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Student Survival Skills for the GRE
• Students often fear the quantitative portion of the GRE more than any other section (i.e., verbal or writing).
• With adequate preparation, students can do relatively well on the quantitative portion.
There are 4 types of questions:
• Charts (easiest)
• Multiple choice, problem solving (hardest)
• Comparisons
Example Comparison
• Column A Column B 14 more than a is –9
a + 9 -14
• A) Column A is greater than Column B
• B) Column B is greater than Column A
• C) They are the same
• D) It is impossible to determine
Constraints
You will not be able to use a calculator.
If you are doing a LOT of calculation, there is probably an easier solution.
What is Covered?
• The GRE Tests math knowledge from 7th, 8th, 9th & 10th grades.
• Does not cover calculus, pre-calculus, trigonometry, no advanced algebra, no advanced geometry.
Know Order of Operations
– Please– Excuse– My – Dear– Aunt– Sarah
Know Order of Operations
– Parentheses– Exponent– Multiplication– Division– Addition– Subtraction
Review Math Facts
• 1 is not a prime number
• All GRE prep books contain math review. The GRE web page also provides a 67 page math review.
• http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/quantitative_reasoning/
Review Math Facts
• zero is even • zero is an integer• the sum of 0 and any other number is the other
number• the product of 0 and any other number is 0• dividing by 0 is undefined
Review Math Facts
• any number to the 0th power is equal to 1 (10000 = 1)
• fractions are neither even nor odd• negative numbers can be even and odd too
(-3, -66)• 2 is the only even number that is a prime
number; all other prime numbers are odd.
More Math Review
– Fractions– Decimals– Operations with negative numbers– Exponents
Quantitative Section
This section is actually a reading test – read problems carefully!
Do not make assumptions about drawings; if it does not say “drawn to scale,” then assume that the figure is deceptively drawn.
Redrawn the diagram on your scratch paper to exaggerate key features.
Example
Which angle is larger?
a b
Example
Which angle is larger?
a b
Drawn to scale
Comparisons
• Column A Column B 14 more than a is –9
a + 9 -14
• A) Column A is greater than Column B
• B) Column B is greater than Column A
• C) They are the same
• D) It is impossible to determine
Comparisons
Remember this is a reading test. You should interpret the options in the following way.
• A) Column A is ALWAYS greater than Column B• B) Column B is ALWAYS greater than Column A• C) They are ALWAYS the same• D) It is impossible to determine
Comparisons
• Substitute values for variables
• Try negative values and decimals
Comparisons
Column A Column B1/16 +1/7 + 1 /4 1 /4 + 1/16 + 1/6
• A) Column A is greater than Column B• B) Column B is greater than Column A• C) They are the same• D) It is impossible to determine
Place an equal sign in the middle and reduce the equation, until one side is larger.
Comparisons
Column A Column By > 2
y - 6 -3
• A) Column A is greater than Column B• B) Column B is greater than Column A• C) They are the same• D) It is impossible to determine
Charts
Make notes about the chart, before reading the question.
• information in titles, legend• asterisks, footnotes, parentheses• small print (which is used to hide crucial
information)• find the unit of measurement (thousands,
millions, tons, dollars)
Charts
Approximate, Estimate, Ballpark• whenever you start to think the problem will require a lot of
calculation – estimate• answer choices are typically far enough apart to allow you to find
the answer closest to your estimate• round up or down any values (9.6% -> 10%, 9.3% -> 9%)
Geometry
• You must know fundamental geometry principles (e.g., how to find the area of an equilateral triangle).
• Create a long list of the principles that you do not know and memorize them!
You can do well if you…
• Review basic math facts
• Practice basic skills
• Read questions carefully
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