GMAT Club
Week 8 of 12 Last New Topics 15-20 hrs

Last New Topics: Geometry, Boldface & TPA

This is the last week of new topics. Along with working on these, try to get comfortable with anything that still feels shaky.

Last new topics: close the gaps, then it's all practice
0/6 this week

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My notes

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Error Log & Analytics

Tracking system · every week

The same tracking system runs across all 12 weeks: log every miss, review the pattern, redo it. Two tools, one daily habit.

Minimum fields to track

Use the built-in error log tracker above, the Analytics portal, or a customized Excel/Google Sheets spreadsheet, whichever you'll actually keep up with.

  • Topic:

    fractions, ratios, percent, CR conclusion, etc.

  • Error type:

    concept gap / setup error / calculation slip / rushed reading.

  • Trigger:

    what in the prompt pulled you off track.

  • Fix:

    one-sentence rule you will apply next time.

Redo rule

Redo rule: redo every missed question after a fixed frequency (recommended: after each week) without looking at the solution.

Analytics: what to check before wrap-up

  • Accuracy by topic: which sub-skills are still under 80%.
  • Timing by topic: where you're consistently over 2 min/question.
  • The trend across your last few sessions, not just one bad day.

Week 8 Overview & Rules

Week Overview

Be proud of yourself if you’ve made it through the last 7 weeks of this core knowledge build-up.

This is the last week of new topics. Along with working on these, try to get comfortable with anything that still feels shaky. If something didn’t fully click earlier, go back and spend a bit more time on it.

Keep things simple and focus on getting the basics right.

We’ll be taking our third official mock next week, so try to cover any missing areas and go in with as much clarity as possible.

Weekly time budget: 15 to 20 hours total

Week 8 rules

  • Don't start calculations before understanding the question

  • Use options in DI, instead of treating it as a pure math question

  • Step back and rethink instead of forcing one method

  • Look out for simpler approach instead of over-solving

Week 8: Coordinate Geometry and Word Problems

Quant Track

This week we are covering coordinate geometry and word problems.

Neither of them is "hard" in the traditional sense, like nobody is asking you to do crazy calculations. The issue is usually that people misread the question or misset it up, and then the math goes wrong from there.

So a big part of this week is just learning to read the problem properly and setting up the structure before you start solving the question.

What this week is really about

By the end of Week 8, you should be able to:

  • Feel comfortable plotting points and interpreting slopes
  • Know when coordinate geometry is just algebra in disguise
  • Translate word problems into equations without losing variables
  • Avoid solving the wrong thing because of rushed interpretation
  • Sketch more and panic less

Core reads

Why geometry? Geometry is not a standalone topic in the current GMAT Quant syllabus. However, you may still encounter coordinate-plane concepts and geometry-adjacent reasoning within algebra- or graph-based questions, so focus on the basics rather than traditional geometry formulas.

Book reference (if you have it)

Manhattan GMAT Quant + DI Ch. 17 & Ch. 31

Read carefully: Chapter 17: Translations; Chapter 31: Coordinate Plane.

Find it on Amazon

Videos

Click to watch inline
Coordinate Geometry
GRE Quant Ep 3: Coordinate GeometryGRE Ninja Tutoring
Free GRE Prep Hour: Coordinate Geometry 101Manhattan Prep GRE
Word Problems
GMAT Ninja Series 3, Video 2: Word Problem Bootcamp Pt. 1: Percents, Ratios, & "Direct" TranslationGMAT Club
GMAT Crash Course EP10: Quant Word Problems - Wall of Words and Scary SymbolsGMAT Club
GMAT Q&A Word Problems - Strategies & Your QuestionsGMAT Club
GMAT Ninja Quant Ep 6: Word ProblemsGMAT Ninja

Practice Sets

Phase 1: Easy-mode practice80% accuracy on 20 questions or a streak of 15 correct

You have two ways to do this. Pick the one that fits how you usually study.

Forum = Click the links below, sort by Kudos and solve questions directly on the forum. Quiz = preset Forum Quiz (subscription or rewards points).

Coordinate GeometryForum Quiz
Word ProblemsForum Quiz

Goal is the same as Option A: 80% on 20 or a streak of 15 · Do small sets (15 questions). Review after each set.

Timing ramp for Phase 1
  1. Set 1: Untimed

    (focus on setup and accuracy)

  2. Set 2: Soft-timed

    (generous time, still process-focused)

  3. Set 3: Normal pacing

    only after accuracy is stable

Phase 2: Official-style questions (only after Phase 1 feels comfortable)90% accuracy on 30 questions or a streak of 20 correct

Once the practice sets feel comfortable, it's good to start testing yourself on official-style questions:

Coordinate GeometryForum Quiz
Word ProblemsForum Quiz

Common traps to actively watch for

  • Solving algebraically when a sketch would clarify things
  • Losing track of variables in long word problems
  • Assuming straight lines where curves exist
  • Answering what you think the question asked

Critical Reasoning - Boldface | Discrepancy (Resolve the Paradox)

Verbal Track

This week in CR, we'll cover boldface and discrepancy questions.

They're a bit different, you need to focus more on how the argument in structured and what each part is doing.

If you get that right, the answers become much easier to narrow down.

