MCAT Verbal Reasoning

Class Location: The Internet.

Description: This class will prepare students for taking the Verbal Reasoning section of the MCAT.

Objective: Score high on the Verbal Reasoning section of the MCAT.

The verbal reasoning section of the MCAT includes 65 questions and lasts 85 minutes. It contains nine or ten passages of 500-600 words each. Following each passage are six to ten multiple-choice questions. The passages can be on any subject; they don’t test scientific knowledge. All the information you need to answer the questions is included in each passage.

The test includes four types of questions: comprehension, evaluation, application, and incorporation of new information.

• The comprehension questions test your ability to identify themes in the passage; identify the evidence that supports a thesis; identify specific information and make inferences; use context to understand vocabulary and terminology; identify relationships between pieces of information; and understand paraphrasing of complex information in the passage.

• The evaluation questions ask you to determine the validity of arguments presented in the passage; judge which information is relevant to an argument and whether the claim follows from the information; determine the credibility of sources; and decide which claims are supported and which are not.

• The application questions test your ability to apply the information in the passage to new situations; use the information to solve specific problems; and predict results based on the given information.

• The incorporation questions include new information and ask you to determine how it changes the conclusions in the passage; identify possible new conclusions based on the added information; and recognize what new information would alter the conclusions drawn in the passage.

Most manuals recommend against skipping questions until the end. As you read, make notes in the margins on the passage’s themes, supporting information, and secondary factors.

Even though the MCAT’s verbal reasoning section doesn’t test scientific knowledge, it’s one of the most important scores for the medical schools, since it tests your ability to read, comprehend, and analyze information. In many cases, a low verbal reasoning score can take you out of the running for acceptance into medical school. This is why we advise you to put a similarly high effort into this section of the MCAT exam.