If you're looking up GMAT® verbal scores, you probably want to know where you stand.
Maybe you got a practice test back and your verbal number doesn't look right. Maybe you're setting a target score and need to know what verbal score your schools expect. Or maybe you've been studying for weeks and your verbal score hasn't moved — and you're trying to figure out why.
All of those are good reasons to be here. Let's walk through what the verbal section looks like, what score you need, and how to improve in ways that actually work.
How the GMAT® Verbal Section Works
The GMAT® Focus Edition verbal section has 23 questions and gives you 45 minutes. That's roughly two minutes per question.
There are two question types:
- Critical reasoning, which tests logic
- Reading comprehension, which tests your ability to understand a passage
If you're coming from the old GMAT® Classic, sentence correction is gone. That's a big deal. The grammar prep that used to eat up weeks of study time? You don't need it anymore. For most people, the verbal prep timeline is shorter now.
The section is adaptive, which means your score isn't based only on how many questions you get right. It also depends on when you get them right and how hard they are. If you're not familiar with how adaptive scoring works, our guide on how the GMAT® scoring algorithm works walks through the whole thing.
Here's the short version: you can miss several questions and still get a strong score. You don't need perfection. But you do need a system.
What's a Good GMAT® Verbal Score
The verbal section is scored from 60 to 90, just like the other two sections.
For top 10 programs, we suggest aiming for 80 or higher. That puts you in a range where the verbal score probably won't create friction in your application. A 78 might work for some schools, but 80 gives you a more comfortable margin.
For top 20 programs, 78 or higher is a reasonable target.
For top 50 programs, somewhere in the mid-70s should be enough.
If you're aiming outside the top 50, a 70 or higher will likely get the job done.
One point on the verbal sub-score translates to roughly 10 points on your total score (in the middle of the bell curve). So moving from a 75 to an 80 could mean a 50-point bump on your three-digit total. That can matter a lot when you're trying to clear a school's median.
For the full percentile breakdown, check our GMAT® score chart and percentiles page.
How to Improve Your GMAT® Verbal Score
Most people who struggle with verbal aren't lacking effort. They're putting in the hours. The problem is almost always the system — specifically, the review process.
Here's how to fix that, broken down by question type.
Critical Reasoning: Know the Types
Critical reasoning tests logic. But it's the GMAT®'s version of logic, not formal logic from a philosophy class. The GMAT® makes its own rules, and you need a GMAT®-specific source to learn them.
The biggest mistake we see is treating all critical reasoning questions the same. They're not.
There are about six different types (depending on how you count). A strengthen question asks you to do something totally different from a boldface question. An assumption question has a different job from an evaluate question.
If you've been lumping them all into one bucket, that's probably holding you back.
Here's what to do:
A. Learn the difference between each type. A reputable course or a good book will walk you through this. The key is understanding what each type is asking you to do.
B. Practice until it's automatic. When you see a strengthen question on test day, you shouldn't have to think about what your job is. It should be a reflex. If you have to stop and remind yourself, you haven't practiced enough yet.
C. Use official guide questions. GMAC invests heavily in every single question. Almost no third-party provider can match that quality. Our guide on how to use the GMAT® Official Guide effectively covers this in more detail.
Reading Comprehension: It's Not About Your Opinion
This is the mindset shift that unlocks reading comprehension for most people.
You're never being asked for your opinion on a reading comprehension passage.
That sounds obvious. But the questions are written in a way that can make it feel like they want your interpretation. Phrases like "what can be inferred" or "what was the author's intention" sound like they're asking for your take.
They're not.
The answer has to be based on what the passage says. You should be able to point to the exact line in the text that proves the right answer is right. If you can't do that, you haven't found the right answer yet.
This is hard for a lot of people because years of literature classes taught you to read between the lines. On the GMAT®, there's no reading between the lines. You read the lines. The answer is in the lines.
The Review Process That Actually Moves Your Score
This is the part most people skip. And it's the part that matters most.
Doing more practice questions without a review process is like pouring water into a leaky bucket. You'll burn through official guide questions (which are limited in supply) and your score probably won't move.
We've seen this pattern over and over. Someone does every verbal question in the official guide. Their score doesn't improve. Sometimes it even goes down.
Here's the review process that works:
For every verbal question you attempt — whether you got it right or wrong — write down two things:
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A compelling reason why the right answer is right. This should be tied to the strategy for that question type. For critical reasoning, it should connect to the specific approach for that CR type. For reading comprehension, it should be rooted in the text — you should be able to point to the line that proves it.
