Sentence Correction questions are found in the 75-minute Verbal section. Test takers should expect to deal with about 14-17 Sentence Correction questions on test day. Each Sentence Correction question contains a sentence with an underlined portion that contains 0-2 errors. Occasionally, you will see sentences that are entirely underlined.
Check out: How to Master Sentence Correction on the GMAT
The GMAT punishes overachievers
Brian says that the test is in some ways punishing overachievers, perfectionists and people who are working harder in general. What it does, however, is award people who are working smarter.
When Brian first began teaching sentence correction, he felt a little bit guilty that he did not know the grammar 100% and couldn’t recite Strunk and White's The Elements of Style. But then he started to realise that the students who could were at a disadvantage. They were missing more obvious decision points and more meaning and reasoning-related reasons to eliminate a sentence because they are so lost in the weeds.
The analogy that he always gives students is that the test can’t reward those who don’t have a job, don’t volunteer in the community, don’t exercise and socialise and who just sit and memorise flashcards. That’s not who they want in business school. They want someone who has an important job, who finds time to be active in the community, who is going to be socially-minded in school and who also makes time to study efficiently.
Check out: Common Errors on Sentence Correction GMAT Questions
Act smarter
The GMAT is not a test of who studies and memorises the most stuff. It is a test of who makes the best decisions, who leverages the information well, and sentence correction is probably the best example of that.
Watch the video to hear Brian’s advice and good luck on your GMAT!
