Anyone who has taken a GRE practice test knows that the Reading Comprehension sub-sections of the GRE Verbal Reasoning section are purposely misleading—clouded by jargon and abstruse phraseology. In the entirety of the GRE, there are approximately ten Reading Comprehension passages, ranging from one paragraph to several paragraphs, or 100-450 words. Each of these passages is paired with 1-5 corresponding questions, which can come in any of the following three forms:


  • Multiple-choice Questions, Choose 1 answer: This is your garden-variety multiple choice question—5 choices, select one answer. Make sure to read all the answer choices before making your pick!
  • Multiple-choice Questions, Choose 1 or more answers: For this type of question, the test taker is presented with 3 answer choices, out of which one must select all of the correct answers to obtain credit. That could mean one, two, or even three of the answer choices provided are correct, and there is no partial credit awarded.
  • Select-in-Passage: In these questions, the test taker is required to refer back to the passage and click on the sentence that answers the question.


With so much to keep in mind in such a short space of time, test-takers often ask whether note-taking is a successful strategy for this section. The answer is yes, but more importantly, make sure you’re employing smart note-taking tactics and not wasting minutes transcribing information you won’t be called upon to know. Remember, your primary purpose here is to correctly answer the specific questions asked of you, and not to get stopped up by looking to retain all of the detailed information provided.

Tips for taking effective notes in GRE Reading Comprehension


1. No full sentences

This may sound obvious, but under no circumstances should you take notes in full sentences, as you might for classroom or research purposes. Instead, write in extreme shorthand, using abbreviations like you might when sending a text message, and only as much as you’ll need to jog your memory. Think of your notes as indicators for questions that may arise, not as summaries.

2. Make a simple passage map

Organize your (brief) notes by paragraph, paraphrasing key ideas into short phrases and noting signaling words, which change the direction of the argument. Utilizing this technique can help with your top-level understanding of the passage, as passage maps facilitate keying into the structural organization of the argument, which many of the Reading Comprehension questions will either directly or indirectly address. Passage maps are not for the whole passage! Mapping refers to getting the main idea of the passage, its structure, and its general tone―these can be found within the first two, occasionally three, sentences of a paragraph, NEVER more. These maps are for general questions, so keep them general.

3. Note signaline words

Within your passage map, jot down signaling words like “yet” or “however” associated with each paragraph, in order to keep track of syntactical twists and turns that correspond to the arrangement of ideas in the argument. Many GRE Reading Comprehension questions will target this exact skill, asking the test taker to differentiate between subtle shifts of arguments within a single sentence. Train yourself to be aware of these tricky little directives, so that if a later question addresses a specific paragraph, you’ll already have the key information on hand.

Finally, always keep in mind when taking standardized tests like the GRE that the test makers’ goal is to confuse you and bog you down unnecessarily, so efficient organizational techniques like selective note-taking can go a long way toward keeping track of all the moving parts in a passage and boosting your overall Verbal score while avoiding the traps laid by the exam in getting you to either return to the text too much or rely only your memory to answer questions. Avoiding such traps while getting you to the correct answer more efficiently and effectively is the precise role of these note-taking tips.