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Student Survival Skills for the GRE

This guide helps students conquer the GRE quantitative section, covering 4 question types, math basics, order of operations, key math facts, and test-taking strategies. Prepare effectively for the GRE math section and boost your score.

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Student Survival Skills for the GRE

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  1. Student Survival Skills for the GRE • Students often fear the quantitative portion of the GRE more than any other section (i.e., verbal or writing). • With adequate preparation, students can do relatively well on the quantitative portion.

  2. There are 4 types of questions: • Charts (easiest) • Multiple choice, problem solving (hardest) • Comparisons

  3. Example Comparison • Column A Column B 14 more than a is –9 a + 9 -14 • A) Column A is greater than Column B • B) Column B is greater than Column A • C) They are the same • D) It is impossible to determine

  4. Constraints You will not be able to use a calculator. If you are doing a LOT of calculation, there is probably an easier solution.

  5. What is Covered? • The GRE Tests math knowledge from 7th, 8th, 9th & 10th grades. • Does not cover calculus, pre-calculus, trigonometry, no advanced algebra, no advanced geometry.

  6. Know Order of Operations • Please • Excuse • My • Dear • Aunt • Sarah

  7. Know Order of Operations • Parentheses • Exponent • Multiplication • Division • Addition • Subtraction

  8. Review Math Facts • 1 is not a prime number • All GRE prep books contain math review. The GRE web page also provides a 67 page math review. • http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/quantitative_reasoning/

  9. Review Math Facts • zero is even  • zero is an integer • the sum of 0 and any other number is the other number • the product of 0 and any other number is 0 • dividing by 0 is undefined

  10. Review Math Facts • any number to the 0th power is equal to 1 (10000 = 1) • fractions are neither even nor odd • negative numbers can be even and odd too (-3, -66) • 2 is the only even number that is a prime number; all other prime numbers are odd.

  11. More Math Review • Fractions • Decimals • Operations with negative numbers • Exponents

  12. Quantitative Section This section is actually a reading test – read problems carefully! Do not make assumptions about drawings; if it does not say “drawn to scale,” then assume that the figure is deceptively drawn. Redrawn the diagram on your scratch paper to exaggerate key features.

  13. Example Which angle is larger? a b

  14. Example Which angle is larger? a b Drawn to scale

  15. Comparisons • Column A Column B 14 more than a is –9 a + 9 -14 • A) Column A is greater than Column B • B) Column B is greater than Column A • C) They are the same • D) It is impossible to determine

  16. Comparisons Remember this is a reading test. You should interpret the options in the following way. • A) Column A is ALWAYS greater than Column B • B) Column B is ALWAYS greater than Column A • C) They are ALWAYS the same • D) It is impossible to determine

  17. Comparisons • Substitute values for variables • Try negative values and decimals

  18. Comparisons Column A Column B 1/16 +1/7 + 1 /4 1 /4 + 1/16 + 1/6 • A) Column A is greater than Column B • B) Column B is greater than Column A • C) They are the same • D) It is impossible to determine Place an equal sign in the middle and reduce the equation, until one side is larger.

  19. Comparisons Column A Column B y > 2 y - 6 -3 • A) Column A is greater than Column B • B) Column B is greater than Column A • C) They are the same • D) It is impossible to determine

  20. Charts Make notes about the chart, before reading the question. • information in titles, legend • asterisks, footnotes, parentheses • small print (which is used to hide crucial information) • find the unit of measurement (thousands, millions, tons, dollars)

  21. Charts Approximate, Estimate, Ballpark • whenever you start to think the problem will require a lot of calculation – estimate • answer choices are typically far enough apart to allow you to find the answer closest to your estimate • round up or down any values (9.6% -> 10%, 9.3% -> 9%)

  22. Geometry • You must know fundamental geometry principles (e.g., how to find the area of an equilateral triangle). • Create a long list of the principles that you do not know and memorize them!

  23. You can do well if you… • Review basic math facts • Practice basic skills • Read questions carefully

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