Manhattan dropped the ball on Data Sufficency

wish some of the Manhattan folks on this forum could respond to this thread.

their avoiding it like the plague because they know its true

I seconded walker's idea. The forum is full of tips and tricks not found anywhere else. Hell, I bookmarked all Bunuel's and walker's post I could find. I can get the funda anywhere but no books have given me the strategies that I needed. Being schooled in British curriculum kinda trained you to think only in one way, and undoing it is an almost impossible job. My only hope is this forum..sob..sob

I read the PR DS section a few months back, and am just now seriously starting studying for the GMAT. The MGMAT books have a weird take on DS, and the simple AD/BCE sticks in my head. Maybe I will read another DS strategy section and see which method works for me, but PR might be right on this one.

I don't think there's some sort of secret to DS. If you're good at PS and you figure out the tricks they always use for DS, then the section can't pose much trouble.

thanks whiplash.. for explainin lucidly the AD/BCE method

regarding MGMAT.. for DS.. they indeed have a really weird way of solving DS questions..AD/BCE really rocks

think mgmat is ok . . .

I am only using mgmat for reviewing and so far DS is my weakest area. I always get majority of the PS questions correct but not for the DS. I also feel like mgmat is not giving me enough prep on the DS and prob need to find some other materials to cover this area.

I had the same gripe, but with practice it all comes together.

Posted from my mobile device

I've been using the AD/BCE method and I like it quite a bit. Although, calling it a strategy would be...incorrect?
It's just a time-saving tip. That's all.

As for improving your DS hit rate, all you have to do is practice more questions. If you're good at PS, and not at DS, it only means that you're making silly mistakes like looking at Statement I & II together while trying to figure out if B is the correct option.

I'm not sure if I read this in PR or elsewhere, but another method I use while solving DS questions is drawing a line in the centre of the page. On top, in the centre, I put in all the info that is given in the question, and what the question asks for (example, find value of x, so I will jot down "x=?"
On the left side of the page, I jot down info given by Statement I and then try to solve and see if I get the answer. Then AD/BCE comes into play.
Next, I put down info given in Statement II on the right hand side. Sometimes, if I feel like I'm getting tempted by the info given in Statement I, I actually cover up the left hand side of the page to see if Statement II alone gives me the answer.
If neither gives me the answer, I use info from both statements in the centre of the page below the line to get my answer.

Another problem people have is getting really unsure of the answer if you have to choose E. Once you get enough practice at recognizing the kind of traps DS questions have, have the confidence to click on option E because it IS the correct answer often enough!

In the CAT exam (aptitude test to get into Indian B-schools), there's a similar category of questions. I used to go for coaching classes for it 2 years back, and in the beginning I had some trouble too trying to look at the 2 statements separately, and it was time consuming to eliminate all the options even if I had the answer. Back then, I got good at solving these type of questions through lots of practice. If you practice enough, and keep recognizing the kind of errors you tend to make, it gets easy by the end of it. And when I read PR last year, the AD/BCE method made it so much easier. DS is actually pretty easy, once you've practiced enough.

And of course, if you're not doing great at PS, you probably need to get your basic formulae and concepts right before expecting to do great on DS.