GMAT Strategies on how to approach questions, broken down into sections and different question types. Includes common mistakes to avoid, 'tricks' in GMAT questions, time management and how to structure your AWA essay. Collated from the Official Guide, Manhattan Guide, and Princeton's Cracking the G...
GMAT Strategies
Verbal Section:
Reading Comprehension
● Pick an option that answers the question. An option may be a correct statement but does
not answer the question.
● Answer based on the passage content. Don’t let prior knowledge of the topic influence
your answer choice.
Critical Reasoning
● First identify the conclusion of the argument (looking for keywords may help: since,
before, therefore, thereby, result, due to, so, clearly etc.)
● Identify which statements are claims, evidence to support claims, things that are not
stated but necessarily follow from what is said.
● Read the question first to know what to look out for
● Read all options before picking an answer
Sentence Correction
● Read the sentence and understand its intention
● Spot any errors in the underlined part
● Consider all aspects of correctness and effectiveness (clarity, grammar, idiomatic usage,
language economy, precision, appropriate diction)
● Substitute in options and read out in mind
● For long sentences, remove optional phrases (adjectives, adverbs, phrases separated
by commas, to simplify)
● For (aaa bbb and ccc), you can read it as (aaa bbb), (aaa ccc)
● Look at differences between options to identify areas of potential error then compare
(GMAT might including differences which are both acceptable to trick you)
○ Differences: singular/plural, tense, verb/noun/adj, sentence rearrangements
, Quantitative section:
Problem-solving
● Use erasable note board given for working (be neat)
● Translate word problems/ data into equations for understanding
● Skim answer choices before you answer the question (may not need to solve
completely, to see form to express the answer in)
● If the question is too hard/ time-consuming, eliminate obvious wrong options and guess
Data Sufficiency
● Don’t waste time by solving the problem.
● While reading the question stem, consolidate what information you know, and start
thinking about what additional information is needed to solve the question
● !!!Consider each statement separately before considering them in tandem (common
mistake: statements are separately sufficient but you put C. Happens when you rush and
read both statements together)
● Decide if the problem allows one value or a range of values. Remember you just need to
have just enough data. Answer the question asked. Eg. if statement allows you to
narrow range of x, but cannot determine x precisely, still insufficient.
● Don’t make wrong assumptions based on figures (if not drawn to scale). Also note that
figures accurately reflect information in question stem only and disregards statements.
● DS question stems may ask for a specific number, or may be a yes/no question. For yes/
no, a statement that answers no is sufficient. If statement narrows it to a maybe, still
insufficient.
○ Example below: (1) is insufficient, (2) is a maybe
○ Together, still maybe since other 5000 votes not accounted for. Together, still
maybe. Hence, E.
Common Tricks in Quant (and IR)
● Percentage vs absolute quantities
● Percentage of what (may not be of total)
● Percent of vs Percent greater/lesser than
● Ratio of two components a:b vs fraction of a/(a+b)
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