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A compelling reason why each wrong answer is wrong. For critical reasoning, tie it to the logic of the question type. For reading comprehension, either the answer contradicts the passage, or the passage doesn't address it at all.
That's the process. Apply it to every question you attempt. It takes discipline, but it's what moves your score.
If you can't come up with a compelling reason, use a web search. Look at the official guide explanations. Find someone who explains it well, and write down what they said in your own words.
This process works because it reinforces the strategy for each question type every single time you review. Over hundreds of questions, that reinforcement is what builds the reflexes you need on test day.
For a deeper look at how to review practice work, our guide on how to review GMAT® practice tests extends this system to full-length tests.
Reading Speed: The Hidden Bottleneck
For some of you, the issue isn't strategy. It's speed.
If you're a slow reader, reading comprehension becomes a timing problem before it's a comprehension problem. You might understand the passage fine, but you run out of time before you can answer all the questions.
If that's your situation, reading speed is the first thing to address.
Reading speed is like a muscle. The more you read in English, the faster you get. The best time to start was years ago. The second best time is today.
Start with whatever you can manage — even 10 minutes a day. Read anything in English that you find interesting. After three consecutive days at 10 minutes, bump it to 12. After three days at 12, bump it to 15. Keep increasing by about 20% every three days until you're reading an hour or more per day.
This is not a small investment. But if reading speed is what's capping your verbal score, the payoff can be significant. One point on verbal can mean 10 points on your total score.
And if you're a slow reader who needs to let go of a question per passage to buy time for the others, our guide on when to let go of a GMAT® question walks through that decision.
A Note on Practice Materials
Official guide questions are essential for verbal prep. GMAC spends a lot developing each question. Almost no third-party provider has the margin to match that quality.
That means the supply of high-quality practice questions is limited. Which makes your review process even more important. You can't afford to burn through official questions without extracting maximum value from each one.
If you're not sure which materials to use, our best GMAT® study materials and resources guide has recommendations.
FAQ
What is a good GMAT® Verbal score?
For top 10 MBA programs, aim for 80 or higher out of 90. For top 20 programs, aim for 78 or higher. For top 50 programs, the mid-70s should work. For programs outside the top 50, a 70 or higher will likely be sufficient.
You can check the exact percentile for any score on our GMAT® score chart and percentiles page.
How many questions are on the GMAT® Verbal section?
The GMAT® Focus Edition verbal section has 23 questions in 45 minutes. There are two question types: critical reasoning and reading comprehension. Sentence correction is no longer tested on the Focus Edition.
How is the GMAT® Verbal section scored?
The verbal section is scored from 60 to 90 and is computer-adaptive. Your score depends on both accuracy and question difficulty. You can miss several questions and still get a strong score. One point on the verbal sub-score translates to roughly 10 points on your total GMAT® score in the middle of the score range.
How do I improve my GMAT® Verbal score?
The most common reason verbal scores don't improve is a lack of review, not a lack of effort. For every question you attempt, write down a compelling reason why the right answer is right and a compelling reason why each wrong answer is wrong. Use official guide questions for practice. We cover this process in detail above.
Is the GMAT® Verbal section hard?
It depends on your starting point. If you're a strong reader in English, the verbal section may feel manageable. If you're a slow reader or if you're treating all critical reasoning questions the same, it can feel very difficult. The good news is that the verbal section tests a learnable skill set. Once you understand the question types and build a review process, most people see meaningful improvement. Our guide on is the GMAT® hard covers the full picture.
Should I use third-party verbal practice questions?
Official guide questions should be your primary source. GMAC invests heavily in each question, and almost no third-party provider can match that quality. You can use third-party questions for additional reps, but don't rely on them as your main source. The official guide is available on mba.com and at most bookstores.
How long should I study for GMAT® Verbal?
It depends on your starting score and your target. If you're starting in the low 70s and aiming for 80, that might take several weeks of focused work. If you're starting lower or if reading speed is a bottleneck, it may take longer. Our guide on how long to study for the GMAT® covers the full timeline question.
Want to learn even more?
We cover the verbal section in depth in Episode 6 of Season 4 of our podcast series — "GMAT® Focus Verbal: What You Should Know in 2024 and Beyond." We recorded this episode when the Focus Edition was new, but the core strategies and review process still apply. It walks through the format, the question types, the review process, and reading speed strategies in more detail.
You can listen on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or check out the full podcast page for more episodes.
If you're building a complete study plan, our how to study for the GMAT® guide covers all three sections. And if you're stuck on a plateau, our guide on breaking through a GMAT® score plateau addresses the system-level issues that hold verbal scores in place.