We pulled these GMAT sample questions from our book Cracking the GMAT and from our test prep course materials. For more GMAT practice, take a full-length practice test with us held under the same testing conditions as the real thing. Find out how you’d score, and get a personalized score report from us that shows your strengths and weaknesses.

Below you’ll find sample GMAT questions covering the three question types you’ll encounter in the Verbal section: Sentence Correction, Critical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension.

GMAT Sentence Correction Questions

1. In order to better differentiate its product from generic brands, the cereal company first hired a marketing firm that specializes in creating campaigns to build brand awareness and then retools its factory to produce a variety of different shapes of cereal.

(A) then retools its factory to produce a variety of different shapes of cereal

(B) retools its factory to produce a variety of different shapes of cereal

© then retooled its factory to produce a variety of different shapes of cereal

(D) then will retool its factory to produce a variety of different shapes of cereal

€ then produces a variety of different shapes of cereal by retooling its factory.

2. Believed to be one of the first widely read female authors of the Western world, Christine de Pizan’s masterwork The Book of the City of the Ladies, was written in 1405 and is a history of the Western world from the woman’s point-of-view.

(A) Believed to be one of the first widely read female authors of the Western world

(B) Written by one of the first widely read female authors of the Western world

© One of the first widely read female authors of the Western world, as some believe

(D) Written by what some believe was one of the first widely read female authors of the Western world

€ Believed by some as one of the first works by a widely-read female author in the Western world

[+] See the Answer

GMAT Critical Reasoning Questions

1. One food writer wrote that reducing the amount of animal products in one’s diet can contribute to better health and well-being. Based on this claim, some people are eliminating meat from their diets to be healthier.

The argument above relies on which of the following assumptions?

(A) Increasing the amount of vegetables and grains in one’s diet can contribute to better health.

(B) There will be no corresponding increase in the amount of dairy products in the diets of those who are eliminating meat.

© Most food writers believe that some amount of animal products is necessary to a healthy diet.

(D) Not all healthy lifestyles require a vegetarian diet.

€ Many people who do not eat animal products make decisions for health reasons.

[+] See the Answer

2. Studies reveal that a daily exercise regimen helps stroke survivors regain dexterity in their extremities. Being given an exercise routine and having a consultation with a doctor about the exercise routine have been shown to be effective mechanisms to get patients to exercise daily.

From the above information, which of the following statements can be reasonably inferred?

(A) A stroke survivor who is given a detailed exercise plan and consults her physician about the plan will regain full dexterity in her extremities.

(B) If a stroke survivor is not given an exercise plan and does not consult with a doctor, she will not regain dexterity in her extremities.

© Stroke survivors who are given an exercise routine and consult with a doctor about that routine will sometimes regain dexterity in their extremities.

(D) Being given an exercise routine and having a consultation with a doctor about the routine is the best way to help a stroke survivor regain dexterity in their extremities.

€ Only being given an exercise routine is necessary to regenerate dexterity in the extremities of seniors who have suffered a stroke.

[+] See the Answer

GMAT Reading Comprehension Questions

Passage 1

Although oft-maligned in modern culture, the pigeon once stood not only for speed and reliability but also for grace and beauty. Darwin himself became a pigeon fancier after beginning to work with the humble Columbia livia, discovering them to be more fascinating than he had formerly believed. During the Victorian age, in fact, raising show pigeons was a popular hobby, with new breeds continuously arising as amateur (and not-so-amateur) ornithologists crossed animals in the hopes of creating ever more fantastic creatures. One of the most sought-after varieties was known as the Almond Tumbler, a name presumably derived from the color of the birds combined with the distinctive flight style. Throughout many generations, this bird was so manipulated as to have a beak so small as to prevent the adult birds from feeding their offspring. And yet, it was wildly popular, drawing high prices at auctions and high prizes at competitions.

How then did an animal once so well-loved come to be so loathed? As recently as World War II, the military used pigeons to carry messages but today, many people would kick a pigeon before they would feed one. Perhaps it is just a problem of population density – a lack of esteem for that which is ubiquitous. Pigeons have become our constant urban companions and, as such, have been transformed from symbols of peace, plenty, and prosperity, to representatives of disease and decay.

1. The primary purpose of this passage is to

(A) convince the reader of the nobility of the pigeon, based on its history as a symbol of virtue

(B) dissuade the reader from mistreating a once-majestic animal that has fallen from favor

© rebut claims that pigeon carries disease any more frequently than other domestic animals

(D) promote a renewal of pigeon fancying and a resurgence of breeds such as the Almond Tumbler

€ suggests that there might be more to the story of some urban wildlife than is commonly known

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2. The case of the Almond Tumbler is most analogous to which of the following?

(A) a strain of wheat that can be grown in plentiful quantities but loses much of its nutritional value in the process

(B) Arabian horses that can run at phenomenal speeds due to centuries of careful breeding designed to enhance those physical attributes

© vitamins that were purported to provide all of the necessary nutrients but have since been found not to be very effective

(D) the dachshund, a popular breed of dog that is nonetheless prone to severe back problems, due to weaknesses exacerbated by targeted breeding

€ the wild rock doves that are most commonly found nesting in the faces of cliffs far from human habitation

[+] See the Answer

3. The passage suggests that

(A) pigeons were once known for flying with celerity

(B) the Almond Tumbler was the most beautiful breed of pigeon

© Darwin was infatuated with his fancy pigeons

(D) modern pigeons are dirtier than the fancy pigeons of yore

€ only scientists should breed new kinds of animals