With regard to the GMAT, raw intellectual horsepower helps, but it is not everything. In this blog series, Manhattan Prep’s Stacey Koprince teaches you how to perform at your best on test day by using some common sense.
For the past few weeks, we have been learning the four-step Sentence Correction (SC) Process. (If you have not read that three-part post yet, go do so now!) People are excited about the opening step, the First Glance, and have asked for more exercises to help them learn how to become a First Glance Expert. For instance…
Does the length of the underline tell you anything? If so, what?
What about the very first word of the underline? Or the last word right before the underline starts?
And what about the differences among the first words of each answer choice? Does anything strike you there?
Fantastic clues often exist in these areas, but you need to learn how to translate them. As with any study we do for the GMAT, our real learning comes before the clock starts ticking. Take all the time you need to analyze already-completed questions to figure out how to spot and react to certain types of clues. Then, when the test starts, you will know what to look for, and you will be able to react immediately when you spot a useful clue!
First, read the SC Process posts. Next, grab your copy of the Official Guide for GMAT Review 2017. Finally, start trying out the exercises detailed in the article “Get the Most Out of Your First Glance.”
Plan to spend a few weeks working on this a little bit every day before you start to spot most of the types of clues that can pop out at you during your first glance at the problem. Have fun!
