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All about GRE Text Completion:

The GRE text completion section assesses how you interpret and evaluate information presented to you based on your reasoning skills. They do this by omitting critical words from short passages which you need to fill up by using the remaining information in the passage as a basis to create a logical and meaningful whole.

A typical GRE text completion question features a sentence or short passage where one, two or three words are left blank. Your task is to pick the right word from the choices given and make the passage meaningful.

You can expect approximately 12 text-completion questions in total with roughly 6 text-completion questions in each sub-section of the GRE Verbal.

GRE text-completion questions can be of three types:

• Single-blank: These questions have a single blank to be filled up. For sentences or passages with a single blank, you will have to choose the right option from five given words. You can expect four single blank questions in total (2 per section)
• Double-blank: Double blank text completion questions have two blanks to be filled up. You will have to choose the right answer from three given options. You may expect around four to five double blank questions. (2-3 per section)
• Triple-blank: Triple blank text completion passages have three blanks which need to be filled. Three options will be given from which you will have to pick up the right word and you can expect roughly three to four triple blank questions. (1-2 per section)

It is important for you to remember that you have to choose the right answer for every blank for questions with either a double blank or a triple blank to earn a credit. You do not earn any credit for partially correct answers. Also, a double and a triple blank question counts as a single question even though the question passage has multiple blanks.

Tips to crack GRE Text Completion:

One of the most common mistakes candidates make on this section is to focus only on vocabulary building. Now don鈥檛 get me wrong here – a great vocabulary is, in fact, one of the pillars of your GRE verbal prep; but it鈥檚 not the only one! There鈥檚 quite a lot of critical thinking involved in answering Text Completion questions with respect to which word (or words) make the passage meaningful and rational, i.e., contextual usage of words.

Let us consider the following examples for a better understanding:

GRE Text Completion: example 3

Now, the tendency of test takers is to link the first two blanks and then find out the right word for the third blank. So, you might think that because the author is so 鈥榲erbose鈥� that his work becomes 鈥榠naccessible鈥�. And then, therefore you quickly link that to 鈥榣ack of coherence and lucidity鈥�. However, this is the point where you need to use your critical thinking and reasoning skills.

If you notice that there is a 鈥榖ut鈥� in the middle of the sentence, that鈥檚 your clue that it鈥檚 a turning point for the sentence, and the second part of the sentence is likely to take on a different tone from the first. Also, the term 鈥榢nowledgeable critics鈥� appear and you need to think about why and what critics would point out in the author鈥檚 work. Hence, if you logically analyze this sentence, you will find that because of the author鈥檚 鈥榲erbosity鈥� people, in general, find his work 鈥榠naccessible鈥�, but critics, because they are experts and know the topic really well, find this to be the most 鈥榮uccinct鈥� piece of work in the field鈥�.

Thus, the answer to this question goes like this:

Because of the author鈥檚 (i) verbosity, many readers consider his latest work (ii) inaccessible but, in reality, as many knowledgeable critics point out the piece (iii) is the most succinct on the subject.

Therefore, do not jump into conclusions and make the wrong choices! But what must you do to identify the correct answers? Well, there are some tips and tricks to master text completion questions and handle them like a pro.

Tip 1- Break the sentence:

Text completions passages can be lengthy and are difficult to assimilate at one go. You might as well get lost in the maze of words by looking at the whole passage and attempting to answer the question. 听One of the ways to handle a text completion question is to break the text into parts in a way that is easy for you to understand. So, before you consider any of the choices given, break the passage into smaller, easily understandable parts and consider each part at a time. You will then find it easy to link these smaller parts to get the bigger picture.

In order to understand this, let us consider an example:

GRE Text Completion: example 2 (Break the sentence)

In order to solve this, break this passage into smaller parts in your own words. Doing so will make it easier for you to find the right word for each blank.

(i) Let鈥檚 take a look at the first part of the sentence:

鈥淔or centuries now, cancer has (i) ___________ scientists.鈥�

Since confused would be the right word here, look for the option that is closest in meaning to confused, which in this case is confounded.

Great! We now know the answer to one of the blanks!

(ii) Let鈥檚 move on to the second part of the passage now:

鈥淯nlike most microbes, cancer can spread to the (ii) __________ organism.鈥�

If 鈥榳hole鈥� is the word you have in mind, you鈥檙e absolutely on the right track! Now, look for the option that is closest in meaning to 鈥榳hole鈥�. This is an easy one – entire!

