Last visit was: 25 Apr 2026, 04:11 It is currently 25 Apr 2026, 04:11
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
Most Helpful Reply
User avatar
mikemcgarry
User avatar
Magoosh GMAT Instructor
Joined: 28 Dec 2011
Last visit: 06 Aug 2018
Posts: 4,474
Own Kudos:
30,884
 [6]
Given Kudos: 130
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 4,474
Kudos: 30,884
 [6]
6
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
General Discussion
User avatar
Sirakri
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 11 Oct 2015
Last visit: 13 Jul 2023
Posts: 104
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 109
Status:Preparing for GMAT!!
Location: India
Concentration: Entrepreneurship, International Business
GMAT 1: 660 Q47 V34
GMAT 2: 700 Q48 V38
GPA: 3.1
WE:General Management (Media/Entertainment)
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
'Prime numbers upto 30' is not the same as 'upto 30th prime number.' Just saying.

Sent from my SM-G935F using GMAT Club Forum mobile app
User avatar
mikemcgarry
User avatar
Magoosh GMAT Instructor
Joined: 28 Dec 2011
Last visit: 06 Aug 2018
Posts: 4,474
Own Kudos:
30,884
 [4]
Given Kudos: 130
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 4,474
Kudos: 30,884
 [4]
4
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
iMyself
No, it doesn't make sense to me because of some confusing suggestions. They are:
1/ you said not to memorize 3 digit prime numbers. And you also said to memorize up to 30th prime number is enough. But, this 30th prime number is still 3 digit prime! Which is confusing, isn't it?

2/ how did you be sure that GMAC will not ask 3 digit primes in the exam directly or indirectly? Can you please show me any evidence regarding THIS 3 digit primes?

3/ i am student trying to take GMAT. You said upto 30th prime number is enough for GMAT but you gave me a list of upto 997 ( also you mistakenly said it is upto 1000. Actually 1000 is NOT equal to 997 :) ! ) your suggestion and writing doesn't have any GOOD combination at all.

Actually, we should "think or calculate twice, and post once!"
Thank you...
Dear iMyself,

I'm happy to respond. :-) I assume you acknowledge the mathematical mistakes in your original post.

1) What I said was that it was important memorize the prime numbers up to 30, that is, the set of prime numbers less than 30. This would be the very small set {2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29}, which includes only 10 prime numbers. That is the list that I would say everyone taking the GMAT needs to know. Then I added, it might be helpful to memorize six more, all the prime numbers up to than 50, which would be the set {2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47}, a set of 15 prime numbers. Not much more than that: certainly three-digit prime numbers are unnecessary.

2) My friend, you are a student. I am GMAT expert and I have explained thousands of GMAT math practice questions. In my wide experience, no official questions depend on having the 3-digit primes memorized. Such questions do not exist, but it's unclear how I would "prove" this absence to anyone. I would say that in a statement of absence, the burden of prove falls on the counterexample. For example, can you find a single official question, in the GMAT OG or from GMAT Prep, that actually depends on such knowledge? Such a question would prove me wrong: I would be quite intrigued to see such a question.

3) What I provided, not for GMAT knowledge, but purely for mathematical reference, was a list of "all the prime numbers up to 1000." As you may realize, 998, 999, and 1000 are not prime numbers, so the list of "all the prime numbers up to 1000" ends at 997. If a GMAT problem talks about prime numbers up to 20, you should understand what this means, the eight primes less than 20, and that the list of course doesn't include 20 itself.

Finally, my friend, I will caution you. The need to prove yourself right in this case has lead to misreadings of what I said, and it has the potential to mitigate against your ability to learn deeply in many instances. All true learning comes from a posture of humility and openness. Furthermore, the ability to admit mistakes demonstrates a person's maturity & security, and allows others to trust and respect him. Some unhealthy messages we get in life seem to suggest that being perfect and never wrong is the only way to get respect, but in fact, we get the most respect in life when we are profoundly comfortable and at peace with our own human fallibility. I am pointing all this out, my friend, precisely because I want to support your deep success as a student of the GMAT and in life.

Does all this make sense?
Mike :-)
avatar
Mary1
Joined: 24 Jan 2017
Last visit: 16 Feb 2017
Posts: 5
Own Kudos:
Posts: 5
Kudos: 5
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi everyone. I am so glad that I am a member in this forum. It is so interesting here.
avatar
pitroncoso
Joined: 28 Jan 2017
Last visit: 16 Aug 2017
Posts: 29
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 2
Location: Chile
Concentration: General Management, Strategy
GMAT 1: 710 Q50 V35
GPA: 3.2
Products:
GMAT 1: 710 Q50 V35
Posts: 29
Kudos: 15
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I agree that is not necessary to remember too many prime numbers
User avatar
omegan3
Joined: 12 Jan 2017
Last visit: 02 Dec 2018
Posts: 19
Given Kudos: 28
Posts: 19
Kudos: 0
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
mikemcgarry

..
Finally, my friend, I will caution you. The need to prove yourself right in this case has lead to misreadings of what I said, and it has the potential to mitigate against your ability to learn deeply in many instances. All true learning comes from a posture of humility and openness. Furthermore, the ability to admit mistakes demonstrates a person's maturity & security, and allows others to trust and respect him. Some unhealthy messages we get in life seem to suggest that being perfect and never wrong is the only way to get respect, but in fact, we get the most respect in life when we are profoundly comfortable and at peace with our own human fallibility. I am pointing all this out, my friend, precisely because I want to support your deep success as a student of the GMAT and in life.

Does all this make sense?
Mike :-)

Words that are very well said!
User avatar
bumpbot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 09 Sep 2013
Last visit: 04 Jan 2021
Posts: 38,976
Own Kudos:
Posts: 38,976
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
109822 posts
Tuck School Moderator
853 posts