{"id":3377,"date":"2013-02-18T09:19:41","date_gmt":"2013-02-18T17:19:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/?p=3377"},"modified":"2020-01-15T10:50:03","modified_gmt":"2020-01-15T18:50:03","slug":"how-to-study-for-gmat-math","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/how-to-study-for-gmat-math\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Study for GMAT Math"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GMAT<\/p>\n

Suppose you plan to apply to business school and therefore have to take the GMAT.\u00a0 Suppose you bid a less-than-fond farewell to math at the end of, say, Algebra II, back in your salad days, and you haven’t given an iota of thought to mathematics since then.\u00a0 Now, you’re staring the GMAT in the face and you’ve got no idea how to study for GMAT math. Well let’s start with the basics.<\/p>\n

The structure of the GMAT Quantitative section<\/h2>\n

First, know the structure.\u00a0 On the GMAT, one section will be a 75-minute Quantitative section, and on this section, you will see 37 questions.\u00a0 As with all questions on the GMAT, once you answer a question, you can’t go back to it, because both the Quantitative and Verbal sections are Computer Adaptive<\/a>: you will get harder or easier questions, depending on whether your previous answers were right or wrong.<\/p>\n

There are two math question formats\u00a0on Quantitative section. <\/p>\n

The first format, Problem Solving<\/b> (PS), is just the same old five-answer multiple choice format you have seen on every standardized test since before puberty.\u00a0 This question format\u00a0needs no special explanation. <\/p>\n

The other format, though, Data Sufficiency<\/b><\/a> (DS)–this is a beast unique to the GMAT math section.\u00a0 This question format\u00a0has unique rules, so it necessarily demands unique strategies<\/a>.\u00a0 I can’t emphasize enough how important this is to learn when you are studying for math on the GMAT.<\/p>\n

The GMAT math content<\/h2>\n

When you study for GMAT math, it’s vitally important to know what math content the GMAT tests.\u00a0 Check out our post that summarizes the breakdown of GMAT math concepts by frequency<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You should buy the GMAT Official Guide<\/a>; in this guide is a 30-page section called the “Math Review” — this lists, in relative condensed form, every math concept you need to study.\u00a0 Many of these individual concepts you will find explained in detail in posts on this free blog — pull down the “Math” drop-down menu above this article.\u00a0 You should also learn some fundamental math strategies, such as number sense<\/a> and how to estimate<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How to study for GMAT math? Practice, practice, practice<\/h2>\n

Math is not a spectator sport<\/i>: you learn and understand math only by doing it.\u00a0 Studying for GMAT math definitely involves practice, practice, practice.<\/p>\n

For starters, you get no calculator<\/a> on the GMAT Quantitative section. That means, you will have to do basic arithmetic in your head on the GMAT.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

My advice: give away to a friend any calculator you own, and force yourself to do basic arithmetic in your head every single day<\/i><\/b>, multiple times a day, until you take the GMAT.\u00a0\u00a0 Calculate your grocery total, to the nearest dime, in your head as you shop.\u00a0 Find occasions to do math — 17 x 6, 117\/3 —- in your head.\u00a0 Learn the doubling & halving trick<\/a>, the divisibility tricks<\/a>, and other mental math shortcuts.\u00a0 <\/p>\n