The GMAT Verbal section is one of the two multiple-choice sections of the exam. Here are the key features of this exam section:

Time limit: 75 minutes

Where: The Verbal section is administered last — after the AWA sections and the Quantitative section

Number of questions: 41 available questions (just under 2 minutes per question, on average)

Basic format: All questions are multiple choice (5 choices)

During the GMAT Verbal section you'll encounter three basic question types, or formats: Sentence Correction, Critical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension. Questions are intermingled rather than grouped separately by question type, and there's no set pattern or sequence.

Sentence Correction (14-15 questions)

This question type is designed to gauge you command of the English language and the conventions of standard written English, including grammar, syntax (sentence structure) and diction — but not punctuation or spelling. For each question your task is to determine which among five versions of a sentence is the best example of proper grammar and effective expression.

Critical Reasoning (14-15 questions)

These questions are designed to gauge your ability to understand, critique, and draw reasonable conclusions from arguments. Each argument is presented as a brief one-paragraph passage.

Reading Comprehension (12-13 questions)

These questions are designed to measure your ability to read carefully and accurately, to determine the relationships among the various parts of a reading passage, and to draw reasonable inferences from the information in the passage.

Reading-Comprehension questions are presented in four discrete sets. Each set includes 3-4 questions. All questions in a set pertain to the same passage. Each passage is 150-350 words in length. GMAT reading passages are drawn from business-related fields as well as from other academic disciplines: the humanities, the social sciences, and the physical and biological sciences.