GMAT Math : GMAT Quantitative Reasoning

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GMAT Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Calculating Arithmetic Mean

Sandra's grade in economics depends on seven tests - five hourly tests, a midterm, and a final exam. The midterm counts twice as much as an hourly test; the final, three times as much.

Sandra's grades on the five hourly tests are 84, 86, 76, 89, and 93; her grade on the midterm was 72. What score out of 100 must she achieve on the final exam so that her average score at the end of the term is at least 80?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 76

She cannot achieve this average this term

\displaystyle 80

\displaystyle 92

\displaystyle 84

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 76

Explanation:

This is a weighted mean, with the hourly tests assigned a weight of 1, the midterm assigned a weight of 2, and the final assigned a weight of 3. The total of the weights will be

 \displaystyle 5 (1) + 2 + 3 = 10.

If we let \displaystyle N be Sandra's final exam score, Sandra's final weighted average will be

\displaystyle \small \frac{84 + 86 + 76+ 89+ 93 + 72 \cdot 2 + N \cdot 3}{10}

\displaystyle \small = \frac{84 + 86 + 76+ 89+ 93 + 144 + 3N}{10}

\displaystyle \small = \frac{572 + 3N}{10}

For Sandra to get a final average of 80, then we set the above equal to 80 and calculate \displaystyle N:

\displaystyle \small \frac{572 + 3N}{10} = 80

\displaystyle \small 572 + 3N = 800

\displaystyle \small 3N = 228

\displaystyle \small N = 76

Example Question #21 : Descriptive Statistics

Consider the following set of numbers:

85, 87, 87, 82, 89

What is the mean?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 85

\displaystyle 82

\displaystyle 86

\displaystyle 87

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 86

Explanation:

\displaystyle mean=\frac{85+87+87+82+89}{5}=86

Example Question #22 : Descriptive Statistics

Consider the following set of numbers:

85, 87, 87, 82, 89

What is the median?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 87

\displaystyle 86

\displaystyle 82

\displaystyle 85

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 87

Explanation:

Reorder the values in numerical order:82, 85, 87, 87, 89

The median is the center number, 87.

Example Question #11 : Calculating Arithmetic Mean

\displaystyle 28,30,31,35,41

Find the mean of the sample data set.

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 33

\displaystyle 32

 

\displaystyle 31

\displaystyle 30

\displaystyle 34

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 33

Explanation:

The mean of a sample data set is the sum of all of the values divided by the total number of values. In this case:

\displaystyle \frac{28+30+31+35+41}{5}=\frac{165}{5}=33

Example Question #12 : Calculating Arithmetic Mean

The average of the following 6 digits is 75. What is a possible value of \displaystyle x?

80, 78, 78, 70, 71, \displaystyle x

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 73

\displaystyle 76

\displaystyle 74

\displaystyle 75

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 73

Explanation:

\displaystyle (75)(6)=450

Therefore, the sum of all 6 digits must equal 450.

\displaystyle 450=80+78+78+70+71+x

\displaystyle 450=377+x

Subtract 377 from both sides.

\displaystyle x=73

Example Question #12 : Calculating Arithmetic Mean

When assigning a score for the term, a professor takes the mean of all of a student's test scores except for his or her lowest score.

On the first five exams, Donna has achieved the following scores: 76, 84, 80, 65, 91. There is one more exam in the course. Assuming that 100 is the maximum possible score, what is the range of possible final averages she can achieve (nearest tenth, if applicable)?

Possible Answers:

Minimum 79.2; maximum 99.2

Minimum 80, maximum 84

Minimum 66; maximum 99.2

Minimum 66; maximum 71.8

Minimum 79.2; maximum 86.2

Correct answer:

Minimum 79.2; maximum 86.2

Explanation:

The worst-case scenario is that she will score 65 or less, in which case her score will be the mean of the scores she has already achieved.

\displaystyle \frac{76+ 84+80+65+ 91}{5} = 79.2

The best-case scenario is that she will score 100, in which case the 65 will be dropped and her score will be the mean of the other five scores.

\displaystyle \frac{76+ 84+80+ 91+100}{5} = 86.2

 

Example Question #13 : Calculating Arithmetic Mean

What is the mean of this data set?

