Last visit was: 24 Apr 2026, 07:29 It is currently 24 Apr 2026, 07:29
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
User avatar
vinoo7
Joined: 06 Jun 2014
Last visit: 13 Jun 2017
Posts: 10
Own Kudos:
73
 [13]
Given Kudos: 101
Posts: 10
Kudos: 73
 [13]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
12
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Most Helpful Reply
User avatar
Kurtosis
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 13 Apr 2015
Last visit: 10 Nov 2021
Posts: 1,384
Own Kudos:
5,236
 [5]
Given Kudos: 1,228
Location: India
Products:
Posts: 1,384
Kudos: 5,236
 [5]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
3
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
General Discussion
User avatar
vandyke1234
Joined: 02 Mar 2016
Last visit: 30 Oct 2018
Posts: 62
Own Kudos:
150
 [2]
Given Kudos: 26
Status:Keep it simple stupid!!
Location: India
Concentration: General Management, Operations
GMAT 1: 680 Q47 V36
GPA: 3.37
GMAT 1: 680 Q47 V36
Posts: 62
Kudos: 150
 [2]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
BrentGMATPrepNow
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 12 Sep 2015
Last visit: 31 Oct 2025
Posts: 6,733
Own Kudos:
36,455
 [3]
Given Kudos: 799
Location: Canada
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 6,733
Kudos: 36,455
 [3]
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
vinoo7
In how many ways can the word "GMAT" be arranged so that no such arrangement has A as the first letter?

A. 6
B. 12
C. 18
D. 24
E. 30

Another approach:

When we check the answer choices (NOTE: Always check the answer choices before trying to solve any Problem Solving question), we see that the answer choices are relatively small. So, we might consider LISTING and COUNTING the possible outcomes.
If we start by listing all possible outcomes where B is the first letter, we get:
- BGAT
- BGTA
- BTAG
- BTGA
- BAGT
- BATG
Note: So far, we have 6 outcomes where B is the first letter.
At this point, I might recognize that, we will get 6 more outcomes if we make T the first letter, and we will get 6 more outcomes if we make G the first letter.

So, the total number of outcomes = 6 + 6 + 6 = 18
Answer: C

Cheers,
Brent
User avatar
bumpbot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 09 Sep 2013
Last visit: 04 Jan 2021
Posts: 38,972
Own Kudos:
Posts: 38,972
Kudos: 1,117
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Automated notice from GMAT Club BumpBot:

A member just gave Kudos to this thread, showing it’s still useful. I’ve bumped it to the top so more people can benefit. Feel free to add your own questions or solutions.

This post was generated automatically.
Moderators:
Math Expert
109814 posts
Tuck School Moderator
853 posts