In GRE Verbal, should I focus more on Text Completion or Reading Comprehension?

Question

S Raghav · Accepted Answer

Text Completion feels easier, but it&rsquo;s also easier to max out early. RC is where most people lose points without realizing it.
&bull; RC questions usually make up 10 or more of the 20 total, so skipping it means capping your score. &bull; Most TC questions test word usage in context, but once you know the top 500&ndash;600 GRE words, gains slow down. &bull; RC rewards strategy. Even small tweaks&mdash;like identifying the author's opinion or paraphrasing each paragraph&mdash;can improve accuracy fast. &bull; If RC accuracy is under 70%, that&rsquo;s the first area to fix. You can guess a word in TC, but guessing tone or logic in RC rarely works. &bull; A smart mix: 60% of prep time to RC and 40% to vocab-heavy TC/SE. That balance works well for most test-takers aiming for 160+.
Mastering RC doesn&rsquo;t just help in Verbal&mdash;it trains you to read every GRE question more sharply.
For more details you can read this blog on "GRE Test Verbal Reasoning"

V Gupta · Answer

To score higher in GRE Verbal, focusing more on Reading Comprehension makes a bigger difference than just practicing Text Completion. RC takes up almost half the Verbal section, so accuracy here has a bigger impact on your final score.
The GRE tests reasoning more than grammar or vocabulary. In RC, questions often involve tone, structure, and implied meaning. Getting better at that takes regular practice, not just learning word meanings. That said, Text Completion is still important&mdash;especially if vocab is a weak spot&mdash;but improving RC leads to more steady improvement.
Also, Text Completion questions are quicker to solve, but RC mistakes cost more. A single long passage with multiple questions can swing your section score. So if time is limited, it&rsquo;s better to get solid at reading dense material, finding the main idea quickly, and spotting subtle trap options in RC.