\displaystyle \left \{ 1, 0.1, 0.01, 0.001, 0.0001, 0.00001 \right \}

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 0

\displaystyle 0.185185

\displaystyle 0.111111

\displaystyle 0.222222

\displaystyle 0.181818

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 0.185185

Explanation:

Add the numbers and divide by 6:

\displaystyle \left (1 + 0.1 + 0.01 + 0.001+ 0.0001 + 0.00001 \right )\div 6

\displaystyle = 1.11111\div 6 = 0.185185

Example Question #2037 : Gmat Quantitative Reasoning

If \displaystyle a + 2b + 3c + 4d + 5e = 3,400 and \displaystyle 5a + 4b + 3c + 2d + e = 5,300, then give the mean of \displaystyle a\displaystyle b\displaystyle c\displaystyle d, and \displaystyle e.

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 174

\displaystyle 540

Insufficient information is given to answer this question.

\displaystyle 1,740

\displaystyle 290

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 290

Explanation:

The mean of \displaystyle a\displaystyle b\displaystyle c\displaystyle d, and \displaystyle e is \displaystyle \frac{1}{5} \left (a + b + c + d + e \right )

 

If you add both sides of each equation:

 

\displaystyle a + 2b + 3c + 4d + 5e = 3,400

\displaystyle \underline{5a + 4b + 3c + 2d + e = 5,300}

\displaystyle 6a + 6b + 6c + 6d + 6e = 8,700

or 

\displaystyle 6\left (a + b + c + d + e \right )= 8,700

Equivalently,

\displaystyle 6\left (a + b + c + d + e \right ) \div 6= 8,700 \div 6

\displaystyle a + b + c + d + e = 1,450

\displaystyle \frac{1}{5} \left (a + b + c + d + e \right )= \frac{1}{5} \cdot 1,450 = 290,

making 290 the mean.

Example Question #2034 : Problem Solving Questions

What is the mean of the following data set in terms of \displaystyle a and \displaystyle x?

\displaystyle \left \{a -x, a, a + x, a + 2x, 2a-x, 2a, 2a+x, 2a+2x \right \}

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 3 a + x

\displaystyle 3 a - x

\displaystyle \frac{3}{2} a

\displaystyle \frac{3}{2} a +\frac{1}{2} x

\displaystyle \frac{3}{2} a -\frac{1}{2} x

Correct answer:

\displaystyle \frac{3}{2} a +\frac{1}{2} x

Explanation:

Add the expressions and divide by the number of terms, 8.

The sum of the expressions is:

\displaystyle \left (a -x \right ) + a + \left ( a + x \right ) +\left ( a +2x \right ) + \left ( 2a-x \right ) + 2a + \left ( 2a+x \right ) +\left ( 2a+2x \right )

\displaystyle = (a + a + a + a + 2a + 2a + 2a + 2a) + (-x +x+2x-x +x+2x)

\displaystyle = 12a + 4x

Divide this by 8:

\displaystyle \left ( 12a + 4x \right )\div 8 =\frac{3}{2} a +\frac{1}{2} x

Example Question #2035 : Problem Solving Questions

Julie's grade in a psychology class depends on three tests, each of which are equally weighted; one term paper, which counts half as much as a test; one midterm, which counts for one and one-half as much as a test; and one final, which counts for twice as much as the other tests.

Julie has scored 85%, 84%, and 74% on her three tests, 90% on her term paper, and 72% on her midterm. She is going for an 80% in the course; what is the minimum percent she must score on the final (assuming that 100% is the maximum possible) to achieve this average?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 80 %

\displaystyle 82 %

\displaystyle 88 %

She cannot achieve this average this term.

\displaystyle 75 %

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 82 %

Explanation:

Let \displaystyle X be her final grade. Julie's final score is calculated as a weighted mean, so we can set up the following inequality:

\displaystyle \frac{85 + 84 + 74 + 0.5 \cdot90 + 1.5 \cdot 72 + 2 \cdot X}{1 + 1 + 1 + 0.5 + 1.5 + 2} \geq 80

Simplify and solve for \displaystyle X:

\displaystyle \frac{85 + 84 + 74 + 45+ 108 + 2 \cdot X}{7} \geq 80

\displaystyle \frac{396 + 2 X}{7} \geq 80

\displaystyle \frac{396 + 2 X}{7} \cdot 7 \geq 80 \cdot 7

\displaystyle 396 + 2 X \geq 560

\displaystyle 396 + 2 X -396 \geq 560 -396

\displaystyle 2 X \geq 164

\displaystyle 2 X \div 2 \geq 164 \div 2

\displaystyle X \geq 82

Julie must make a minimum of 82% on the final to meet her goal.

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