Basic Arithmetic
The following concepts are considered to be fundamental. A
student must understand everything discussed in this section
to do well on the Math portion of the GMAT.
Term: Real Number
Explain: Any number that can be represented on the number line.
( -5, -1.5, 0, 1.2 )
Term: Integer
Explain: A number with no decimal part.
( -5, -3, 0, 1, 4 )
Term: Sum
Explain: Outcome from addition
16 + 24 = 40
Term: Difference
Explain: Outcome from subtraction
17 - 4 = 13
Term: Product
Explain: Outcome from multiplication
8 x 10 = 80
Term: Quotient
Explain: Outcome from division
16 ÷ 4 = 4
Term: Consecutive Numbers/Integers
Explain: On the GMAT, Consecutive Numbers refers to Consecutive
Integers. Each number is 1 greater than the number before
it.
( -1, 0, 1, 2, 3 )
The following are inequality/equality signs you should be
familiar with:
< less than x<y x is less than y
> greater than x>y x is greater than y
≤ less than or equal to x≤y x is less than or equal to y
≥ greater than or equal to x≥y x is greater than or equal to y
Averages and the Arithmetic Mean
Whether a question asks for the average
or the arithmetic mean, it is asking for
the same result. The average is a very
popular concept on the GMAT. Average
questions come up in a few forms; most
popular of those forms being a Word
Problem.
Term: Average, (Arithmetic Mean)
Explain: The sum of all numbers in a group
divided by the count of numbers in that
group.
Example:George took 3 exams during the
semester getting the scores 76, 84, and
92. The final grade is based on the
average of his test scores. What is
George's final grade?
average = 84
George's final grade would be an 84.
Finding Factors and Multiples of Numbers
Being able to break down numbers will help you in
many types of GMAT problems. Reducing fractions,
finding common denominators (for the addition of
fractions), and finding the greatest common factor
of two numbers are just a few.
Term: Factor
Explain: A positive integer that is divisible evenly with a
number, leaving no remainder.
Term: Multiple
Explain: When you multiply an integer by another integer
the result is a multiple of both integers.
(2, 4)
2x4=8
8 is a multiple of both 2 and 4.
(Prime numbers are positive, non-zero numbers
that have exactly two factors)
Fractions
To understand fractions you should be familiar with the terms
part and whole. The whole is everything and the part is just
a piece of it. Fractions are used to figure out just how much
of the whole the part represents.
Part = Fraction x Whole
Example: A whole pizza is ordered for a family of 4 and cut into 8
slices. If everyone agrees to eat the same amount, how much
of the pizza will each person eat?
Part = Fraction x Whole
Part = 1/4 x 8
Part = 2 slices
Ratios
When you discuss the ratio between different things you are
relating the quantity of one of those things to the other.
Ratios are usually represented as fractions or with colons.
Example: What is the ratio of books to magazines if there are 4 times
as many books as there are magazines?
As a fraction:
Using a colon:
4 : 1 or 4x : 1x
The ratio is 4 to 1, so for every 4 books there is 1 magazine.
If there are 100 books, (or 25 x 4 books), then there are 25
magazines, (25 x 1 magazines).
There will always be 4 times as many books as there are
magazines.
Working With Percents
Percents are written with a % sign.
( 35%, 50%, 100% )
A percent of a whole is a part of that whole. When turned into
a fraction, a percent gets a denominator of 100. 25% would
become the fraction 25 over 100. When figuring out what
value 25% of 60 is we use the formula:
Part = Fraction x Whole
First convert 25% into a fraction:
Next plug the fraction into our equation:
15 is 25% of 60.
Powers and Exponents
Before diving into a discussion of powers, you will need to
understand a few key terms. Questions on the GMAT that
envolve numbers with powers are considered to be at the
medium to difficult level. Learning the few simple rules to
solve these questions will increase your score exponentially.
Term: Base
Explain: 42 = x
4 is the base, which is the number being brought to the
second power; also known as being squared.
Term: Power, (Exponent)
Explain: 42 = x
2 is the number of times you will have to multiply 4 by itself
in order to solve this equation.
Example: Solve for x: 42 = x
4x4=x
x = 16
Rate, Time and Distance
Some GMAT questions will ask you to figure out a distance
when given the time and rate something travels at. You will
need to plug the data given into the Distance Formula.
Distance = Rate x Time
Example: How many miles did Lucy drive if she drove at the constant
rate of 50 miles/hr for 2.5 hours?
Distance = Rate x Time
Distance = 50 x 2.5
Distance = 125
Lucy drove 125mi.
Basic Algebra
The algebra questions that you will see on the GMAT will be
pretty basic. You can tell quickly if the question involves
algebra if you notice an x, y or z where you would normally
expect to see a number
Term: Variable
Explain: The letter used to represent an unknown number is called a
variable.
x is a variable in the following examples.
2x; 4x2; 5x
Term: Coefficient
Explain: When a variable is multiplied by another known number, that
number (or constant) is the coefficient of the variable.
6 is the coefficient of x in the following example.
6x2
Term: Constant
Explain: A stand alone number in an equation.
7 is a constant in the following example.
x + y + 7 = 20
Combining Like Terms
Many algebra questions can be solved by just combining like
terms and bringing the result down to fewer terms. You may
even solve a problem, but you can't find your answer in the
answer choices. Many times you can't find the answer
because you haven't done the final step of Combining Like
Terms.
Straight forward questions involving like terms are phrased in
one of two ways.
Combine like terms in the following equation...
Simplify the following expression...
Example: Simplify the following expression.
18y + 4x - 2y + z
Your first step should be to rearrange the equation by placing
similar variables closer to each other.
18y - 2y + 4x + z
Then combine like terms.
16y + 4x + z
Basic Factoring & Quadratic Equations
More involved algebra questions will require you to factor
algebra equations.
The most basic form of factoring is when you need to use the
distributive law. This step is usually done as a part of a
bigger question and factoring in this way is needed to
simplify an equation.
Example: Factor 7c + 14cy
7c(1 + 2y)
Difference of Two Squares
Some very common questions involving factoring the
difference of two squares are found in the form a2 - b2.
Memorize that this can be factored into (a + b)(a - b).
Example: Factor the following expression.
4a2 - 9
(2a + 3)(2a - 3)
Quadratic Equations
When you come across an equation in the form
ax2 + bx + c = 0
you should be ready to solve it as a Quadratic Equation.
In Quadratic Equations you are looking to find out what the
possible values of x would be.
Step 1 would be to factor and Step 2 would be to set the 2
factors equal to 0. You will usually end up with 2 possible
values for x.
Example: Find the value(s) of x in the following equation.
x2 + 2x - 3 = 0
Factor:
Step 1: (x + 3)(x - 1) = 0
Step 2:
x+3=0
x-1=0
Possible values of x:
x = -3
x=1
Plugging either of these answers (-3, or 1) back into
the original equation will set the equation to 0 on
both sides.
Understanding Inequalities
When solving a question that tests your understanding of
inequalities, the answer will always be a range of numbers.
The range of values for x in
x ≥5
is any number greater than 5 and also 5 itself.
A more advanced inequality would have an upper and lower
limit.
The range of values for x in
3<x<7
would be any number less than 7 but also greater than 3.
4; 5; 5.3 are all possible values for x.
The most important thing to remember when solving an
inequality is that the sign switches directions after
multiplying by a negative number.
Example: Solve for x:
4 - x/2 ≤2
-x/2 ≤ -2
-x ≤ -4
x ≥4
x can be any number greater than or equal to 4.
Symbols and Substitutions
Symbols can be found on some math questions on the GMAT.
In these questions a simple substitution is all that is needed.
The symbol just replaces a basic math procedure. Solving an
equation with one or more symbols just involves plugging in
the numbers that you are given into the equation that
contains the symbol(s).
Example: a ♣ b = a - 3b
What is the value of 7 ♣ 2?
In this example 7 replaces a and 2 replaces b from the
equation that contains the symbol.
7 - 3(2)
7-6=1
The value of 7 ♣ 2 is 1.
Basic Geometry
Geometry questions range from basic lines to 3-dimensional
figures. While it is very rare that you will come across a 3-d
figure on your GMAT exam, everything in between those two
GMAT geometry extremes will make an appearance. An
important part to solving geometry related questions is
understanding relationships and memorizing formulas.
Example: Here is what a common line diagram looks like:
AB = 3
BC = 3
Therefore, AC = 6 and we know that B is the midpoint of AC.
Term: Parallel Lines
Explain: Two lines are parallel if they are drawn in a way that they
never intersect. The question writer will let you know if two
lines are parallel either by stating it or using the || symbol
between the line labels.
l1 ____________________
l2 ____________________
l1 and l2 are parallel
l1 || l2
Angles
All angles are measured in degrees and have a superscript
degree notation.
45°; 60°; 90°
The symbol '' is used to define an angle.
Angles are labeled quite clearly:
ABC = x°
A straight line has 180° on either side of it.
a + b = 180
c + d = 180
A bisector cuts an angle in half.
BD biscects ABC; therefore, ABD = DBC
Polygon Basics
Squares, rectangles, pentagons, and hexagons are the
polygons you should be familiar with for the GMAT.
A pentagon has 5 sides.
A hexagon has 6 sides.
The perimeter of a polygon is found by adding up the lengths
of all its sides.
All polygons can be broken up into triangles to figure out the
sum of degrees of all the interior angles of a polygon.
Each triangle has 180° so this pentagon's interior angles add
up to 3(180)° or 540°.
Triangle Basics
A triangle has 3 sides (or legs) and the sum of its interior
angles add up to 180°.
Isosceles triangles have 2 sides that are equal in length. The
2 sides are also opposite 2 equal angles.
An equilateral triangle has all 3 sides of equal length, and all
3 interior angles equal to 60°
The height (or altitude) of a triangle is the distance from a
vertex perpendicular to its opposite side.
To find the perimeter of a triangle, add up the lengths of its
3 sides.
The area of a triangle is found with the formula:
½ base × height
Circle Basics
Circles can come up in easy, medium or hard math questions.
Memorizing key circle formulas will help you solve them
quickly.
The diameter of a circle is a straight line that connects 2
different parts of a circle and travels through the center point
of the circle.
The radius connects the center point of a circle with a point
on the circle.
is used in many circle formulas and is equal to
approximately 3.14 when rounded.
The circumference of a circle is the distance around the circle.
It can be found with the following formula:
2r
Which is similar to:
d
The area of a circle, which is all the space enclosed inside of
the circle can be found with the following formula:
r2
Understanding the Question Type
Data Sufficiency questions show up in the Math section on the
GMAT. They will be mixed in with the other Problem Solving
questions. The format for all Data Sufficiency questions will
be the same.
The top part of the question is the question itself. You will
find out what the question writer is challenging you to solve,
or at least if the question is solvable given the extra
information that is given in the second part of the question.
The second part of the question consists of two numbered
statements. Your job is to determine how important these
statements are in solving the question. Each statement might
be enough alone, or they may need to be used in combination
with each other, or they may not help at all. The answer
choices, A - E, are always the same and the correct choice is
based on how necessary the two statements are in solving
the problem.
Knowing A - E will save you time on the test. Memorize them
because they will always show up in the same order.
A. Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient to answer the question,
but statement (2) is not.
B. Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient to answer the question,
but statement (1) is not.
C. Statements (1) and (2) together are sufficient to answer
the question, but the statements by themselves are not
sufficient.
D. Either statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the
question.
E. Statements (1) and (2) taken together are NOT sufficient
to answer the question, unless more data is given.
* The most important thing to realize is that you don't need
to actually solve the question. Just determine if the question
is solvable given the extra information from statements (1)
and (2).
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