(iii) Now for the 3rd and final part of the passage:

鈥渕aking it very difficult for scientists to find a way to attack the cancer without (iii) _________ any of the affected organs.鈥�

What words are you thinking of? Damaging? Harming? Destroying? Locate the GRE word for that and you鈥檒l have successfully answered all three blanks correctly and earned your score

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In this case, the word you鈥檙e looking for is 鈥榠mpairing鈥� which essentially means the same as harming or damaging. Hence, here鈥檚 what the completed passage should look like:

For centuries now, cancer has (i) confounded scientists. Unlike most microbes, cancer can spread to the (ii) entire organism, making it very difficult for scientists to find a way to attack the cancer without (iii) impairing the functions of any of the affected organs.

If you would have tried to choose the right words without breaking down the sentence into smaller parts, you were very likely to choose 鈥榠ntrigued鈥� instead of 鈥榗onfounded鈥� for the first blank. The word ‘intrigued鈥� means 鈥榯o arouse curiosity or to fascinate鈥� and considering that the passage talks about scientists finding it difficult to figure out how to attack the cancer cells, the word 鈥榗onfounded鈥� fits the blank better. The word 鈥榗orrupted鈥� means 鈥榯o act dishonestly for personal or monetary gains鈥�. This word does not fit the blank because cancer being a disease cannot corrupt scientists.

On the same lines, you were very likely to choose 鈥榚radicating鈥� for the third blank which means to destroy completely. 听However, we need to understand that the passage talks about the scientists trying to eliminate cancer and not the organs. The word 鈥榚radicating鈥� therefore, changes the context of the passage completely. The right word choice is, therefore, 鈥榠mpairing鈥�, which translates to 鈥榟aving an adverse effect鈥� on the organs.

Tip2- Check for word use and idiom problems:

GRE Text Completion uses words as well as idioms to express ideas which may sound and appear very tricky. You must make sure you understand how ideas have been expressed as phrases and eliminate the options or choices that result in the sentence appearing puzzling or awkward. Read the complete sentence and if it sounds wrong to your ear then maybe it is not the right answer.

Let us consider an example:

GRE Text Completion: example 1

In the case of the second blank, we can take a hint from the last line of the passage 鈥�sometimes the petty differences end up fatally鈥�. This indicates that even though the social bonding in crows, bees, and humans is strong, sometimes they also quarrel amongst themselves and this sometimes can lead to loss of life. The word 鈥榗riticism鈥� means 鈥榚xpression of disapproval鈥� which does not lead to any fatalistic outcome and therefore does not fit the bill. The answer choice 鈥榩rejudice鈥� means 鈥榩reconceived notion not based on any reason鈥�. Since the comparison is made between humans and animals, this word will not fit because prejudices exist only in humans and not in animals. This leads us to the answer 鈥�quibble鈥� which refers to an argument. So, the passage with the correct words goes like this: In this passage, the phrase 鈥�creatures who bond, such as the crows and bees, humans too have 听…鈥� provides a vital clue regarding social behavior of these species for the first blank. The word 鈥榚nthusiastic鈥� means showing interest and does not really relate to social behavior. Also, the other option 鈥榳arm-blooded鈥� refers to birds and mammals and therefore does not fit the context, as the passage includes bees, too. This leads us to answer choice 鈥�gregarious鈥� which means being sociable.

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Humans too, like all (i) gregarious creatures who bond together, such as the crows and bees, have their (ii) quibbles. Sometimes the petty differences end up fatally.

Tip 3- Consider all the answer choices:

Always read the entire passage and don鈥檛 choose options in haste. Most of the times the difference between the options might be very subtle and you might end up choosing a weaker option when a stronger one is already provided.

GRE Text Completion: example

Now, in the options鈥榠nsincere鈥�, 鈥榝acetious鈥�, and 鈥榤istaken鈥� all indicate a general sense of falseness; however, it is the word insincere which directly relates with the idea of trust and belief.If you examine this sentence carefully, then three keywords emerge from the passage which provides us a clue about the answer. The words 鈥榮ince鈥�, 鈥榖elieved鈥� and 鈥榬efused鈥� give us an idea that because of her belief, she refused to think that he might be lying or something that is false.

So, we hope these examples helped you to understand how critical thinking skills paired with knowledge of vocabulary can go a long way in selecting the right answer choice. By practicing text completion questions using these techniques, you can easily achieve a 160+ in the GRE鈥檚 Verbal section.

GRE Text Completion versus Sentence Equivalence:

Now that you have a fair idea on how to go about answering text completion questions, you must be wondering about the difference between text completion and sentence equivalence. Text completion and sentence equivalence are both types of fill-in-the-blank questions. However, apart from that similarity, there are significant differences between the two. Let us have a look at them:

GRE Text Completion versus Sentence Equivalence

Effective Vocabulary building techniques:

By now you must have understood that the keys to cracking GRE Verbal are developing critical thinking skills and a strong vocabulary with about 3,500 GRE words, their usage and application to learn! You can start off with reading different articles and pick up words which are unfamiliar to you and check their meanings.听

Download our eBOOK on “High Priority GRE Word List“

Memorizing is one thing and usage is another. You may memorize a whole lot of words but you may not really be aware of the context in which these words are used. Therefore, while learning words you must also learn where to use them. In order to do this, construct your own sentences using the words you have just learned. This is where WordBot can really help you out! Try it out now – it鈥檚 completely free to use!

We hope this article provided you with smart ways to crack GRE Text Completion questions. All the Best!

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The ideal amount of time you should set aside to prepare for GRE will actually depend on a plethora of factors, all of which you should take into account while drawing up timeline to prepare for GRE. These parameters include your ideal target score, your current skill levels, the time you鈥檙e able to allot to your GRE preparation every day, the mode of learning you follow, and your learning speed.

For instance, if you鈥檙e able to set aside about 3 or 4 hours of your day prepare for GRE and practice every day, you shouldn鈥檛 need more than a month to ace the exam. However, if, say, your Verbal skills are weak and in need of some serious work, then you may want to consider setting aside more than just a month since GRE Verbal is something that requires a considerable amount of practice before you get the hang of it.

To know where your current level of preparation stands, try this free GRE score predictor tool. Not only will you get an accurate estimation of your GRE score, but you鈥檒l also get feedback of where exactly you need to work on!

1. What’s a Good GRE Score

Generally, the idea of a 鈥榞ood score鈥� is purely subjective and is contingent on the programmes and universities you apply for, plus the relative GRE scores of your competitors. However, it鈥檚 always a good idea to know what you鈥檙e up against, so here are the GRE cutoffs of the top ten schools in the US:

Top Universities Average GRE Score Requirement

Check out the GRE Cutoff scores for top 35 US Universities Here

As we can see, every single university but one has an average requirement of at least 320, so anything above 320 could be considered a good GRE score.

Keeping that in mind, then, let鈥檚 see how long it takes on an average, for an aspirant to score a 320+ when you prepare for GRE.

2. Time require to Achieve 320 in GRE

Over the years, we at 黄色短视频 (…formerly GREedge) have been able to observe how much time 320+ scorers normally take to achieve their desired results, and we鈥檙e happy to share our findings with you in the hopes that they help you too! Our findings are based on tracking the study activities of students just like you, and this ensures that it is absolutely spot-on. Excited? Well, here we go!

Graph – Days to Prepare for Better GRE Score

Out of a random sample of more than a thousand 320+ scorers in GRE, we observed that a majority of those who did get high GRE scores prepared for anywhere between 45 to 90 days. However, we also noted that there were at least 200 students who scored a 320+ with just 30 days of prep.

So, what did these guys do differently? What are their secrets? How many hours did they put aside each day to score a 320+?

• First, our 320+ scorers spent around 2.5 hours on their GRE prep every day, dedicating about 1 hour 15 minutes each to Quant and Verbal. This may sound like a lot of time, especially if you鈥檙e working but remember, it鈥檚 almost the same time you鈥檇 take to watch the latest series of Sherlock! So, how exactly should you split your 2.5 hours?
• Let鈥檚 start with Quants first. As we know, there are six main topics: Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Data Interpretation, Data Analysis, and Applied Math. While it鈥檚 important to dedicate time to all of these components, our findings reported that Geometry and Arithmetic were the areas where our 320+ scorers spent more time. 16.72% of their time was dedicated to mastering Arithmetic, while the time spent on Geometry was 16.57%. They divided the rest of their time equally among the other topics.

Subject wise Graph to prepare for GRE

• So, what about Verbal, the other half of while preparing for GRE? According to our data, GRE aspirants dedicate a whopping 45% of their total Verbal prep time on Reading Comprehensions! Surprised? Well, given that ten out of the total 20 questions on the GRE Verbals are based on the Reading Comprehensions, it makes sense to spend proportionate time on the preparations, too.

Prepare for GRE Verbal

• Finally, we have the infamous GRE Words. While it may be tempting to cram all the words on your list in a matter of one week, our aspirants have a better solution. We found that they learn around 612 GRE words in a month, which translates to roughly 20 words a day. If you鈥檙e daunted by that, you can start small, with 5 or 7 words a day, and gradually build up.

