gmat score blower

Question

Hi Mike,

I have been facing issues in certain type of quant questions which is being a major obstacle in acheiving my dream score.

Kindly guide.

1. Certain type of DS questions which have inequality signs. such as is x>0 or any question with inequality in the answer choices as well as in the proving.

I fail to understand what values should i choose in the limited 2 minutes to figure out whether the situation is true/false.

2.In PS Certain type of percentage questions which consist of either tax or some kind of increase or decrease and the answer choices are given in variable terms such as p+r/t+q

I freak out in such questions because each sentence of the problem has something happening. It becomes hard for me to comprehend the problem and solve it in such variables. Kindly guide any easy way to go about such complex questions.

3. The mixing questions.

can hardly solve them.

4. General inequality questions.

Can't figure out the numbers i should choose because there mite be a case where the response comes out false. Many cases can be made.

Kindly guide me with the above mentioned problems.

Awaiting your response. :-D

mikemcgarry · Answer

Dear kk12 , I'm happy to respond. :-)

First of all, mathematics happens in the precise details. It's very hard to give overarching advice about broad mathematical situations. Instead, I would have to see specific problems you have in mind, and most likely, my advice would be different for each one. You are welcome to post individual math questions here in the Magoosh sub-forum, or to find them posted already in the Quant forum and solicit my input, using the "mention this user" feature. 1) Yes, a good number of DS questions have inequalities in the prompt. First of all, it's not at all clear that you should use picking numbers for the majority of these questions. There are some DS questions for which picking numbers is the ideal strategy, and others for which this is a colossal waste of time. It's good to know the basic arithmetic with inequalities and it's good to be familiar with patterns of exponential growth for different categories of numbers . It's very important to recognize when you should be using algebraic solutions instead of wasting time with picking numbers. There's a real art to picking numbers well, and this art should not be underestimated. When you read the OE to problems, never overlook or underestimate why the solution chose exactly those number to plug in rather than others. How someone skilled in picking numbers picks them is something you have to appreciate. 2) Problems with Variables in the Answer Choices (VICs) are designed to freak out most people. If you react the same way most people react, you will probably wind up with the score that most people get. If you want to have an exceptional score, you need exceptional courage & discipline & dedication. You need not to lose your head or lose heart when you face these question. Ambition should be made of sterner stuff . There are also two approaches to VICs: a formal algebraic solution, in terms of the letters given, or a numerical solution. If you pick numbers for a numerical solution, you need to be particularly strategic about it. Often a key to the algebraic approach is to take the problem one sentence at a time: translate the first sentence into algebra. Then include the information of the second sentence, etc. etc. If the problem is about percents, then sometimes when plugging in numbers, it's helpful to consider 0% or a 100%. For example, a problem along the lines of " A car took a NNN mile trip. It traveled P% a NN speed, and the rest at NN speed ..." (pretend that the N's are numbers or variables given in the problem). It P = 0, the the entire trip was at the second speed, and if P = 100, then the entire trip was at the first speed. These can be simplifying values that can help you eliminate a few answers quickly. 3) Mixture problems are actually quite formulaic. If you master the techniques discuss in the blog, these are easy. 4) As I said, your first instinct when you see an inequality should not be automatically picking numbers every single time. For some problems, picking numbers is a truly brilliant and very efficient strategy. In others, it's an utter waste of time. You have to be much better at mental triage---sizing up a problem quickly and deciding whether to take an algebraic or numerical approach. Also, it will help your score on the quant section if you master solution behavior : that is, knowing how to eliminate 2-3 choices quickly and guess from the remaining ones. If you can master this skill, you can move through the Quant section with more efficiency. Finally, my friend, I want to you to be very realistic about where you are. In this post, you were asking questions about issues in the Quant section that many people who score in the mid to high 600s have mastered already. You have to master all of this and move well beyond it to get into 700 territory. This is not to say you can't do this. It's just that mastering everything we have discussed in this particular post does not even begin to scratch the surface of that more elite territory. Does all this make sense? Mike :-)

kk12 · Answer

Hi Mike, Thank you for responding to my queries that too in such detail. I will work super hard to reach the elite territory and will surely make a mark for myself there.

Though wonder what is there in the 700 territory :roll:

I still have a month and a half for my gmat. Will try my best. I have been following sc og explainations of magoosh and trully admire the way you solve each question. You rock :band

gmat score blower

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards