Problem Solving

Class Location: The Internet.

Description: This class will prepare you for taking the Problem Solving section of the GMAT.

Objective: Learn what will be on the Problem Solving portion of the GMAT test.

The problem solving section of the GMAT is designed to test mathematical concepts, not your ability to perform quantitative problems accurately. You may also be relieved to know that advanced topics like trigonometry and calculus are not on the GMAT. So all you have to know to have a high score on this section is basic (high school level) arithmetic, geometry and algebra and any good GMAT prep book will help you refresh these skills.

Tips and Strategies

It is imperative that you read the questions carefully. Because the most common mistake is answering the question you THOUGHT you read, instead of the one that was there. Test designers will have answers that exploit careless readings of the problem.

You are allowed scrap paper, so use it on EVERY question. This will help you avoid careless mistakes and it is important because your answer on the GMAT CAT needs to be correct the first time.

We have examined tens of GMAT exams and found that you will not need to use complicated calculations. It may appear that a lengthy calculation is required, but there is a shortcut that makes it easier.

"Guesstimation" is a great tool for this part of the test. Usually on the problem solving section the answer will be a value, and the five values given will not be close. So you can move faster when you can guess what your answer should be.

So let's say you are completely stuck on a question, you can try working backwards with one of the answer choices to try to make sense of it. You should start with the middle value so that one calculation can narrow your choices to the two higher or lower if the middle one isn't correct.

There are a number of shortcuts you can use if you see relationships between the numbers used in the questions. None of the values will be chosen randomly and conversions are very important to remember. One you should remember for the GMAT is that pi =22/7.

Only use the process of elimination as a last resort when you can't arrive at the answer by one of the other methods.

The more you practice this section, the more you will train yourself to work with these methods and improve your scores. It will also help you realize what areas you need to brush up on, and conversions to memorize.

Problem-Specific Tips

Geometry Questions:

You can assume that diagrams are drawn accurately unless the question says it isn't, but you cannot rely on your visual judgment to choose an answer. None of these problems will be that simple. Don't assume two lines create a right angle unless indicated.

Also, spend at least your first 30 seconds reviewing the diagrams. This is a way to determine the implicit facts and other numbers you need to answer the questions. So write these on your scrap paper and maybe sketch the diagram again.

Graphs:

Like diagrams, spend 30 seconds or more reviewing the graph or table. These are not meant to require hard calculations, but test your ability to interpret this type of information. Study the legend, the key, the units of measurement before trying to answer the questions.

Know bar, circle and line graphs.

Unlike the geometry section, you can rely on visual estimates for bar and line graphs and may even have to rely on it to answer the question correctly.

Word Problems:

If you have a word question, create an equation with obvious letters to represent the problem you need to calculate.

Don't waste time looking for subtlety. You can make reasonable assumptions on word problems.

Other problems:

You will probably encounter some weird problems that do not fall in these categories. These are the problems designed to only test your reasoning, not your quantitative skills. You can defeat these problems by recognizing them and then methodically following the question's "logic." If you can't answer it that way, work backwards.