![]() ![]() ![]() Understand (generally) how the algorithm works.Here are some general tips about taking the GMAT that apply to both Quant and Verbal: And when you do crack open a book, prioritize official GMAT CATs, the Official Guide, and the Official Guide Supplements over third party materials. Be real with yourself, and carve out time in your life to devote to studying for the GMAT every day. Develop a study plan that works with your schedule. There are literally thousands of practice problems out there, dozens of companies that offer CATs, and countless hours of GMAT videos on YouTube. Be realistic about your study goals and expectations.If you sense that things are going the wrong way, scratch out your work and start over. The solution is always elegant and clever. If you’re doing something that takes too long or seems too hard, you’re doing it wrong. The GMAT is difficult, but the math is very basic. So don’t keep working to get a solution you could send yourself down a 7 ½-minute rabbit hole! And on Data Sufficiency questions, remember that you only need to recognize if there’s enough information available to solve the problem you don’t actually need to solve it. For example, if the question states “ a and b are positive integers”, you’ll probably need to use that fact to solve the problem. Also, be on the lookout for restrictions on numbers. If you see an algebraic expression that can be simplified, simplify it. Similarly, questions on the GMAT typically require test-takers to notice things such as the difference of squares, factored forms, and expressions that can be simplified by applying exponent rules. If a question is asking for the value of an expression like 2 x + 3 y, for example, you probably won’t need to find the individual values of x and y nine times out of ten, there’s some way to get the expression 2 x + 3 y to somehow appear after doing a little bit of algebra. While you still need to know how to solve for x, the GMAT is usually looking for something different. We’re trained as kids to solve for x whenever we see an equation. Become familiar with the way GMAT asks questions, and know that sometimes you don’t need to solve for x.If you see something confusing, with lots of indecipherable text, or that you don’t have a clue about… guess and move on! You don’t want to get stuck on any one single problem. When you go in to take the GMAT, you should know how long you plan to spend on each type of problem. ![]() Practice enough to know the types of questions that tend to take you longer than others. And keep in mind that for every Data Sufficiency question with 3 huge blocks of text there’s a 25-second exponent problem waiting for you a few questions away. Usually, the questions with the easiest math have the most text (and therefore may take the longest). Don’t be afraid to spend a little more time than average working at a problem that you know how to do. But not all questions take the same amount of time. That works out to 2 minutes per question. To score higher, you need to get questions correct, and to do so quickly. By utilizing a variety of approaches in your practice, you’ll be able to recognize the best way to do each problem come test day. Be flexible in your approach: sometimes it’s better to use algebra, but other times plugging in is the way to go. When working through Quant questions, try the “math class” way, but also practice alternative strategies. But the key to success on GMAT Quant? Flexibility. Equally important are strategies such as plugging in, picking a number, and working backward, which can be used not only to save time but also to check your answers. Review the math, learn some strategies, and adopt a flexible approach.Īt the very heart of GMAT prep is a thorough review of the basic math that appears frequently on the test you need to know topics like number properties, fractions, rates, solving for x, and basic geometry beyond perfectly.Here are some tips that can help you get the most out of your study time and help you feel confident about the Quant section on the GMAT. However, with some hard work practicing and getting familiar with the test, acing the GMAT Quant section is an attainable goal. The GMAT requires you to know the math inside and out, and not only to solve problems but to recognize when you have enough information to do so. Data Sufficiency questions are completely new to most students, while even some apparently innocuous Problem-Solving questions can throw the most quant-savvy CFA for a loop. So what makes this section so challenging? While the math is basic, it’s tested in ways you may not be familiar with. But as anyone who has taken the GMAT will tell you, the Quant section is extremely tough. At first glance, the Quant section of the GMAT doesn’t seem too bad –– after all, the math tested on the GMAT barely hits the high school level, and all the questions can be solved without a calculator. ![]()
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