GMAT Quantitative
GMAT Quantitative Section: In order for students to do as well on the GMAT as they possibly can, they need to understand the structure of the test. The Quantitative section of the GMAT is designed to measure a student's understanding and knowledge of basic mathematical concepts and skills, as well as quantitative reasoning and interpretation of graphic data. There are two types of multiple-choice questions in the Quantitative section - Problem Solving and Data Sufficiency - and for each question there is only one correct answer. The types of questions are mixed throughout the section and require the student to have skill in elementary algebra, arithmetic, and geometry.
Problem Solving questions are familiar to most students, as they are commonly taught in high school math programs. These questions are very important because they account for over two-thirds of the Quantitative section. The math is mostly junior-high-school level arithmetic, algebra, and geometry. Problem Solving questions measure the student's ability to:
- complete basic mathematical problems
- understand elementary mathematical concepts
- apply quantitative reasoning
Data Sufficiency questions make up about one-third of the Quantitative section and are a little different from typical math questions most students are familiar with. Although they may be confusing at first glance, Data Sufficiency questions are faster and easier to calculate than Problem Solving questions. That's because the test-taker only needs to complete enough calculations to determine if it is possible to answer the question given the data presented. In other words, they only need to figure out if they could answer the question. The math on this section also covers junior high-school level arithmetic, algebra, and geometry. Data Sufficiency questions measure the student's ability to:
- analyze quantitative problems
- identify relevant information
- decide how much information is needed to solve a problem correctly
It is crucial for test-takers to become familiar with the format for Data Sufficiency questions and the answer choices prior to taking the test. Each question includes mathematical information along with two statements - Statement 1 and Statement 2. Test-takers must choose one of 5 responses:
- Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient, but statement 2 is not sufficient
- Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient, but statement 1 is not sufficient
- BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient
- EACH statement ALONE is sufficient
- Statements 1 and 2 TOGETHER are NOT sufficient
