{"id":44427,"date":"2019-01-08T11:23:19","date_gmt":"2019-01-08T18:23:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/2019\/01\/what-kind-of-math-is-on-the-gmat-breakdown-of-quant-concepts-by-frequency\/"},"modified":"2019-01-08T11:23:19","modified_gmt":"2019-01-08T18:23:19","slug":"what-kind-of-math-is-on-the-gmat-breakdown-of-quant-concepts-by-frequency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/what-kind-of-math-is-on-the-gmat-breakdown-of-quant-concepts-by-frequency\/","title":{"rendered":"What Kind of Math is on the GMAT? Breakdown of Quant Concepts by Frequency"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/files\/2019\/01\/GMAT-Quant-Header.jpg\" alt=\"what kind of math is on the gmat -magoosh\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8359\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The biggest secret to GMAT Quant success is a simple one: identify and study the correct Quant concepts. But what are the GMAT math topics? And which ones are the most important? <\/p>\n<p>To answer all of these questions, I looked at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mba.com\/exam-prep\/gmat-official-practice-exams-3-and-4\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">official GMATPrep tests 3 and 4<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/2018\/gmac-official-guide-for-gmat-review-book-review\/\">the Official Guide for the GMAT Review 2019<\/a>. Read on to find out what I learned from analyzing the GMAT quantitative topics in these 766 official questions. <\/p>\n<h2>What Kind of Math is On the GMAT?<\/h2>\n<p>Here is a GMAT Quant section breakdown (with category descriptions as needed):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Word problems: <\/strong>interpreting the math in stories and descriptions<\/li>\n<li><strong>Data interpretation:<\/strong> interpreting the math in charts and tables<\/li>\n<li><strong>Algebra:<\/strong> includes both &#8220;pure algebra,&#8221; and algebra as applied to other GRE Quant concepts<\/li>\n<li><strong>Percents\/ratios\/fractions<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Coordinate geometry:<\/strong> shapes, lines, and angles on the coordinate plane<\/li>\n<li><strong>Two-dimensional geometry:<\/strong> shapes, lines, and angles <em>not<\/em> on the coordinate plane<\/li>\n<li><strong>Three-dimensional geometry: volume, surface area, etc&#8230;<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Statistics:<\/strong> mean, median, standard deviation, etc&#8230;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Powers and roots<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Probability\/combinatronics<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Integer properties and aritmetic<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Inequalities<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Functions<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Sequences<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What&#8217;s the Frequency of the GMAT Quant Concepts?<\/h3>\n<p>Word problem interpretation is the most frequent concept, showing up on well over half of the questions. Integer properties and arithmetic come second, appearing on nearly a third of all of the questions. <\/p>\n<h2>GMAT Quant Section Breakdown<\/h2>\n<p>The table below lists GMAT Quant concepts in order of most-to-least frequent. (And again, the most frequent concepts are obviously the most important!) Click the topic names to read on a given topic in more detail. In the case of data interpretation, the link goes to an IR resource that is also relevant to Quant. <\/p>\n<p>You can treat the table and its links as a GMAT Quantitative syllabus of sorts. Follow the links to learn everything about arithmetic, geometry, and proportion, everything about probability, stats, and counting, etc&#8230; Just about anything you&#8217;d need to know can be seen or accessed in the table!<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>GMAT Quant concept<\/th>\n<th>Percentage frequency<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/2014\/gmat-practice-word-problems\/\">Word Problems<\/a><\/td>\n<td>58.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/2012\/integer-properties-the-most-common-gmat-question-topic\/\">Integer properties and arithmetic<\/a><\/td>\n<td>31.1%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/2013\/three-algebra-formulas-essential-for-the-gmat\/\">Algebra<\/a><\/td>\n<td>16.3%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/2012\/understanding-percents-on-the-gmat\/\">Percents<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/2013\/gmat-quantitative-ratio-and-proportions\/\">ratios<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/2012\/fractions-on-the-gmat\/\">fractions<\/a><\/td>\n<td>13.7%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/2014\/gmat-geometry-practice-problems\/\">Two dimensional geometry<\/a><\/td>\n<td>10.6%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/2016\/common-gmat-topic-descriptive-statistics\/\">Statistics<\/a><\/td>\n<td>6.3%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/2014\/practice-problems-on-powers-and-roots\/\">Powers and roots<\/a><\/td>\n<td>6.3%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/2012\/gmat-math-probability-rules\/\">Probability<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/2012\/gmat-permutations-and-combinations\/\">combinatronics<\/a><\/td>\n<td>5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/2013\/gmat-quant-arithmetic-with-inequalities\/\">Inequalities<\/a><\/td>\n<td>4.7%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/2012\/sequences-on-the-gmat\/\">Sequences<\/a><\/td>\n<td>3.