GMAT MATH - DATA SUFFICIENCY

GMAT MATH - DATA SUFFICIENCY

Question

If r, s, and t are all positive integers, what is the remainder of 3^p/10 if p = qst?

(1) s is even
(2) p = 4t

A) Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient.
B) Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient.
C) Both statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER one ALONE is sufficient.
D) EACH statement ALONE is sufficient.
E) Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient.

Solution

Answer B

When a number is divided by 10, the remainder is simply the units digit of that number. For example, 243 divided by 10 has a remainder of 3.

Statement 1 INSUFFICIENT: If s is even, we know that the product qst is even and so is p. Knowing that p is even does not help us with definate value to find the reminder.

Statement 2 is SUFFICIENT: If p = 4t and t is an integer, p must be a multiple of 4. so any possible value for p will be (0,4,8,12...). Since at any point we know a definite value of p we know the value of 3 ^ p. So we can find reminder by dividing it by 10.

GMAT Sentence Correction Practice

 Question

Unlike most other species of cat, regardless of being domesticated or not, the claws of the tiger are not retractable and so it is more like a dog in that way.
A) regardless of being domesticated or not, the claws of the tiger are not retractable and so it
is more like a dog in that way
B) domestic or wild, the tiger does not have retractable claws and so is more like a dog in that
respect
C) regardless of domestication or not, the tiger's claws are not retractable and so it more like
a dog in that respect
D) domestic or wild, the claws of the tiger are not retractable and so it is more like a dog in
that way
E) domestic or wild, the tiger does not have retractable claws and so they are more like a
dog's in that respect

Solution

Answer B

When you have to choose between 'regardless of being domesticated or not' and 'domestic or wild' you can easily eliminate 'regardless of being domesticated or not' for not being concise. So you can eliminate A and C.

In option D the verb 'are' is used for 'the tiger' so it is wrong.
In option E the use of 'have' for singular 'the tiger' is wrong.

So we are left with answer choice B, which is the correct choice.

Visitor's Poll

Visitor's Poll

 Last month I was conducting a survey to know what kind of average score usually a test taker scores on his/her first attempt on the GMAT test.

Results so far 

15 people participated

Below 550 - 7 Test Takers
550+  - 3 Test Takers
600+  - 2Test Takers
650+  - 1 Test Takers
700+  - 1 Test Taker
750+  - 1 Test Taker

The results speak for themselves. However, I feel the sample size is very small. So I am running this poll in the month of February too.

Please participate !!!

GMAT Math - Fractions

GMAT Math - Fractions

Question

When 1/10 of 1/10 of 10,000 is subtracted from 1/10 of 4000, the difference is

(A) 100
(B) 200
(C) 300
(D) 400
(E) 500

Solution

Answer (C)

When you rewrite 1/10 of 1/10 of 10,000 is subtracted from 1/10 of 4000, you get this

(1/10 (4000)) - (1/10 (1/10(10000))
400 - (1/10 (1/10(10000))
Solving the inner fraction first
400 - (1/10 (1000))
400 - 100
=300

GMAT MATH : Word Problem - Geometry

Question

A point on the rim of a circular tire that is rotating in a plane is 6 inches from the center of the rim. What is the distance traveled, in inches, by this point in 10 seconds when the tire turns at the rate of 250 revolutions per minute?

A) 36000π
B) 6000π
C) 3000π
D) 500π
E) 1000π 

 Solution

 Answer D

Area covered by a circle is equal to its circumference, which is calculated by 2πR 
If a point is 6 inches from the center of the rim and it rotates in a circle, then radius (R) of the circle is 6 inches.
So the distance covered by one rotation of the rim is  2 (π) (6) = 12π
Distance cover in one minute; based on the information provided in the Question the rim makes 250 revolutions per minute.
Distance covered in 250 revolutions = 12 (π) (250).
The Question wants us to know how far the rim travels in 10 seconds. This can be calculated by multiplying the total distance traveled by (10/60) (10 seconds of 60 seconds of minute).
   12 (π) (250) (10/60) = 500π

 

 

Use of a Infinitive and a Participle

Use of a Infinitive and a Participle 

 Choosing between an infinitive and a participle, this is another type of question on the GMAT sentence correction questions.  In this type of question after eliminating all the obvious errors you will be struggling between two options; one will have an infinitive and the other will have a participle.

