Fractions, Decimals, & Percent

 Switch between decimal, percent, and fractions as needed!

 When you add numbers to the numerator/denominator, you bring it closer to that fraction (e.g.
if you add 2 to numerator and 3 to denominator, the original fraction will become closer to 2/3)
 Exponents/roots with decimals: with exponents, number of decimal places = original # *
exponent; with roots, number of decimals places = original # / root
 Terminating decimals: when written in fraction form and the denominator has only 2 and 5 as
prime factors, the decimal will terminate
 Place values: may need to create variables to represent unknown digits e.g. x = tens, y = units
 Rewriting decimals in scientific notation (power of 10) may make problems easier

Additional Notes

 Tricky remainder question approaches:

o Express the remainder in fraction form and using the other clues to solve
o Express the answer in algebra i.e. ‘x has a remainder of 1 when divided by three’  x =
3t + 1
 Careful with the wording  don’t translate into x/3 = t + 1!!!

Algebra

 Know long multiplication/division and quadratic formula!

 Sqrt (2) = 1.4, sqrt (3) = 1.7, sqrt (5) = 2.25
 The square root of a number has only one value on the GMAT: positive
o BUT when square rooting a variable, remember it can be positive or negative
 With multiple inequalities: line up the variables
 Be careful when doing any operations with inequalities
o Multiplying/dividing: must know whether the number is positive (keep inequality) or
negative (change inequality)
 When comparing exponents with different bases that you can’t simplify i.e. 2 34 vs. 1010, convert
into a ‘similar’ base using actual numbers i.e. 210 = 1024 = roughly 103
 With compound interest, you can approximate the difference against a simple interest by
multiplying the interest rate by the interest you have already collected!
 Inequality rules
o Absolute value and inequality: |x - b| < c  provides a range where ‘b’ is the center,
and the range on either end is ‘c'
 You can convert into this form when you have a: w <= x <= z inequality or a
number line!
o Reciprocals: flip the inequality sign if both sides are positive or negative. You cannot
take the reciprocal of the inequality if the two sides have opposite signs
o Squaring: keep the inequality sign if both sides are positive. Flip the inequality sign if
both sides are negative. You cannot square the inequality if the two sides have opposite
signs
Additional Notes
  When there is a function within a function, break it down. Think about what you want the inner
function to be first
 When the numerator/denominator have weird decimals, you may be able to simplify and solve
using scientific notation
 When comparing numbers with different roots (i.e. square root of 10 vs. cube root of 29), just
square and cube both sides
 With complex absolute value equations / inequalities, check for both the positive and negative
variants of what is inside the absolute value!
 For equations with different bases (e.g. 4, 8, 16, etc.), express everything as the same base first
 Trick exponent question: 2k = 3, what is 23k+2?  learn to use the 2k as the start point!
 Other tricky exponent questions: test out when the exponent is 0 and 1 etc.
 In unit summing questions, you may need to write out some numbers to spot the pattern!
 Sqrt(A) * Sqrt (B) = Sqrt (AB)  can be very useful in certain questions!
 Whenever there is a special quadratic question that seems hard, always try factoring the
quadratic or multiplying out the factors!

Word Problems

 Rate * time = distance or work

o Speed = total distance / total time
 Given a two-set problem (e.g. size vs. colour), use a double-set matrix
 Given a three-set problem, use a Venn diagram or linear equations
o Question requiring linear equations: form equations where X1, X2, and X3 represent # of
items that have 1, 2, and 3 ‘things’
 i.e. X1 = # of students taking 1 class, X2 = # of students taking 2 classes, X3 = # of
students taking three classes

Additional Notes

 In rate, time, and distance questions, when two quantities are equal create an equation
o Use smart numbers when there are multiple unknowns
 With difficult questions, try to set up the chart and create equations based on underlying logic
 Watch out when a question is implying a specific set of integers i.e. “17% of all employees” has
to be an integer  this means that the number of employees must be a multiple of 100!!

Geometry

 When determining how many of a three-dimension shape can fit into another three-dimensional
shape, you need the actual dimensions, not just the volume
 Triangles
o When dealing with an odd shape, it might be helpful to identify triangles within
o Common right triangles: 3-4-5, 5-12-13, 8-15-17
 Any triangles with these ratios are right triangles
o 45-45-90 triangle relative dimensions  x:x:x*sqrt (2)
o 30-60-90 triangle relative dimensions  x:x*sqrt (3):2x
 Circles
 o Inscribed angle: triangle with all three vertices on the perimeter of the circle
 Equal to half of the central angle (the same arc, with the 3 rd vertex at the center)
 If the arc stays the same, the inscribed angle is the same regardless of where
the third point is on the circle
o Inscribed triangles: if one of the sides of an inscribed triangle is the diameter, it is a right
triangle. Similarly, the hypotenuse of an inscribed right triangle must be the diameter
 Extra
o Rhombus area = (diagonal * diagonal) / 2
o A square has the largest area/smallest perimeter for all quadrilaterals
 It is very difficult to prove something is a square: Have to prove that it’s a
rectangle (90 degrees at each corner) and adjacent sides are equal
 A square is a rhombus but has a different area
o A right triangle maximizes the area for a triangle
o For similar polygons: when side length ratio is a:b, area ratio is a 2: b2
o Diagonals
 Square/rectangle: Pythagorean theorem
 Cube/rectangular prism = d2 = x2 + y2 + z2
o Perpendicular bisector: forms a 90 degrees angle and cuts the line in half
 Use the slope (negative reciprocal) and the midpoint to solve
o Often when dealing with a tough geometry question, look for special triangles (right,
isosceles, and equilateral)
Additional Notes

 For triangles, the length of the third side must lie in between the sum and difference of the two
other sides
 For some difficult geometry questions, try drawing out different shapes to test possibilities
 Ratio between circumference and diameter for any circle is always π
 In rectangle/square questions when given a diagonal/perimeter and asked to find area, look for
a ‘common quadratic’ e.g. a2 + 2ab + b2 to use to solve
 Similarly, watch for graphical ‘difference of square’ questions i.e. areas of two squares
subtracting one another!
 Diagonals of parallelograms cuts the parallelogram into equal triangles
 Two transversals cutting across parallel lines when combined can form similar triangles!
 Triangles formed by the sides of regular polygons is isosceles!
 May get coordinate system questions  i.e. probability of the coordinate square being below a
line  draw it out, then use area of the shapes to solve
 Tricky cylinder questions: make equations with the radius using right triangles. Otherwise, skip
 Right triangles: the other two angles add up to 90 degrees!

Number Properties

 With prime number questions, remember to test the number 2

 Odd & even questions
o When adding/subtracting: same = even, different = odd
o When multiplying: even if at least one number is even, odd otherwise
 Combinatorics
 o Arranging with no restrictions: n!
o Arranging with repeats: n! / a! * b!
o Possible combinations of ‘k’ from ‘n’ items: n! / k! * (n – k)!
 Probability
o P(A∪B) = P(A) + P(B) − P(A∩B)
o P(A∪B∪C) = P(A) + P(B) + P(C) − P(A∩B) − P(A∩C) − P(B∩C) + P(A∩B∩C)
o With ‘at least’ or ‘at most’ questions, use the ‘1-x’ rule to help solve
 Consecutive integers:
o The product of k consecutive integers is always divisible by k! (e.g. the product of 8
consecutive integers is always divisible by 8!)
o With an odd number of items: the sum is always a multiple of the number of items (e.g.
the sum of 5 consecutive integers is always divisible by 5)
o With an even number of items: the sum is never a multiple of the number of items (e.g.
the sum of 6 consecutive integers is never divisible by 6)
 Extra divisibility & primes
o GCF/LCM with two numbers: Venn diagram
 Greatest common factor: product of all the shared prime factors
 Lowest common multiple: product of all prime factors in the Venn diagram
 Advanced: prime columns – prime factors as columns and the examined set of
numbers as rows. Highest exponents for LCM, lowest for GCF
o Total number of factors
 Small: factor pairs
 Large: based on exponents of prime factors – (E 1+1) * (E2 + 1) * (E3 + 1) …
 This method includes 1 and the number itself as factors!
o Perfect squares/cubes
 All prime factors of perfect squares and perfect cubes have exponents that are
multiples of 2 (perfect square) or 3 (perfect cube)
o Advanced remainder questions
 Set remainder into fraction form, then use clues to solve
 Creating numbers with a specific remainder: add the indicated remainder to
multiples of the divisor
 Extra combinatorics & probability
o Difficult questions require reframing – however the core approaches are the same
 Look for “1 – X” opportunities
 Probability questions: use the counting method  # of restricted options / total
number of options
 Arrangement questions: think of how many options are available for each seat
 Use probability trees when there are multiple ‘stages’
Additional Notes

