Manhattan Elite Prep Practical GMAT Test Prep Questions

May 2013 No5

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The GMATBreakdown:Tips and Tricks byManhattan Elite Prep

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GMAT

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On route to attaining an M.B.A. and future success in thebusiness world, most neophyte professionals must undergothe trials and tribulations of the GMAT. With hundreds ofapplications going to each school each year, the GMATbecomes one of the chief predictors that admissions boardsuse to evaluate a prospect's candidacy.

Unlike academic grades, the GMAT is a standardized exam that helps business schools assessthe qualification of an individual against a large pool of applicants with diverse personal andprofessional backgrounds. The GMAT scores play a significant role in admissions decisionssince they are more recent than most academic transcripts of an applicant and they evaluate aperson’s verbal, quantitative and writing skills. However, there is no need to fret over thisfuture determining, three and a half hour exam, because it can be mastered. It just takes somehard work and guidance. Below are a series of helpful hints, tricks and steps to aid you in yourown GMAT preparation from the instructors of Manhattan Elite Prep.

Understanding Data SufficiencyThere are two categories in the Quantitative Section with 37 questions in total, ProblemSolving and Data Sufficiency. The latter and more ominous of the two, Data-Sufficiency isdesigned to measure your ability to:• Analyze a quantitative problem• Recognize relevant information• Determine whether there is sufficient information to solve a problem

Two StatementsData-Sufficiency questions are accompanied by some initial information and two statements,labeled (1) and (2). The two statements lay out possible conditions. You must decide whetherthe statements given offer enough data to enable you to answer the question.

Data Sufficiency questions are not about the actual solution, but deciding whether a solutioncan be derived in the first place. It is important to analyze each statement independently . Inother words, you cannot mix the information from one statement with the other.

Two Types of QuestionsThere are two common types of Data Sufficiency questions:• Close-ended: Is “Y” divisible by 3?• Open-ended: What is the value of “X”?

In a close-ended question, you can judge whether each statement is sufficient by determiningif its answer is always Yes or always No. A statement is insufficient if its answer is sometimesYes or sometimes No.

there is no need to fretover this future

determining, threeand a half hour exam


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GMAT

QA

In an open-ended question, you can judge whether each statement is sufficient bydetermining if its answer results in a single value. A statement is insufficient if its answer leadsto a range of values, instead of a specific value.

Five Possible AnswersThe answer choices are always the same; by the time you get to the test and have doneenough practice problems, you will not even have to look at the answers if the question is ofthe data sufficiency variety.

• Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient.• Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient.• BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient• EACH statement ALONE is sufficient.• Statement (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient.

Three Questions You Must Ask(1) Is the information in Statement 1 sufficient to answer the question uniquely, as in, is there

only one possible answer? It does not matter what the answer is: yes, no, red, blue. Will italways be the same, no matter what?

(2) Is the information in Statement 2 sufficient to answer the question uniquely, meaning doyou know that only one answer is possible?

(3) If both of these questions are answered with a ”No,” then the third question becomesnecessary: Is the information in Statements 1 and 2 together enough to answer thequestion?


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GMATOne Practice ProblemIf a real estate agent received a commission of 6 percent of the selling price of a certain house,what was the selling price of the house?

(1) The selling price minus the real estate agent’s commission was $84,600.(2) The selling price was 250 percent of the original purchase price of $36,000.

• Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient.• Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient.• BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient• EACH statement ALONE is sufficient.• Statement (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient.

From (1) we know that $84,600 is 94% (100% - 6%) of the selling price, and thus the sellingprice, $84,600 / 0.94, can be determined. Therefore (1) alone is sufficient. While from (2) itfollows that the selling price is 2.5($36,000). Thus, (2) alone is sufficient. The best answer is thefourth choice.To increase your speed it is important to practice your multiplication and divisibility.

Learn the secret rule of 7 here.


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GMATCritical Reasoning:Think Outside the BookAchieving success in the Critical Reasoning sectionof the GMAT exam is as methodical as the namesuggests. The section consists of a series of shortpassages (typically 100 words or less), a follow-upquestion, and five multiple-choice answers. Do notworry about being familiar with the content discussedin the passages. The goal of this section is to test yourability to make an argument, evaluate an argument, andformulate or assess various chains of reasoning.

