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Approach data sufficiency on the GMAT by eliminating answer choices, not guessing.
For many students studying for the GMAT, the dreaded data sufficiency questions can be a source of consternation. When you really think about it, though, the data sufficiency questions offer one advantage in that they all have the same answer choices. One of the first steps toward success on the GMAT quantitative section is to learn and internalize these answer choices, but you can also learn this great method for eliminating wrong answer choices by determining the applicability of each statement.
GMAT Data Sufficiency Foundations
In case you haven’t committed them to memory yet, here are those familiar choices:
- (A) Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient to answer the question asked.
- (B) Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient to answer the question asked.
- (C) BOTH statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question asked, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient.
- (D) EACH statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question asked.
- (E) Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient to answer the question asked, and additional data are needed.
GMAT Data Sufficiency Practice
Let’s say you run into the following problem:
1. Is x positive?
(1) x > 5
(2) x > -5
If you, like most students, look at statement (1) first, you’ll probably say to yourself, “Well, if x is greater than 5, then x must be positive!” and you’d be right: statement (1) is definitely sufficient to answer the question. But before we move on to statement (2), what does this mean for our (A)-(E) answer choices? Well, since statement (1) is sufficient, we can eliminate all choices that would require statement (1) to be insufficient, and that’s choices (B), (C), and (E).
Similarly, if you had a question where statement (1) was NOT sufficient by itself, you could immediately axe choices (A) and (D), since both of those choices require statement (1) to be “sufficient ALONE” to answer the question. And what if NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient? Well then, we’d be down to (C) and (E) as our only possibilities, with a final answer hinging on the sufficiency of the statements in combination. The system even works if you look at statement (2) before statement (1), you just have to eliminate slightly different choices. Try it!
Memorizing this simple method is a cornerstone to mastering GMAT data sufficiency; using it means you never have to waste valuable time deciphering the intricacies of the question type itself, freeing up valuable time and effort for mathematics and critical thinking. Plus, as with any elimination strategy, it makes guessing much more efficient. If you can eliminate two or three answer choices and end up with a 33-50% chance to guess correctly on GMAT data sufficiency questions—rather than a 20% chance with a blind (A)-(E) guess, it will really show in your final GMAT score.
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The post Tackling GMAT Data Sufficiency Questions appeared first on Kaplan GMAT Blog.
