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GMAT Club

Monday Mail-Bag: Advice on Big Picture Issues That Impact GMAT Test Takers…

EMPOWERgmat 0

by Rich Cohen  Rich.C@empowergmat.com  www.EMPOWERgmat.com

This series of emails and PMs focuses on situations that many Test Takers face during their studies. The names of the original posters have been changed to protect their identities.

Make Sure to Answer the Question that is ASKED
Hi Rich,

If xy=1, then what is the value of 2^(x+y)² / 2^(x-y)²?

2
4
8
16
32

My Explanation:
Since they have the same base, then it would simplify to (x+y)^2-(x-y)^2

(x^2+2+y^2)-(x^2-2+y^2)

2+2 = 4

Dexter

Hi Dexter,

Your thinking was almost complete, but you forgot what you were solving for.

You correctly determined that the "top exponent" divided by the "bottom exponent" = 4

However, you forgot that the base was 2…

The correct answer asks for the value of 2^4….

2^4 = 16

Final Answer: D

Treating SCs as if They Were a ‘Game’
Dear Rich,

I am trying to remember the rules for sentence corrections but while solving the questions from the OG verbal edition I could not recollect what i had just learned in the lessons i.e the application of the rules is a really challenge for me. I need some help in this area.

Eddie

Hi Eddie,

SCs, just like every other question type on the GMAT, come down to patterns. You certainly need to know the various grammar rules that will show up on Test Day, but you also need to "spot" when the rules apply. To that end, grammar is essentially a big "matching game"; you have to spot the "matching words" and then eliminate the answer choices that don't match. For example, if you're dealing with a plural subject, and a pronoun shows up later in the sentence, you know that the pronoun has to be plural (you're matching the pronoun to the noun) - you'll eliminate the answers that use a singular pronoun.

When you review SCs, are you able to define WHY you're getting questions wrong? If the answer is that you really can't remember the rules, then you're going to need to drill (use flashcards, etc.) the various rules until you do have them memorized.

Learning From the CAT-Taking Process
Rich,

I’ve read that some people think it’s a good idea to take practice tests every few weeks. Wouldn’t it make more sense to learn everything first and then take those practice tests?

Frederick

Hi Frederick,

It takes time to build up your GMAT skills, but you still have to measure them periodically (even if you're not great at everything). Most Test Takers will screw up their first 4-5 CATs (silly mistakes, poor pacing, etc.), so you have to "build" those CATs into your schedule. Doing so will allow you the opportunity to make, AND FIX, those mistakes. Even when you see a question that you didn't know how to answer, you can note that concept for later review. Learning to crush the GMAT is a cyclical process: you'll end up going back to review earlier work and you'll likely go back to redo previous questions in different ways.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich