GMAT Math Help

The Graduate Management Admissions Test is a hurdle that many potential business students must face. The Quantitative Reasoning portion is probably the more feared section of the GMAT for most examinees. Many examinees will have flashbacks to high school or undergraduate math, and may anticipate complicated mathematical questions, elaborate graphs, and intimidating geometry. Whether you need GMAT tutoring in Atlanta, GMAT tutoring in Houston, or GMAT tutoring in San Francisco, working one-on-one with an expert may be just the boost your studies need.

The GMAT Quantitative Reasoning exam does in fact test challenging mathematical concepts that you may have not seen in some time. However, with proper preparation, you can face the questions with confidence. The section consists of thirty-seven questions administered over seventy-five minutes. Of these, you can anticipate about two-thirds to be fairly straightforward questions consisting of a problem you are asked to solve by choosing the correct answer from multiple presented options. 

The remaining questions are of a second type that is a bit more abstract. These are called the sufficiency questions, which ask you to make a judgment. Is enough information provided for you to be able to solve the question, or can you not determine the answer based on what you are told? Consider the following simple question:

If X and Y are positive integers, what is their sum?

1. X and Y have a difference of 50

2. X is the product of (Y/2) x 4

In answering this question, your challenge is to determine if you can figure out the sum of X and Y using just the information in either point 1 or point 2, if you need both point 1 and point 2 together to be able to solve the problem, or if you need more information than is provided in point 1 and point 2 taken together.

Most students find that the additional consideration of sufficiency to make these problems much more challenging than the relatively straight-forward problem-solving questions. Some students may consider these sufficiency questions to be the hardest questions they attempt on test day. Varsity Tutors also offers resources like a free GMAT Math Practice Tests to help with your self-paced study, or you may want to consider a GMAT tutor.

The GMAT Quantitative Reasoning exam is tests your ability to think critically and to reason. Developing these skills through practice, collaboration, and reflection can be far superior to any shortcuts to a higher score. Consider working with tutors who have their own history of success with the GMAT Quantitative Reasoning test, as they can often help you fast track your initial progress substantially. In addition, explore Varsity Tutors’ free GMAT Math resources. You may find that our GMAT Math Help page is a great place to get started in improving your understanding of challenging mathematical concepts or question types like sufficiency questions. Our GMAT Math Help provides example problems which are answered and fully explained, allowing you to walk through the process of solving a challenging question as guided practice. We organize our GMAT Math Help content in differing levels of specificity, so whether you want to see examples of sufficiency questions in general or questions specifically about factoring, you can do so easily. After improving your understanding of the question types and concepts that you find to be most challenging, you can practice answering these types of problems on your own by using our other free GMAT Math resources. In addition to the GMAT Math Help Section and GMAT tutoring, you may also want to consider using some of our GMAT Math Flashcards.

The skills that the GMAT’s Quantitative Reasoning section tests are the same skills that are demanded in management programs and in managerial careers. You can give yourself a major advantage in the future by investing time and effort now. Also, consider that the GMAT is one of the only objective ways for admissions officers to evaluate different candidates. Your college may be dramatically different from the college of another applicant in terms of grading scale or grading rigor. A substantial difference in GPA may not be indicative of a difference in ability, and the GMAT is the best way for you to demonstrate your capacity for learning and success in an objective and convincing way. You can view the GMAT Quantitative Reasoning exam as an opportunity to showcase your abilities instead of simply one more hurdle to overcome. Take advantage of this chance to demonstrate why you belong in one of the best business schools!