Courses in the humanities and social sciences, for example, often stimulate you to engage in critical thinking and problem solving exercises not always available in more rigid, lecture format science classes. Development of such skills is essential to succeed in an examination based on your ability to analyze, integrate, and synthesize information. Calculators, computers, notes, cellular phones, pagers, highlighters, colored pencils may not be taken into the test room. You will be assigned a seat by the proctor. As you can see you will be tested for nearly six hours, but will be at the test center much longer than that due to logistical issues of exam administration, breaks, etc.
Passages can be about any topic and contain all the information needed to answer the questions.
Evaluation questions ask whether the author's view can be supported by the evidence presented in the passage. Application questions seek to have you apply the information in the passage to another situation. Incorporation questions provide new information in the question and ask how the new information affects the arguments proposed by the author. While highlighters are not permitted you can make marks in the book, identifying the main theme, supporting details and secondary factors. Many people have the misconception that simply because the verbal reasoning exam does not deal with the sciences, it is not important or looked at by medical schools.