GMAT Math: A Fail-safe Approach to Factoring (Level: Advanced)
For most (normal, non-GMAT-worshipping) people, “factors” is a broad and untenable topic. The more difficult quant questions that deal of factors generally involve a lot of high level reasoning and creativity. Sometimes, this results in a stroke of brilliance. More often, however, and particularly due to the harsh 2 minute time limit on quant questions …
GMAT Math: Data Sufficiency intro and basic strategy
Introduction to the Data Sufficiency question type on the GMAT. One of the toughest question types on the GMAT is “Data Sufficiency” in the quant section. These questions, initially, tend to give my students more trouble than any other question type simply because DS questions are so unlike anything you’ve done before in school or …
GMAT Math Tip: The powers that be
There are a few tricky ways that the GMAT tests your exponent acrobatics. Specifically, the concept of “regrouping powers” is fairly common. The typical question goes something like this: 3^3 * 4^3 * 5^3 = 60^n n = ? Here’s how a solution looks: 3^3 * 4^3 * 5^3 = 3*3*3 * 4*4*4 * 5*5*5 …
GMAT Math Tip: Getting busy with word problems
Do not read completely through a word problem before jotting down details. Instead, convert every clause you read into an algebraic expression. Then go ahead with manipulating the expression. For example: “She picks a number (an integer) and multiplies it by the next integer.” On your scratch work you should write down: “n*(n+1)”, immediately followed …
GMAT Math Tip: Don’t get creative with the quant question… yet.
A common way to blow up on a quant question is to read it all the way through and then pause to begin to brainstorm creative ways of solving the problem. Due to the constraints of time and question complexity on the GMAT, you are usually not afforded the luxury of ruminating on a particular …