gmat quant strategy- what to expect in quantitative reasoning section on the gmat

What to expect in

GMAT Quant

Two different aspects of GMAT Quant:

• Problem Solving

• Data Sufficiency

Properties of every GMAT question

• Solvable within 2 minutes

• Tests specific abilities• Math Camouflage• Extremes are always tested

Let us see a question:

If abc = bcd, is a = d?

(1) b = c(2) bc>0

Always try to get what the question is trying to test!

‘x’ is an integer and ‘a’ is an even integer. Is x an odd integer?

(1) Xa is an odd integer(2) |a|a > a

Every question has a skeleton and things are coated !

A square of side with 10 units has one of its vertex at origin. If all the coordinates of the square are integers, then how many such squares are possible?

1) 42) 83) 104) 125) 15

Never go for the obvious answer!

With the GMAT its never the usual

What is the value of x?

(1)3x = 2y + 21

(2)3y = 4.5x – 31.5

For a school fundraiser, a class of nine students sold bags of popcorn for $1.00 each bag. They sold a total of 45 $ worth of bags in total. If no two students sold the same number of bags, how many students did not record a sale?

(1) The highest total recorded by one student was 9 $

(2) The lowest total recorded by one student was 1 $

With the GMAT its never the usual!

Start learning from question types:

XY>0

What is he/she trying to test?

(X/Y) > 1

What is he/she trying to test?

X|X|>X

What is he/she trying to test?

If p < q, p < r and p, q and r are integers , is (p)(q)(r) < p?

(1) pq < 0

(2) pr < 0

Every word has a purpose!

Start learning from question types:

If p < q, p < r, is (p)(q)(r) < p?

(1) pq < 0

(2) pr < 0

What is the value of y?

(1) 3|x 2 – 4| = y - 2

(2) |3 – y| = 11

What is the value of |x|?

(1) |x 2 + 16| - 5 = 27

(2) x 2 = 8x - 16

Question maker drops hints

‘x’ is a non negative integer such that 12x is a factor of 17281212. Which of the following can be equal to xy – yx ?

A) 1B) -1C) 0D) 12E) 144

‘a’ and ‘b’ are positive integers and If a + b is divisible by 3, is ‘a’ divisible by 3?

(1) a + 2b is divisible by 3(2) 2a + b is divisible by 3

For non-negative integers x, y and m, what is the greatest value of m for which xm is a factor of y! ?

(1) y = x – 1 (2) x is a prime number

Some points that help!

Average of numbers in arithmetic progression!

What is the median of a set of consecutive numbers?

1) The average of all the numbers is 122) There are 4 numbers in the list

What is the mean of a set of seven consecutive numbers?

1) The average of first three is 132) The average of last three is 17

If S is a finite set of consecutive even numbers, is the median of S an odd number?

(1) The mean of set S is an even number.

(2) The range of set S is divisible by 4.

Always, Always, Always keep it simple in Geometry

How to keep it Simple?

A B100 100

100 100

If AB, AC and BD are the sides of a regular polygon, then how many sides does that polygon has?

Don’t tell anyone!

If the area of the square is 16 square units then what is the area of the regular Octagon?

Don’t tell anyone!

Adding/Subtracting inequalities:

Is xy > 0 ?

1) x - y > -22) x - 2y < -6 

Confusing Questions

One pound of banana costs 1 $. A banana pie requires 3 cups of dried banana. When dried banana loses its one fifth of weight. Two cups of dried banana make up one pound of dried banana. If David makes ‘x’ pies, then what will be the cost in terms of x?

Don’t tell anyone!

Keep Pace with Numbers

If a and b are integers and a/b and a – b are even integers then which of the following must be an odd integer:

(a/2)(b/2)(a + b)/2(a + 2)/2(b + 2)/2

Don’t tell anyone!

Summing Up

Always try to get what the question is trying to test

Every question has a skeleton and things are coated

Never go for the obvious answer

With the GMAT its never the usual

Every word has a purpose

Question maker drops hints

Play with Numbers

Some questions with a purpose:

What is the value of N?

(1) N! ends with 28 zeroes(2) (N+2)! ends with 31 zeroes and (N-1)! ends with 28 zeroes

What is the value of the two-digit positive integer n?

(1) When n is divided by 5, the remainder is equal to the tens digit of n.

(2) When n is divided by 9, the remainder is equal to the tens digit of n.

Is positive integer n – 1 a multiple of 3?

(1) n3 – n is a multiple of 3

(2) n3 + 2n2+ n is a multiple of 3

Is x > 0?

(1) |x + 3| = 4x – 3

(2) |x + 1| = 2x – 1

If x is a positive integer greater than 1, is x! + x + 1 a

prime number?

(1) x < 10

(2) x is odd

If x, y, and z are integers greater than 1, and (327)(3510)(z) = (58)(710)(914)(xy), then what is the value of x?

(1) z is prime

(2) x is prime

If x is a positive integer, what is the units digit of 3x?

(1) x = 10k2 + 1, where k is a positive integer.(2) The units digit of x2 is 1.

If x and y are non-zero integers and |x| + |y| = 32, what is xy? 

(1) -4x – 12y = 0

(2) |x| – |y| = 16

In a room filled with 7 people, 4 people have exactly 1 sibling in the room and 3 people have exactly 2 siblings in theroom. If two individuals are selected from the room at random, what is the probability that those two individuals are NOT siblings?

5/21

3/7

4/7

5/7

16/21

Machines A and B each produce tablets at their respective constant rates. Machine A has produced 30 tablets when Machine B is turned on. Both machines continue to run until Machine B’s total production catches up to Machine A’s total production. How many tablets does Machine A produce in the time that it takes Machine B to catch up? (1) Machine A’s rate is twice the difference between the rates of the two machines.

(2) The sum of Machine A’s rate and Machine B’s rate is five times the difference between the two rates.

x is the sum of y consecutive integers. w is the sum of z consecutive integers. If y = 2z, and y and z are both positive integers, then each of the following could be true EXCEPT

x = w

x > w

x/y is an integer

w/z is an integer

x/z is an integer

Six mobsters have arrived at the theater for the premiere of the film “Goodbuddies.”  One of the mobsters, Frankie, is an informer, and he's afraid that another member of his crew, Joey, is on to him. Frankie, wanting to keep Joey in his sights, insists upon standing behind Joey in line at the concession stand, though not necessarily right behind him.  How many ways can the six arrange themselves in line such that Frankie’s requirement is satisfied?

6 24 120 360 720

The Carson family will purchase three used cars. There are two models of cars available, Model A and Model B, each of which is available in four colors: blue, black, red, and green. How many different combinations of three cars can the Carsons select if all the cars are to be different colors?

24 32 48 60 192

If line L in the xy-coordinate plane has a positive slope, what is the x-intercept of L ? (1) There are different points (a, b) and (c, d) on line L such that ad = bc. (2) There are constants m and n such that the points (m, n) and (–m, –n) are both on line L.

Leila is playing a carnival game in which she is given 4 chances to throw a ball through a hoop. If her chance of success on each throw is 1/5, what is the chance that she will succeed on at least 3 of the throws?

What is x? 

(1) |x| < 2 

(2) |x| = 3x – 2

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