What you should get out of this week

By the end of the week, you should be able to:

  • You’ll identify roles of statements instead of rereading content
  • You’ll stop reacting emotionally to confusing arguments
  • You’ll treat boldface like a matching exercise, not a reading test
  • You’ll approach discrepancies by asking "how can both be true?"

Book Reading (pick one primary source)

pick one
PowerScore CR Bible Ch. 9 & Ch. 10

Read carefully: Chapter 9: Resolve the Paradox Questions; Chapter 10: Method of Reasoning and Flaw in the Reasoning Questions.

Find it on Amazon
Manhattan Prep – GMAT All the Verbal Ch. 18 & Ch. 22

Read carefully: Chapter 18: Structure-Based Family; Chapter 22: Evidence Family.

Find it on Amazon

Videos

Click to watch inline

Choose whichever style clicks for you.

Bold Face
GMAT Bold Face Questions: It’s All About Argument Structure (Live with Harsha)GMAT Club
GMAT Critical Reasoning - BOLD FACE Questions Demystified | Key to 99th Percentile GMAT Verbal ScoreGMAT Club
Master BOLD FACE Questions on #GMAT Critical Reasoning | eGMAT #GMATVerbal Master ClassGMAT Club
GMAT Ninja Series 3, Video 3: An Intuitive Approach to GMAT Boldface CR QuestionsGMAT Club
Mastering GMAT Boldface Questions IS Simpler Than You Think!GMAT Club
Discrepancy
Evaluate, Discrepancy, Fill in the Blank Questions - GMAT Focus Critical Reasoning Series EP2GMAT Club
Paradox & Discrepancy Questions: GMAT Critical Reasoning #3 | GMAT NinjaGMAT Club

Practice Sets

Phase 1: Easy-mode practice80% accuracy on 20 questions or a streak of 15 correct

You have two ways to do this. Pick the one that fits how you usually study.

Forum = Click the links below, sort by Kudos and solve questions directly on the forum. Quiz = preset Forum Quiz (subscription or rewards points).

Bold FaceForum Quiz
Resolve ParadoxForum Quiz

Goal is the same as Option A: 80% on 20 or a streak of 15 · Do small sets (15 questions). Review after each set.

Timing ramp for Phase 1
  1. Set 1: Untimed

    (focus on setup and accuracy)

  2. Set 2: Soft-timed

    (generous time, still process-focused)

  3. Set 3: Normal pacing

    only after accuracy is stable

Phase 2: Official-style questions (only after Phase 1 feels comfortable)90% accuracy on 30 questions or a streak of 20 correct

Once the practice sets feel comfortable, it's good to start testing yourself on official-style questions:

Bold FaceForum Quiz
Resolve ParadoxForum Quiz

One mental check to keep repeating

  • Boldface: label each bold part before looking at choices, then match roles, not wording
  • Discrepancy: ask "how can both statements be true?" and eliminate answers that only explain one side

Different questions. Different standards.

Two-Part Analysis

DI Track

Another difficult part of DI is TPA.

The questions can get quite lengthy, with multiple combinations to think through, and it’s easy to burn too much time checking every possibility. So the key here is to be smarter with your approach, quickly convert the word statements into equations or relationships, and use the given options well instead of trying to brute-force everything.

Book reference

Manhattan Prep: GMAT All the Quant + DI Ch. 21

Read carefully: Chapter 21: Two-Part Analysis.

Find it on Amazon

Videos

Click to watch inline
Data Insights Ep. 5: Two-Part Analysis -- Verbal-Based QuestionsGMAT Ninja
Data Insights Ep. 6: Two-Part Analysis -- Quant-based QuestionsGMAT Ninja
Two-Part Analysis: When Quant and CR eat the wrong type of mushrooms: GMAT Ninja Data Insights EP2GMAT Club
8 Tough GMAT Two-Part Analysis Questions | GMAT Data Insights QuizGMAT Club

Practice Sets

Phase 1: Easy-mode practice80% accuracy on 20 questions or a streak of 15 correct

You have two ways to do this. Pick the one that fits how you usually study.

Forum = Click the links below, sort by Kudos and solve questions directly on the forum. Quiz = preset Forum Quiz (subscription or rewards points).

Goal is the same as Option A: 80% on 20 or a streak of 15 · Do small sets (15 questions). Review after each set.

Timing ramp for Phase 1
  1. Set 1: Untimed

    (focus on setup and accuracy)

  2. Set 2: Soft-timed

    (generous time, still process-focused)

  3. Set 3: Normal pacing

    only after accuracy is stable

Phase 2: Official-style questions (only after Phase 1 feels comfortable)90% accuracy on 30 questions or a streak of 20 correct

Once the practice sets feel comfortable, it's good to start testing yourself on official-style questions:

End-of-week self-check

Focus on:

  • Solving each part independently
  • Verifying combinations carefully
  • Not letting Part 1 bias Part 2

TPA punishes assumption bleed. Stay clean.

Error Log & Group Discussion Guidelines

Error Log

Continue the same structure from last week.

Post your stats, get a progress check

Need feedback, not sure whether you're ready to move on, or just stuck? Post these stats in your study group and a Moderator will give you an evaluation of your progress.

Reading sources & Time spent:
Quant questions solved:
Quant accuracy: coordinate geometry __% | word problems __%
Verbal questions solved:
Verbal accuracy: bold face __% |  discrepancy __%
DI questions solved:
DI accuracy: tpa __%
One question link I want discussed (include your full attempt):