Like you may have to directly choose between 'to run' and 'running'. Both may sound equally correct to your ears, but only one of the two options is correct. Do not worry, in such a situation  we need to memorize a simple rule.

The Rule

An infinitive is almost always used to show intention or desire, whereas a participle is almost always used to show the result or effect of something. So use a present participle to show effect and infinitive to show intention.

Example,

Sentence 1: Sheldon drove his truck at 170 miles an hour, causing an accident.

Sentence 2: Sheldon drove his truck at 170 miles an hour to cause an accident.

In the sentence 1 the present participle 'causing' express the result or effect of driving at 170 miles per hour, whereas in the second sentence 'to cause' clearly suggests that Sheldon drove his truck at a particular speed with the intention of causing an accident.

Important Note: Here when you read the sentence, you need to understand the meaning of the sentence. Once you understand the meaning of the sentence it is very easy to decide between an infinitive and a participle.

AWA section on the GMAT

AWA Section on the GMAT

Anyone with an average hold on English can actually score a 6 on GMAT's Argument essay without putting too much time into it. One just needs to know how. The Awa Argument essay section is one of the compulsory sections on the GMAT. In this section the GMAT test takers try to test your writing skills and how good are you in analyzing flaws in a argument. It would be fair for me you say how well you identify flaws in someone's argument and how good are you in communicating the same in writing.

The given paragraphs on the AWA Argument essay will always exhibit some flaws in reasoning; while the types of flaws are potentially limitless, but most of them are not that complicated and one can easily survive the horror of AWA argument essay section.

What is expected from you?

You are expected to write a well structured analysis on the argument presented. You need to identify the flaws in the argument. Anything between 350 - 500 words will be sufficient for this task. People suggest writing about 500 words per essay - the reason being unless you're a good writer, it's difficult to convey what you want to say minimally. Since you only have 30 minutes in your hand for this task the GMAT asks for a "draft" version, not a very awesome finalized essay.

Points to Remember

1) You need to remember that Argument essay is more science than art. You need to use connecting words to "build up" your argument. ("Moreover", "for example", "to illustrate", ...; do not use "etc..." unless absolutely necessary, it looks like an open ending - make your argument sound robust and confident).. So, a bit of structure, good grammar and 3 argument loopholes (2 or 4 is fine, but 3 is a good number to stick to) are all the things that you need to write your essay.

2) It's also useful to keep in mind that one of your GMAT AWA test rater is an algorithmic e-rater. On top of that, from what I've read, the human graders seem to be so overburdened with essays to check that they too follow an "algorithm" almost the same as the e-rater; a longer essay is sure to score better than a shorter one.

3) Don’t worry about making too much sense in the essay. The e-rater can’t validate your facts and figures – it can only read structure. And the reader cannot verify any of them either – trust me, he doesn’t have the time or the inclination nor is he supposed to do so.

Sentence Correction Practice Question

Sentence Correction Practice Question

 Question

Rising raw material costs is only one of the factors, albeit an important one, that keeps the housing market from spiraling out of control, like it did earlier in the decade.

A) keeps the housing market from spiraling out of control, like it did

B) keep the housing market from spiraling out of control, as it did

C) keeps the housing market from spiraling out of control, as it did

D) keep the housing market from spiraling out of control, like

E) keep the housing market from spiraling out of control, like it did

Solution

Answer B

Remember the following rule

On the GMAT for sentences like this where the subject is "one of the factors ... that keeps.." you can follow this simple rule.

If you see the sentence in the form of

One of the Noun (Here Noun is always PLURAL) .... that/who ..... PLURAL VERB.

If you see the sentence in the form of (where that/who is not used in the sentence).

One of the Noun (Here Noun is always PLURAL) .......SINGULAR VERB.



The original sentence states that "a higher interest rate is only one of the
factors...that keeps..." The clause "that keeps the housing market from
spiraling out of control" is describing the word "factors." Since "factors" is plural
noun and "keeps" agrees with singular nouns, we need to find a sentence that
replaces "keeps" with "keep". Also, "like it did earlier in the decade" is
incorrect. When comparing clauses (i.e., a phrase containing a subject and
a verb), we must use "as" instead of "like." For example, "She sings like her
mother" and "She sings as her mother does" are both correct, but "She sings
like her mother does" is not.