 Number properties
o 1 is not a prime number!
o Only positive numbers can be prime!
o Any multiple of a number must at least have the same prime factors
o Only perfect squares of prime #s have exactly 3 factors (1, the prime #, and itself!)
o Rooting a number: 0 < x < 1 – the higher the root, the closer it is to 1 (gets bigger)
 o Rooting a number: -1 < x < 0 – the higher the root, the closer it is to -1 (gets smaller)
o Two consecutive numbers are always co-prime: meaning they share no common factors
aside from 1
o Number line
 When ‘z’ is in the middle of ‘x’ and ‘y’: (x + y)/2 = z
 When ‘z’ is the same distance from ‘x’ as ‘y’: |z – x| = |y – x|
o Standard deviation
 σ >= 0: only 0 when all numbers are equal
 When change the entire set by a certain %, σ changes by the same %
 To see if a new element will change σ: compare |x – mean| against σ
 Variance is σ squared
 Arrangement
o For some seating/configuration questions, think logically i.e. if ‘E’ has to be on the left of
‘F’, then around half of the total # of configurations will work
 Probability
o Find the number of possibilities and find the total number of potential cases
 Example: four letters, four envelopes, what is the probability of having 0, 1, 2, 3,
4 correct letters in the correct envelope?
 Permutations & combinations
o Combinations: when choosing from a pile of items without replacement (i.e. handing
out gifts to kids), the number of items goes down as you proceed
o When given an initial color, item, shape etc. to match, remember that only the
probability of the next pick matters (i.e. probability of the first pick is 100%!)
o When asked for probability of picking x matching colors, items, shapes, etc., apply the
probability tree rules  P(A) * P (B given A) …
o When asked the minimum # of items you need before you have a pair of something, the
minimum is the # of different items + 1 (e.g. 3 different types of socks, therefore
minimum is 4)
 Similar logic applies when you need more than a pair!
 Divisibility/factoring
o Always think about what I need for it to be divisible, then think about consecutive rules,
even & odd scenarios, etc.  be conscious about the various possibilities!
o To be divisible by four, you must be able to divide by 2 twice – meaning the product of
two even numbers is divisible by four
o To be divisible by twelve, you need to be divisible by 3 and 4  this is a general rule***
 General rule: For positive integers x and y: if x is not a divisor of N, then xy
would not be either!
o It may be helpful to break the numbers down to their prime factors

Critical Reasoning

 Read the question, read the passage, and solve.

Reading Comprehension
  Map out each paragraph – quick summary, focusing on the first 1-3 sentences
 Skip the technical terms. Focus on the story at hand

