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

 

 

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.

GMAT Math Practice - Coordinate Geometry

GMAT Math Practice - Coordinate Geometry 

Question

Line P is described by the equation 3x + 2y - 4 = 0.  Which of the following lines is parallel to P and has the same x-intercept as the line  5x - y + 5 = 0?
a) 6x = -5y + 20
b) -y = (3/2)x +20
c)  -4x - 6y =8
d)  y = -3x - 3
e) - 4y = -6x-12

Solution

 For some reason, many GMAT test takers seem to be confused with such a question and they immediately start by plotting points on the axes.

 You need to know simple rule for parallel lines.

Lines are parallel when they have the same slopes, and the slope is easiest to see when a line is written in slope intercept from y = mx + b.

Converting P to that form we get
y = -3x + 4 or
y = -3x + 4
So the slope of any parallel line will be -3. The second condition is given by the 2nd equation.  Its x-intercept is the x-value where y = 0.

That is 5x - 0 + 5 = 0
5x = -1 so
x = -1 .

For each of the given answer choices, we can start by looking for either a matching slope or x-intercept, and then if it matches one, see if it matches both.

Answer D is y = -3 x - 3.

y = -(3)x -3

Therefore the slope is -3, and parallel to P.  Furthermore, substituting in x = -1.y = -3 x -3

y = 3 - 3 = 0 

So this line also has the desired x intercept.

Tips for GMAT PREP

Tips for GMAT PREP

Many students who prepare for the GMAT test usually design the same curriculum for themselves that they find on a popular forum: get a bunch of books or online prep courses, do as many practice problems as possible, and think success will follow. I've seen it work occasionally, but this is not necessarily a great idea that promises 100% success on the test day. 

Having said that I am not trying to lower your confidence. Anybody can score high on the GMAT. It's just a matter of effort and strategy. This is a recommended GMAT study program to help you achieve that top GMAT score. It's a one-stop solution for anybody who is asking "how should I study for this exam?" Feel free to follow the whole program or to pick and choose what you like and incorporate it into your personal strategy.

Three steps to planning an effective practice session

1) Be consistent - lower your expectations of how many practice problems you'll do in a sitting, in a week, in a month, or in your entire course of preparation. The trick here is to completely understand the questions you are attempting and identifying the patterns.

2) Try to  always practice the same way--the way you'll do questions on the test.  To do this you may take simulated free tests every week to see how you performed and which areas or topics require study and improvement.

3) The third step is to set a reasonable goal for one sitting--and not take a break. Depending on how challenging the problems are relative to your current progress (as well as what types of problems you're working on), the exact number will differ.

It is important to review

After every practice test you need to review so that you know what is going wrong. You'll probably find that you missed a few of the questions because of careless errors; perhaps you missed a key "NOT", or failed to carry the one. Maybe the correct path to some of the problems became apparent only after you had worked through it the wrong way. Regardless, for every problem you missed, starred, or took too long the first time through, do it again.

Yep, that's right: do them all again.

While preparing everyday as you answer questions in the official guides or other preparation books and materials, record all your answers in this spreadsheet while you're solving questions. Get out of the habit of writing in a book; That way when you review, you can still work on questions you got correct but were slow at, or review questions you got correct but were possibly partially guessing or not in complete command of.

Do not worry much TIME CONSTRAINTS during first 15 days of PREP

When you prepare for GMAT, learn how to avoid cutting corners in order to save time. You must read the question carefully, as there is a possibility that you might come across questions that will have incorrect answer choices, so you must always read the questions twice before attempting if you are not very sure.

Right before the test, do not attempt to comprehensively review everything. Rather, it's advisable to pick a few problems you're very comfortable with and complete them under test day conditions. This is a good way to determine your level of GMAT preparedness. This also helps to get into the bubble of self confidence. But be aware of over confidence. 

Lastly think about your dream GMAT SCORE all the time.

GMAT Preparation

GMAT Preparation

Preparing for GMAT is a huge investment and commitment, which requires discipline and hard work. Along with discipline and hard work you will also require smart work and the ability to recognize standard patterns. GMAT is more about testing your psychology than about testing how good you are in applying MATHS and ENGLISH rules. 

It is very important for you to understand that in the GMAT , the test creators are trying to test (or may be play)  with your psychology. The creators do not leave a single opportunity to create a panic situation during the test. They are trying to test your ability to simplify overly confusing items to simple parts/sections and apply the basic rules that your learned during your school days. The reason behind this is simple. In the real business world we come across many complicated situations and we are usually able to solve them by breaking them down into smaller pieces or by identifying patterns in the problem. The real GMAT test also tests you on the same parameters how well qualified you are to use your brains to break complex problems into smaller ones and solve them.

So do not panic !!!  

Here I will list some basic fundamentals that you will require to follow while preparing for the GMAT.

1) You do not need to solve every problem RIGHT. GMAT rewards for accepting the truth that no one has 100% accuracy.

2) Don’t freak out about time constraint! Realize early on that you do not need to get even close to every problem right to obtain a high score.

3) Preparation is important but what is also important is how you handle the pressure on the test day.

4) If you are not native English speaker then you may think that some things on verbal do not come naturally to you. Having said that, I think that the GMAT Verbal is less of an English test and more a test of your reasoning skills. So trust yourself and start practicing.

5) Personalize your studies, different people use different ways to study they discuss all of their ways and success stories on places like beatthegmat and gmatclub. These stories are good but remember that these stories are their personal stories and not yours so do not start following them blindly. Try to follow a routine that is comfortable to you.

6) Comfortable routine does not mean that you skip your studies for a week in between because of some reason. You need to be have discipline.

7) Never lose hope, remember persistence can take you places.

8) Lastly relax, begin your every day study session with a relaxed mind. Listen to music before your start studying or meditate for some time. I like to listen to music. Music has a positive effect on the mind, and listening to the right type of music can actually improve studying and learning, 

I hope this helps you.