Success Principle 4 - "GMAT Correct" Overrides Common Sense!

It is very important for you to understand the concept of "GMAT Correct". A correct answer on the GMAT could look very wrong for people unfamiliar with the test. For example, compare the following two sentences taken from the Sentence Correction section.

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has been bought and read by millions of readers since it was first published in 1964. "

vs.

"Millions of readers have enjoyed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory since it was first published in 1964."

Which one is "GMAT Correct"? At first glimpse, the first sentence might sound more professional, more eloquent. If you read it out loud, it also sounds quite natural, (this is particularly true for British English speakers for whom the passive tense is considered correct). However, the second sentence is actually the correct sentence in terms of GMAT correct. “Has been” in the first sentence is in the passive voice and should be avoided in place of an active verb. This is one of the many sentence correction rules the GMAT sets forward.

You will find many other examples in your studies of answers that are “GMAT correct” though you may not understand why. Try to forget what you see as ‘common-sense’ correct, and for one month only, begin thinking like a GMAT test writer.