GMAT Math in a Nutshell

“The essence of mathematics is not to make simple things complicated, but to make complicated things simple”

GMAT tests you on various topics in quantitative section. Quant section comprises of 39 questions. Since it is a Computer adaptive test, the difficulty increases/decreases depending on your response to the previous question.

GMAT Math consists of following sections –

Arithmetic

Since few years, GMAC has been throwing in lot of number theory questions. I would advise any test-taker to concentrate

1. Integers & Number Theory **

2. Fractions

3. Decimals

4. Percent *

5. Ratio and Proportion

6. Exponents & Roots

7. Sets

8. Permutation and Combination *

9. Sequences

10. Probability *

11. Standard Deviation *

Algebra

1. Simple Equation

2. Simultaneous Equations

3. Quadratic Equation

4. Defined Functions

5. Inequalities *

6. Factoring

Geometry

1. Lines and Angles

2. Triangles

3. Quadrilaterals

4. Circles

5. Solids *

6. Coordinate Geometry*

Word Problem

1. Interest, Discount and Profit *

2. Rate & Time *

3. Work *

4. Averages and Medians *

5. Mixture

6. Age Problem

7. Doubling

8. Speed & distance

9. Sales Commission

10. Decision Tree

11. Data Interpretation

*:- Though GMAT tests you equally on all the areas. GMAC has been testing on these a lot lately. I would advise you to concentrate more on these sections.

For those whose preparation is still in the infant stage, I would recommend Manhattan’s fractions, decimals book. Manhattan CATs, OG and GMATprep are few of the resources which will be very helpful for the preparation. It is imperative for the test-taker to know where he stands and where he needs to improve upon. Hence, it is always advised to take one GMATprep test before starting the preparation. This will give you a clear idea as to where you need to focus your attention. Identifying your weaknesses and working on those is the key to success in any competitive examination.

GMATPrep again is a very good resource.It has a huge question bank. You can take the test 3-4 times with very few repeats.

Besides this, I would advise any test-taker to register himself to various forums like Testmagic etc to get more practice. The great things about such forums are the tremendous participation of the people and the huge archive of past discussions. It’s really amazing to find almost every single question you encounter in prep material been discussed there at some time in any one of the thousands of threads online. So during your preparation, if you are stuck on any question, you can find the solution discussed any such forums. You will also find multiple methods to solve questions which would help inculcate certain key concepts.

Another common myth that to excel in the GMAT quant you need to be from a technical background or a math expert who has done stuff like Advanced calculus. This is obviously not true. Almost all of the questions in the GMAT can be solved intuitively or by thinking methodically. You are almost never required to memorize an arcane formula and apply it.

The only ability that you need to have is to be able to count. Most of the harder GMAT questions have some trick involved - such as : A DS question-Two equations with 2 variables, however, after solving the equation become a single equation with 2 variables, rendering the question unsolvable. Most of these patterns become obvious and intuitive once you have sufficient practice.

Three topics in arithmetic – Probability, permutation & combination and Standard deviation demand special attention.

You will encounter at least 5-7 questions on these topics. The correct way to tackle such questions would be to first, list down all the formulas and solve as many problems as possible and see how each formula is used in different scenarios.

One should not find much trouble in covering most of the topics in Algebra. Inequalities can be trick at times. Special care must be taken while solving these types of questions.

The only problem one might encounter in Geometry would be the number of formulas in each section. For example – there are many problems for Areas, Circumference, Volumes, Surface Areas etc. By enlisting all the formulas and going through each of them regularly in the form of flash cards, one can handle this section with ease.

Word problems are not very difficult if you can understand what exactly is asked. An easy way to solve such problems is to convert a word problem into an equation, and gradually simplify it further.

All the topics under this section demand basic knowledge such as –

Speed-Distance relationship

Work done by X persons in Y time.

Simple & Compound Interest. Etc.

Besides all this, I would advise you to do following things -

• Start using Google Notebook right now! Keep a log of all the valuable insights that you get all over the net in so many of the excellent forums. Just note down everything in the online notebook so that you don’t forget. In the end you will have a comprehensive list of useful nuggets which can be reviewed online in the last few days before the test. And the best part is you can access it anywhere.

• Enroll yourself to forums and actively participate in all the discussions. Follow threads started by experts and learn different strategies and check which one suits you better.

• Practise your timing. Just keep a track of how much time you take to complete each question. Use the Timing Grid Excel sheet. It’s very important to be aware of how much time you take on a bunch of questions. Time yourself even while you do the OG. Awareness of timing will adapt your brain to think quicker. Aim to finish most of your CATs in 65-70 minutes rather than the allotted 75. This will ensure that you won’t run out of time on the test day.

Think of GMAT as an opportunity and NEVER as an obstacle for doing your MBA. Preparation for the GMAT, while sometimes tiresome, has considerable benefits. It will help you develop skills that help later in life: in B-school and beyond.

GMAT is not inherently hard and just requires a planned and dedicated effort. The test is very balanced and is not geared to favor anyone with specific demographics or with specific abilities.

GO AHEAD AND CRACK IT! All the best.