GMAT RC Passage Types: Business, Science and Social Science
Knowing what kind of GMAT passage you are reading tells you what the questions will target.
On this page
Business passages
Often about strategy, markets or management research. They typically present a view, then complicate it. Questions target the author's position and the role of examples.
Science passages
Dense with detail about a phenomenon or experiment. Do not try to master the science; track the claim, the evidence and any competing explanation. Detail questions send you back to the text.
Social science passages
History, economics, sociology. They often contrast two scholars or theories. Map who believes what before the questions.
A reading method for all three
- Read for structure: what each paragraph does.
- State the main point in one line before the questions.
- For detail questions, return to the passage; for inference, choose the option that must be true.
Practise
GRADFLIX essays across economics and business, science and history are close to GMAT passage style. Pick GMAT in the header for five-option questions after each.
Frequently asked questions
How long are GMAT RC passages?
Usually around 200 to 350 words, with three or four questions each.
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