In the CR section you will come across four types of questions:

Assumption – The most common type of question. Here you likely see a conclusion in thepassage along with some evidence supporting that conclusion. You will then be asked toweaken or strengthen the argument, or to identify some unwritten flaw or assumption onwhich the argument relies.

Inference – This question type is easy to spot because it typically contains theword infer, inference, conclude, or complete. The question will ask you to find the answerchoice that represents a possible conclusion derived from the argument in the passage. This isdifferent than Assumption because the passage will not provide you with a conclusion,instead it will ask you to form one.

Paradox – Requiring more internal analysis than the previous two types, this question typewill ask you to reconcile which of the answers if true would help to explain a specific reason,difference, or conclusion.

Method of Reasoning – There is no “what to look out for” when it comes to this type ofquestion. However it will generally ask you to break down the structure of the statement andevaluate or describe the role of a specific component.

Try your luck at a question:Recent studies show that people between the ages of 13 and 55 produce 65 pounds moregarbage per year now than they did in 1995. This increase has led them to hold a higherpercentage of the total garbage produced by all age groups. This age group constitutes agrowing percentage of the population, so it partially explains this rise.


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GMATWhich of the following can be concluded from the passage above?

(A) People over the age of 55 produce less garbage than children below the age of 13. (B) The population has risen since 1995. (C) People between the ages of 13 and 55 are more than half of the current population. (D) Before 1995 people below the age of 13 and over the age of 55 produced a higher

percentage of the total garbage than they do now. (E) People between the ages of 13 and 55 produce more garbage than those that are

younger or older.

You can easily pick out the question type because you know that when you see concluded ina question, you are being asked an inference question. Using the limited information in thepassage, you must deduce which option provides the most accurate conclusion.

Option A seems possible, particularly because some may assume that people over the age of55 produce more trash than people young than 13 – but a conclusion cannot come from yourgut or even prior knowledge of a topic, if it’s not in the passage, it is wrong.

Again B seems possible because the passage states the 13-55 constitutes a growingpercentage of the population. However only that portion of the population is confirmed tobe growing therefore B is too vague to be correct.

C is easy to eliminate because it is a stretch and the least logical option compared to the firsttwo.

Answer choice D needs to be evaluated mathematically. If the increase in trash produced by13-55 years olds has led them to now hold a higher percentage of total trash produced by allage groups, then the percentage of trash produced by those younger and older must haveshrunk. Mathematically speaking, this is correct. However, because you must choose the bestpossible option, it is imperative to read all answers, unlike you would with say a mathproblem.

The statement choice E is sneaky like a politician. It looks right because you would assumethat if the majority percentage of trash comes from 13-55 years that people in that age groupproduce more trash. Sneaky right! But because the population is growing, there are likelymore people in that age group which is why the percentage of trash produced increased.However this does not mean that people themselves are producing more trash, in fact theymay even be producing less!

This section can only be tackled successfully if you familiarize yourself with the differentquestion types. If you learn to spot the buzzwords that signify a question type (that’s rightread the question before the passage), you will know what to look for when reading thepassage. Study outside of your GMAT book—read an analysis of the presidential debates,review Gallup polls. Familiarizing yourself with day-to-day critical reasoning will improve yourinstincts on test day.


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GMATManhattan Elite Prep ServicesWe here at Manhattan Elite Prep hope that this GMAT tutorial is a helpful first step in yourefforts to reach your highest possible score potential. We offer assistance for the GMAT examacross a multitude of mediums. We have group courses, private 1-on-1 courses and tutoring,as well as Online preparation all run by experienced instructors who have aced the GMATthemselves. All course packages include 5 Computer Adaptive practice exams, as well asaccess to our Online Recording Library. Manhattan Elite Prep also provides expert assistanceto students preparing for the GRE, TOEFL, LSAT and SAT exams as well as MBA AdmissionsConsulting services such as Essay Review. Check out our website, follow us on Twitter andFacebook, give us a call, or even stop in to our Manhattan based headquarters for a freeconsultation. We want to ensure that each and every student that utilizes our services are notonly fully prepared for their exam and able to score to the highest of their abilities, but areprimed for future success in their academic and professional careers.

www.manhattaneliteprep.com

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