Start early and work regularly. – Take courses that include complex reading material. ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

34. Resources ETS materials (e.g., materials on GRE website, sample tests) College faculty (e.g., English and Math Professors) Study groups Magazines, newspapers and other reading material – Analyze what you read. ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.

35. Questions? ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading. ® Copyright © 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, GRE and POWERPREP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS.