One of the great aspects of most of the GMAT Quant questions that you\u2019ll face on Test Day is that they can be approached in more than one way. You can always take a technical approach, but often there is a faster strategic option (one that might require that you get away from the long-winded \u2018math\u2019, use the answer choices to your advantage, estimate a solution or even just think logically about the situation). The goal on any Quant question on Test Day is always two-fold:<\/p>\n
1 - Get the question correct, if possible.
\n2 - Answer the question efficiently, without spending too much time on it (so that you have enough time to get to the other questions in the section).<\/p>\n
It\u2019s that second \u2018piece\u2019 that most Test Takers don\u2019t properly train for. If the approach that you take is the \u201clong way\u201d to get to the answer, then you might find it difficult to finish the section on time and it might be difficult to hit your goal score.<\/p>\n
Consider the following Quant question, which involves a fairly standard Algebra concept: a two-variable \u201csystem\u201d\u2026.<\/p>\n
If Jake loses 8 pounds, he will weigh twice as much as his sister. Together they now weigh 278 pounds. What is Jake\u2019s present weight, in pounds?<\/strong><\/p>\n A \u2013 131<\/strong> Most Test Takers can answer the question without too much trouble, but how much TIME does it take you to answer it? Here are several different ways to approach the question:<\/p>\n 1 - Standard Algebra with 2 Variables<\/strong><\/p>\n There are clearly 2 variables, so we can set up a system of equations\u2026<\/p>\n J = Jake\u2019s present weight (J \u2013 8) = 2(S) Since the question asks us for the value of J, we can solve using substitution\u2026<\/p>\n S = 278 \u2013 J<\/p>\n (J \u2013 8) = 2(278 \u2013 J) There\u2019s nothing inherently \u2018wrong\u2019 with this approach, but it\u2019s arguably the \u2018longest\u2019 of the various options.<\/p>\n 2 - Standard Algebra with 1 Variable<\/strong><\/p>\n Jake\u2019s present weight = J<\/p>\n If Jake loses 8 pounds, then he\u2019ll weigh twice his sister\u2019s weight\u2026.<\/p>\n Sister\u2019s present weight = (J \u2013 8)\/2<\/p>\n Since they weigh a total of 278 pounds\u2026.<\/p>\n J + (J \u2013 8)\/2 = 278<\/p>\n 2J + (J \u2013 8) = 556 This approach, while \u2018shorter\u2019 (from a \u2018math step\u2019 standpoint), involves a slightly more complex set-up at the beginning.<\/p>\n 3 \u2013 TEST THE ANSWERS<\/strong><\/p>\n Let\u2019s start with Answer D\u2026.<\/p>\n IF\u2026Jake\u2019s present weight is 147 pounds\u2026and after losing 8 pounds, he will weigh twice as much as his sister\u2026.<\/p>\n 147 \u2013 8 = 139<\/p>\n 139\/2 = 69.5<\/p>\n So under these conditions, Jake weighs 147 pounds and his sister weighs 69.5 pounds. That is a total of 147 + 69.5 = 216.5 pounds.<\/p>\n The prompt states that their combined weight is SUPPOSED to be 278 pounds. Since this total is 216.5 pounds, Jake and his sister clearly weigh TOO LITTLE. We need them to both weigh MORE and there\u2019s only one answer that fits\u2026J = 188<\/p>\n This approach has the benefit of giving us real numbers to work with (which, for many Test Takers, is preferable to setting up equations and doing lots of algebra).<\/p>\n 4 - Logic<\/strong><\/p>\n We\u2019re told that the total weight of Jake and his sister = 278 pounds. We\u2019re also told that IF Jake LOST 8 pounds, then he would weight TWICE as much as his sister\u2026<\/p>\n This means that Jake weighs MORE than twice his sister RIGHT NOW. Since the total is 278 pounds, Jake\u2019s weight MUST make up MOST of that total weight (a lot more than half). There\u2019s only one answer that logically fits (2 answers are LESS than half, 1 answer is EXACTLY half and 1 answer is just BARELY MORE than half)\u2026 J = 188<\/p>\n This approach takes advantage of the \u2018spread\u2019 of the answer choices and the inherent rules behind how the numbers relate to one another. It requires a higher level of attention-to-detail, but less work overall.<\/p>\n The \u2018takeaway\u2019 from all of this: just because you get a question correct does not mean that you know everything there is to know about solving it. There could very well be a faster\/easier approach. To score at higher levels, you need to know more than one way to get to the correct answer. Learning the necessary Tactics, and practicing them, is essential to your success on Test Day. To that end, we\u2019re here to help.<\/p>\n GMAT assassins aren\u2019t born, they\u2019re made, One of the great aspects of most of the GMAT Quant questions that you\u2019ll face on Test Day is that they can be approached in more than one way. You…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":156,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,1,243,940],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gmat","category-uncategorized","category-blog","category-gmat-prep-gmat","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30617","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/156"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30617"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30617\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30654,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30617\/revisions\/30654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n B \u2013 135<\/strong>
\n C \u2013 139<\/strong>
\n D \u2013 147<\/strong>
\n E \u2013 188<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nS = his sister\u2019s present weight<\/p>\n
\nJ + S = 278<\/p>\n
\nJ = 556 \u2013 2J + 8
\n3J = 564
\nJ = 188<\/p>\n
\n3J \u2013 8 = 556
\n3J = 564
\nJ = 188<\/p>\n
\nRich<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"