Category: GRE Arithmetic

  • GRE Exponents: Basics & Exponent Practice Question Set

    The content in this post applies in 2024 to the new, shorter GRE! Exponents have long been the bane of many students—and GRE exponents even more so. To do that, you’ll need a solid understanding of GRE arithmetic and plenty of practice with exponents. In this post, we’ll take a look at GRE exponent basics…

  • GRE Arithmetic: Overview and Practice

    Achieving a high score on the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) is one of the major steps in landing a spot in the graduate school of your choice. But often, students struggle with the GRE math section. The GRE Quantitative test has four main mathematical areas: Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, and Data Analysis. This post is all…

  • GRE Division, Mixed Numerals, and Negatives

    This is a post to clarify a potentially confusing passage in the OG.  In the GRE OG 2e, on p. 134, as well as in ETS’s GRE Mathematical Conventions PDF on p. 5, point 9, we find a paragraph discussing quotients and remainders that utilizes the formula n = qd + r. This formula pertains…

  • GRE Math: Absolute Values

    On average you will see at least one question on the Revised GRE dealing with absolute values. You may even see a few. Yet, absolute value gets lost in the prep fray amongst the more popular concepts. So if you don’t want this relatively innocuous concept to surprise you test day read on.   What…

  • GRE Math – Essential Tips For Factoring

    Let’s say you have a large number, and you need to break it down into its prime factors (prime factors are prime numbers, e.g. 2, 3, 5, 7). When dealing with small numbers, such as 24 (2 x 2 x 2 x 3), finding the prime factors isn’t too tough. But what about 324? Many…

  • GRE Math Basics: Distance, Rate and Time

    The 4th of July weekend is upon us, and many of us will be taking road trips, or even taking a plane somewhere. To commemorate this collective movement, let’s learn the most fundamental formula when dealing with movement over time. First, let’s meet Bob… Bob drives at an average rate of 50 mph from Berkeley…

  • GRE Math: Divisibility Rules

    1. Which of the following is NOT divisible by 3? (A)  231 (B)  246 (C)  285 (D) 326 (E)  411 One way to do this problem is to divide each answer choice by 3 and see which one leaves a remainder. A far better approach, however, is to apply the following rule of divisibility for…

  • Integers and Mental Math

    What better way to spend the weekend than with your favorite friends: integers? Okay, maybe integers aren’t your best friends. But trust me, they are much better company than irrational numbers. Below are five problems dealing with integers and integer properties. They are definitely not too challenging. In fact, many can be solved using mental…

  • GRE Math Basics: Least Common Multiple

    If GRE math concepts were people, Least Common Multiple (LCM) would hardly be the most noticeable person in the room. After all, we have the really big personalities who always elbow for attention: Probability, Work Rates and Combinations (none of whom would win the popularity context). Then, there are Exponents standing together menacingly with Coordinate…

  • It’s Not An Excited Number; It’s a Factorial!

    If you’ve ever come across a number with an exclamation mark in front of it, that’s the factorial sign, e.g. 5!. Factorials don’t come up too often on the GRE, and when they do, it’s usually on harder problems. Still, you don’t want to be faced with an exclamation sign next to a number and…