Sentence Correction

 Sentence structure
o A compound subject (a plural subject) must use ‘and’. Anything else is singular
 ‘As well as’ for example does not produce a compound subject!
o Using ‘that’ after a working verb acts as a reset button: a subject-verb-object structure
will follow, providing more information
 ‘That’ may also follow a claim to create a reset i.e. ‘claimed statistical proof that
subjects could jump five feet’
o Semicolon can be used to connect related, independent clauses or to separate items
that contain commas themselves (e.g. “I listen to Earth, Wind, & Fire; Wow, Owls; and
Blood, Sweat, & Tears”)
 ‘However’ should be used to separate two independent clauses through a semi-
colon. Be wary when it is preceded by a comma
o When you have a subordinate clause beginning with ‘that’ as the subject of the
sentence, it is considered singular and requires an acting verb to follow
 Modifiers
o A noun and its modifier should be as close together as possible
 Meaning that a modifier next to a different noun (commonly as part of a
preposition i.e. ‘policymakers of the federal reserve, who…’) is wrong!
o ‘Where’ cannot be used to modify a ‘metaphorical’ place e.g. condition, situation,
circumstance. Use ‘in which’
o ‘When’ and ‘in which’ can both be used to modify an event or time
o ‘Which’ can only be used to modify nouns, never an entire clause
o Present participles (-ing words) can be a noun, verb, or a noun/adverbial modifier
 If there is a verb before the -ing word: it is acting as a verb
 If the -ing word is not acting as a verb and is not separated from the rest of the
sentence by a comma: it is a noun or modifying another noun
 Any “comma -ing” structures are adverbial modifiers
o Quantity
 Use different words for countable & non-countable things
 ‘many’ for countable, ‘amount’ for noncountable
 ‘Between’ for two things/people, ‘among’ for three things/people
 When making a comparison using the word ‘numbers’ and other number words
(i.e. ‘percentages’, ‘rates’, etc.), use ‘greater/less than’ not ‘more/fewer than’
o Subject preceded and followed by modifiers is awkward
o ‘That’ and ‘which’ refers to the closest noun i.e. ‘a single set of strings that run’ is
correct as it is referring to strings
 Parallelism
o Once inside, twice outside rule*
o Rules
  Nouns: noun + noun, action noun + action noun, gerund + gerund, gerund +
action noun
 Verbs: working verb + working verb, infinitive + infinitive
 Participles (verb acting as an adjective): participle + participle
 Prepositions: preposition + preposition
 Clauses: clause + clause
 Comparisons
o When making comparisons, some words can be omitted (must make sense)
 i.e. ‘I walk faster than Brian [walks].’  sometimes this sounds ‘off’!
o ‘Like’ can only be used to compare nouns, pronouns, or noun phrases
 Do not use to provide examples!
o ‘As’ can be used to compare two clauses
o Do not use a comparative adjective unless you use the word ‘than’
 Pronouns
o ‘That’ or ‘those’ can be used to indicate a ‘new copy’ of the antecedent
 i.e. ‘The MONEY spent by her parents is less than that spent by her children.’
 Must be modified i.e. ‘spent by her children’ to show it’s a new copy
o Do not use ‘this’ or ‘these’ to replace nouns
o Be conscious of ambiguous pronouns i.e. ‘the scientists found it to be undesirable…’!
 Verbs
o Past perfect: The film HAD STARTED by the time we ARRIVED at the theater
 HAD + Past Participle
 Earlier action: past perfect is the ‘past of the past’
 The sentence must contain a verb in the simple past tense or a time marker
 Do not use past perfect tense when simple past tense suffices!
o Third conditional: when proposing a conditional on an event that has already happened,
use past perfect followed by conditional perfect (i.e. If World War II HAD NOT
HAPPENED, Germany WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN in so much trouble)
 Conditional perfect = WOULD HAVE + Past Participle
o When looking at verb tenses, pay attention to the time frame the question is asking for
 ‘Could’ (past) vs. ‘can’ (future) when dealing with future possibilities
 Ex: “no longer…” implies future and requires ‘will’ i.e. ‘will no longer have to’
 Idioms
o ‘Both’ + ‘as well as’ is wrong!
 Extra
o When using ‘or’ or ‘nor’ in the subject: verb should agree in number to the closest noun
o Collective nouns: look for the clue (words without underline) on whether they are
singular or plural
 People: agency, army, audience, class, committee, crowd, orchestra, team
 Items: baggage, citrus, equipment, fleet, fruit, furniture
o Indefinite pronouns
 Each/every: singular
 ‘The number’ = singular, ‘a number’ = plural
  SANAM (some, any, none, all, more/most), ‘fraction’, and ‘percent’: use non-
underlined words and prepositional phrases to determine
 When in doubt, assume singular*
 i.e. “Neither of [my aunts]” is a singular noun
o Absolute phrase: composed of noun and noun modifier, the absolute phrase together
modifies the main clause
 Idioms / meaning
o ‘Compared to’ and ‘compared with’ are both appropriate
o ‘To rehabilitate’ not ‘for rehabilitating’

Additional Notes

 Read the entire sentence, not just the underline

 Pay attention to redundant / inaccurate phrasing i.e. ‘refund back’, ‘still remained’, ‘refund
purchase (vs. purchase price)’
 Preposition-noun-ING verb construction is usually wrong unless the preposition refers directly to
the noun (which is uncommon)
o Test: if you remove the ING-verb part (modifier), the sentence should still make sense
 “I’ve never heard of bees stinging dogs”  “I’ve never heard of bees” = WRONG
 “I have a picture of my cousin playing hockey”  “…Have a picture of my
cousin” = CORRECT