Download our eBOOK on “High Priority GRE Word List”

Now that you know what kind of a GRE score to aspire for and how much time to set aside per day for the same, the next step should be to formulate a proper study plan that will help you perform your best. Having such a plan is crucial to bringing you closer to your dream of a 320+.

3. Making a Proper Study Plan

Download 2 hrs/day 320+ scorer 30 day study plan听Here

The very first step is to take a test that gives you a good picture of your current strengths and weaknesses, so you can plan accordingly.

Did you know that you can take the Diagnostic Test, which is a crucial tool to help you gauge your preparedness for the GRE? Yes! The Diagnostic Test is basically a mock GRE test and must be taken without any prior preparation. Based on the results, you鈥檒l know your strengths and weaknesses, as well as how you stack up against your peers.

Want to give it a go? Click here to get started. Your diagnostic test results will also be instrumental in helping us customize a program just for you, so you can put your best foot forward on test-day.

So why is a customized study program important? Often, we might hear about our friend or cousin scoring a 325 after 20 days of preparation, and think a similar plan would work for us too.

However, it鈥檚 a common misconception many students fall prey to. In reality, your prepare for GRE plan needs to be as unique as you.

Why so?

From our experience in tracking the study patterns of high GRE scorers, we have found that proper planning has always been instrumental in helping students reach a stellar GRE score. The study plan usually varies from person to person.

4. How to prepare for GRE?听

Over the course of our findings, we also noted that generally, students tend to spend more time on preparing for the Verbal section than the Quants. Specifically, one of the things that require patience is vocabulary building. The GRE is notorious for its use of obtuse, often archaic words and phrases, and so, a decent mastery over vocabulary is crucial in order to be able to target a high GRE score.

But how many words do you actually need to learn? The whole Manhattan Word List, containing around 3500 words? Actually, our findings have shown that more than 400 students who scored 160+ in their Verbals only learned about 1000 words or so, while mastering an average of 500 words in total. What is the difference between learned and mastered words? Mastered words are those whose meanings and usage you are familiar with. But is it actually that straightforward? Not really; because you see, there are two kinds of problems that students face when learning new GRE words: complicated GRE words and remembering these words. Given that the GRE tests words that we don鈥檛 really use in common parlance, it becomes important to devote a portion of your preparation time to memorising these words. An average person can only learn about 7-8 words every day. But when you are preparing for GRE, the stakes are higher, since you鈥檒l have to learn at least 25-30 words everyday, if you want to reach the goal of learning about 650 new words a month. Don鈥檛 be daunted just yet, though, since there are three techniques you can espouse to make your GRE word preps more enjoyable and long-lasting.

The First technique is called Learning and Application. Think of learning a new GRE word is like meeting a new person. Would you consider the person a friend if the only thing you know about him is his name? It鈥檚 the same with GRE words. If you merely read the GRE words without learning their usage, you are bound to forget it. When you become comfortable enough to use the words in your everyday writing and speaking, that鈥檚 when you know you鈥檝e mastered it!

So, how can you constantly check your relationship with your 听GRE words? By learning and testing at regular intervals, that鈥檚 how. Here is something that can help you with that!

The Second technique is called Visual Learning. So, did you know that visual memory has a massive stage capacity for object details, and is 60% more powerful than rote learning?. So how can you use visual learning for learning GRE words? Visual learning is a memory enhancement that relates a particular concept to a visual element. For instance, you could associate a picture of the bells ringing to the GRE word 鈥榯intinnabulation鈥� (meaning a ringing sound) to aid in better retention.

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The Third and Final technique is a classic one, and is an excellent way to learn words in bulk. It鈥檚 called the root-word technique. Here, you would be required to split the GRE words and identify their root word, or the word they originate from. For instance, the root word 鈥榞amy鈥� in Latin means marriage: learning this means you鈥檒l be able to parse the meanings of words like 鈥榩olygamy鈥�, 鈥榤onogamy鈥� and 鈥榤isogamy鈥�, meaning multiple marriages, single marriage and an aversion to marriage respectively. That鈥檚 three words learned with knowing just the root-word suffix. Amazing, isn鈥檛 it?

These are just some of the techniques you will learn with the WordBot, an App designed to help you gain complete mastery over GRE words, using fast, effective techniques that make memorization easy and long-lasting.

Check out the Wordbot App Now!

We hope you found this article useful and informative, and wish you well on your graduate school journey ahead! Have any doubts or queries? Be sure to drop a comment below, and we鈥檒l get in touch with you at the earliest.

All the Best!

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