GMAT SECTION 3: VERBAL ABILITY Exam Questions and Answers

QUESTION: 86

Property values in South Orange, New Jersey, have nearly doubled in the last six years. South Orange is located in Essex County, 17 miles from New York City.
Which of the following, if true, best explains the results described in the statement?

the proximity of South Orange to New York City
the completion of a direct rail line to New York City
the addition of 240 housing units in South Orange
improved schools and a renovated downtown in South Orange
the relocation of a major technical corporation to Union, New Jersey, two miles from South Orange

Answer(s): B

Explanation:

The direct rail line is the most logical explanation for an increase in property values. The proximity to New York City in itself (choice a) would not necessarily increase property values, but the addition of public transportation that provides direct access to the city would make the town a more desirable place to live. When a place becomes more desirable, real-estate values increase. Choice c, the addition of housing units, is likely an effect of the direct rail line and an increase in the desirability of the location. The improvement of the schools and the renovation of the downtown (choice d) may or may not be related to the increase in property values. It would be logical to conclude that funds for improving the schools and downtown could be gleaned from additional resources from increased property taxes, another effect of increased property values. The relocation of a major corporation to a neighboring town (choice e) could account for the increased desirability of property in South Orange, but the direct access to the city is a more compelling reason. Perhaps a few hundred persons may work in the corporation, but many thousands are likely to want an easy commute to the city.

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QUESTION: 87

One out of four heart surgery patients at St.Vincent’s dies from complications during surgery. Only one out of six heart surgery patients at St.Mary’s dies from complications during surgery. If you need heart surgery, make sure you go to St.Mary’s, not St.Vincent’s.

Which of the following, if true, is the best reason to reject this argument?

St.Vincent’s specializes in heart surgery for elderly and high-risk patients.
St.Mary’s surgical equipment is more up to date than St.Vincent’s.
St.Vincent’s has the most renowned heart surgeon in the country on its staff.
St.Vincent’s offers flexible payment options for balances not covered by insurance.
Two doctors who used to work at St.Mary’s now work at St.Vincent’s.

Answer(s): A

Explanation:

Statistics can be very deceiving. In this case, based only on the numbers, St.Mary’s seems like a safer place to undergo heart surgery. But what you do not know about St.Mary’s and St.Vincent’s can lead you to make a poor choice. If St.Vincent’s specializes in heart surgery for elderly and high-risk patients (choice a), then it is logical that it would have a higher rate of mortality among its patients. Indeed, given this fact, the difference in mortality rates may make a case for going to St.Vincent’s instead of St.Mary’s. Assuming you are not an elderly or high- risk patient, to make an informed choice, you would need statistics about St.Vincent’s mortality rates for surgery on patients who are not elderly or high risk. Up-to-date equipment is important (choice b), but the condition of the patients prior to surgery and the skill of the surgeons are more important considerations. The fact that St.Vincent’s has the best heart surgeon in the country (choice c) is compelling, but it does not contradict the statistics. The payment options (choice d) are irrelevant if you do not survive the surgery, and there can be many reasons why the doctors who worked at St.Mary’s are now at St.Vincent’s (choice e), so you cannot consider this factor without more information.

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QUESTION: 88

DNA evidence has increasingly been used in court to prove guilt and to exonerate the innocent.
Because so many convicted felons have been cleared by DNA evidence, all cases in which someone was convicted largely on circumstantial evidence should be called into question and reviewed.
Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen this argument?

One in three convictions today rests largely on DNA evidence.
DNA evidence is admissible even after the statute of limitations has expired.
Of every ten cases in which DNA evidence becomes available post-conviction, five convictions are overturned.
DNA evidence is 99.8% accurate.
DNA evidence is very difficult to falsify or tamper with.

Answer(s): C

Explanation:

The fact that would most strengthen this argument is the percentage of cases in which DNA evidence overturned prior convictions. If half of all cases resulted in erroneous convictions that were later cleared by DNA evidence, then that should certainly draw other convictions into doubt. The fact that one in three of today’s convictions rest on DNA evidence has no bearing on prior convictions, so choice a is incorrect. Similarly, the admissibility of DNA evidence (choice b) has no bearing on the quality of prior convictions. That DNA evidence is accurate (choice d) and difficult to tamper with (choice e) strengthens the argument for the use of DNA evidence in court, but it does not directly strengthen the argument that prior convictions should be called into doubt.

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QUESTION: 89

For each question, select the best answer from the choices given.

Without a doubt, one of America’s greatest science-fiction writers is Kurt Vonnegut, who has written dozens of stories and novels, including the masterpiece Slaughterhouse Five. Yet for decades, Vonnegut denied that what he was writing was science fiction. Today, however, Vonnegut embraces his rightful place as a master of the genre. All of the following, if true, are helpful in accounting for the phenomenon described in this passage EXCEPT

early in Vonnegut’s career, science fiction was largely considered by critics to be an inferior genre.
Vonnegut did not want to be pigeonholed as a science-fiction writer.
as a young author, Vonnegut’s favorite writers were all science-fiction writers.
science fiction has become a legitimate literary genre.
science fiction has become an increasingly popular genre (for readers and writers alike) because of the increased importance of science and technology in our lives.

Answer(s): C

Explanation:

Choice c is not helpful in accounting for Vonnegut’s early reluctance to be identified as a science- fiction writer because it is not relevant. The other choices are directly related to the phenomenon and help us understand why he did not originally want to be called a science-fiction writer but now welcomes the categorization.

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QUESTION: 90

The greatest failure of modern American society is its rejection of the extended family. It is no wonder our society is so violent and so many Americans feel a deep sense of isolation and overwhelming stress.

This argument is based on all of the following assumptions EXCEPT

Americans value independence more than interdependence.
people who live in extended families feel less stress.
a large percentage of Americans feels isolated and alone.
living in an extended family engenders a strong sense of belonging.
deep feelings of isolation and overwhelming stress lead to antisocial and violent behavior.

Answer(s): A

Explanation:

The argument that American society is violent and many Americans feel isolated and stressed (conclusion) because they have rejected the practice of extended families (premise) is based on several assumptions about extended families (e.g., that they ease stress and engender a sense of belonging), about Americans (e.g., that they feel isolated and alone), and about the effects of isolation and stress. It may be true that many Americans value independence more than interdependence, but that assumption is not directly related to the argument. It does not serve as a link between the premise and the conclusion.

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GMAT GMAT SECTION 3: VERBAL ABILITY Exam (page: 18) GMAT Section 3: Verbal Ability Updated on: 09-Feb-2026

QUESTION: 86

Explanation:

QUESTION: 87

Explanation:

QUESTION: 88

Explanation:

QUESTION: 89

Explanation:

QUESTION: 90

Explanation:

GMAT GMAT SECTION 3: VERBAL ABILITY Exam (page: 18)
GMAT Section 3: Verbal Ability
Updated on: 09-Feb-2026