Category: GMAT Math Basics

A lot of students prepping for GMAT Quant, especially those GMAT students away from math for a long time, get lost when trying to divide by a square root. However, dividing by square roots is not something that should intimidate you. With a short refresher course, you’ll be able to divide by square roots in […]

What are rates and ratios? How do rate and ratios problems differ? Hint: Not that much. Original photo by Pierre Rougier In fact, rates are just ratios in disguise. Here are a four GMAT practice problems exploring rates and ratios.  Remember: no calculator! Rates and Ratios Practice Problems 1) Someone on a skateboard is traveling 12 miles […]

Here are ten reasonably challenging problems on powers and roots.  Solutions follow the problems.   Remember, no calculator! Statement #1: x < 1 Statement #2: x > –1 4 8 14 28 42 5) If A is an integer, what is the value of A? 11 30 45 75 225   Powers & roots This is […]

Here are ten problems on fractions and decimals, some of which are quite challenging.  Remember, no calculator! (A) 0.1 (B) 1 (C) 10 (D) 100 (E) 1000 6)  Suppose you have access to a large vat of distilled water, several gallons large.  You have two precise measuring pipettes, one to measure exactly 1/3 of an […]

First, a few practice problems: 1) In the figure above, AC = BC = 8, angle C = 90°, and the circular arc has its center at point C.   Find the area of the shaded region. 2)  Employees at a company will vote for an executive team of five people from eight qualified candidates.  The […]

First of all, try these challenging GMAT Problem Solving practice problems without a calculator. (A) 2 (B) 3 (C) 4 (D) 5 (E) 6 2) In the month of August, Pentheus Corporation made $200,000 in profit.  Pentheus made 6% of that profit on the second Wednesday of August.   If the profits that day were approximately […]

Here are four GMAT Data Sufficiency questions involving inequalities. Full solutions will come at the end of this article.   The arithmetic of equations: a review First of all, let’s review what should be more familiar — the arithmetic of equations.   Suppose A = B and P = Q.  The soundbyte is: you can combine […]

First, a bank of eight practice problems 1) A certain zoo has mammal and reptiles and birds, and no other animals.  The ratio of mammals to reptiles to birds is 11: 8:5.  How many birds are in the zoo? Statement (1): there are twelve more mammals in the zoo than there are reptiles Statement (2): […]

Many folks remember Order of Operations by means of the mnemonic PEMDAS.  Just for review, PEMDAS is a quick way to remember the following order of mathematical prioritization: Priority #1: P = Parentheses Priority #2: E = Exponents Priority #3: MD = Multiplication & Division Priority #4: AS = Addition and Subtraction A few things […]