Planning on studying abroad? GRE is probably on your list of exams to crack if you want to get into a good university or b school. So far in this series, we’ve covered the AWA and Verbal sections. Today, we’ll be talking about Quantitative Analysis. Now Quants is one of the two sections in GRE which really determines your final score. With Verbal, it makes up for one of the difficult sections, especially for non-engineers. So let’s see what this section is really about.
What is being tested?
Quantitative Analysis tests your ability to solve quantitative problems using basic mathematical concepts and formulae. The most basic way of explaining Quant is to say that this is your maths section, where you have to know mathematics, arithmetic, geometry, algebra and all else.
Scoring
Quantitative Analysis is scored between 130-170 in 1-point increments. On average, students score 152.57 in the Quant Section.
Time Duration
Quant is divided into 2 subsections, each of which consists of 20 questions each (25 for the paper-delivered test). You have 35 minutes to solve each subsection (40 for the paper-delivered test), meaning you have 70 minutes to solve 40 questions. That’s about 1.75 minutes per question.
How to Crack
Unlike Verbal and AWA, preparation for Quant is pretty straightforward. You can sum it up in just one word, and that is ‘practice!’. However, there are a few things you can keep in mind while preparing for Quant.Here are a few important tips to crack Quantitative Analysis:
As mentioned above: practice! Practice is the best way for you to improve your quant scores. The more you solve, the easier you will find quant problems to be. It’s almost like muscle memory, so don’t skimp on practicing for quant.
Brush up on all the formulae. While some of you might be in touch with some concepts, others might not. Irrespective, make a separate list of all the formulae you will need to prepare for quant and keep referring to it whenever necessary.
Learn how to do mental maths. If you are able to solve simple (or even) complex equations without the need to pen down your calculations, it’ll save you a lot of time. That saved time can be used for more difficult questions.
Learn shortcuts. There are many shortcuts and tricks in mathematics that many students are unaware of. Use them to your advantage. However, for certain complex problems, shortcuts might not be the best way to solve them. So try to identify which shortcuts you can use, and where.
GRE allows you to use a calculator during the exam. Make the most of it. In fact, download a calculator app that resembles the online calculator given by ETS, and use it in your mocks to get familiar with it.
Here are some basic assumptions when looking at figures:
All numbers used are assumed to be real numbers.
All figures presented are assumed to be in a single plane unless otherwise specified.
Geometric figures are not drawn to scale. For eg. An angle might appear to be 45º, but one should not assume it is unless indicated. Base your answers on geometric reasoning and not estimations.
Graphs (x-y planes), graphical data, etc. will be drawn to scale. You can read estimates by sight.
Read the given questions very carefully. Missing out even one tiny detail might change your answer drastically. This is especially true for word problems.
That’s all for now. Did we miss anything? If you’re preparing for GRE, or have already taken the exam, do share your preparation strategies with us in the comments below. Until next time!