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/2013\/gmat-quant-coordinate-geometry-practice-questions\/\">Coordinate geometry<\/a><\/td>\n<td>2.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/2013\/gmat-integrated-reasoning-graphic-interpretation-practice-questions\/\">Data interpretation<\/a><\/td>\n<td>0.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/2012\/gmat-math-3d-solids\/\">Three dimensional geometry<\/a><\/td>\n<td>0.8%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/2012\/function-notation-on-the-gmat\/\">Functions<\/a><\/td>\n<td>0.4%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><!-- #tablepress-54 from cache --><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/files\/2019\/01\/GMAT-Quant-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"711\" height=\"598\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8358\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Note:<\/strong> Some questions tested multiple concepts and were thus counted more than one time in more than one category. As a result, the percentages in the chart above add up to more than 100%.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>GMAT Question Type Breakdown for Quant: The Takeaway<\/h2>\n<p>As you can see in the table above, not all GMAT Quant concepts are created equal. Certain GMAT Quant topics will definitely appear more often than others.<br \/>\n<!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><span><span><!--[if lte IE 8]&gt;--><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/2977058\/e968bab4-6506-4bc8-bfbb-11ee14ece617\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" id=\"hs-cta-img-e968bab4-6506-4bc8-bfbb-11ee14ece617\" style=\"border-width:0px\" height=\"250\" width=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/2977058\/e968bab4-6506-4bc8-bfbb-11ee14ece617.png\" alt=\"Improve your GMAT score\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><\/p>\n<h3>A Word on Word Problems<\/h3>\n<p>Clearly, the GMAT <em>loves<\/em> to test its Quant concepts through word problems. <strong>Word problems can overlap with just about topic:<\/strong> statistics, algebra, inequalities, you name it. There can even be coordinate word problems and absolute value word problems! So make sure you build math-related reading comprehension skills as you prepare for the exam. <\/p>\n<h3>The Very Most Important GMAT Quant Topics<\/h3>\n<p>Several other high-frequency Quant concepts stand out when you look at the table above. <strong>Word problems, integer properties, arithmetic, algebra, percents, ratios, fractions, and geometry<\/strong> are the most important. These topics all are clearly vital to GMAT Quant success.<\/p>\n<h3>The Not-So-Important Math Topics<\/h3>\n<p>Lower on the chart, you can see some concepts that seem a good deal less important. <strong>Sequences, the coordinate plane, three dimensional objects, functions, and data interpretation<\/strong> don&#8217;t occur all that often; these topics have minimal importance in GMAT Quant. <\/p>\n<h3>A Second Look at Data Interpretation<\/h3>\n<p>Not so fast though. Let&#8217;s take a closer look at that last &#8220;unimportant&#8221; GMAT Quant concept I mentioned. <\/p>\n<p>Although it is clearly not that important in the GMAT Quant section, <strong>data interpretation is still a big part of the GMAT as a whole<\/strong>. Remember, the <a href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/complete-guide-to-gmat-integrated-reasoning\/\">Integrated Reasoning section<\/a> consists primarily of math data interpretation questions. So be sure to study this concept as part of your overall GMAT prep.<\/p>\n<h3>The GMAT Quant Section Breakdown in Greater Context<\/h3>\n<p>Speaking of other sections of the GMAT, make sure you understand where these Quant concepts fit into the test as a whole. The GMAT maths syllabus should be seen as part of the syllabus for the entire exam.<\/p>\n<p>So be sure to check out my colleague Rachel&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/2017\/gmat-test-free-guide\/\">Complete Hassle-Free Guide to the GMAT test<\/a>. Or for a quicker snapshot of the most common question, GMAT-wide, see Mike&#8217;s &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/2016\/most-common-gmat-questions\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Most Common GMAT Topics and Questions<\/a>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\/2019\/what-kind-of-math-is-on-the-gmat-breakdown-of-quant-concepts-by-frequency\/\">What Kind of Math is on the GMAT? Breakdown of Quant Concepts by Frequency<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/gmat\">Magoosh GMAT Blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The biggest secret to GMAT Quant success is a simple one: identify and study the correct Quant concepts. But what are the GMAT math topics? And which ones are the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"1","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,783,243,940],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gmat","category-magoosh-blog","category-blog","category-gmat-prep-gmat","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44427","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\/133"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44427"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44427\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44427"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44427"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44427"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}