Test taking strategies for quantitative reasoning

[bookworm1]

Hi there,

I'm starting to study for the GRE (taking it in Dec.) and I'm looking for some test taking strategies when it comes to the math sections. 

I'm not too worried about verbal reasoning and analytical writing. I was an English major so I can write essays and analyze passages left and right. However, I'm struggling with quantitative reasoning. I haven't taken any math classes in about 5 years so I'm a little rusty.

My intended MA is International Education, so I don't need to show I'm a math wizard, I just need to prevent the math sections from bringing my scores down too much.

Any tips on how to answer questions and make educated guesses are greatly appreciated. In general I'm okay with algebra-type questions and I struggle with geometry, probability, and data analysis.

Thanks in advance!

[TakeruK]

I think there already exists a lot of detailed strategies at various online websites and test prep books. They will go in more depth and be more tuned to modern tests than I can provide (I took it in 2011, prior to the "Revised General GRE" update).

However, I think I can still provide general "mindset" tips for preparing rather than specific strategies for questions.

First, remember that the section title is Quantitative Reasoning, not "Math". Just like the Verbal Reasoning section is not about how many words you can memorize, the Quantitative Reasoning is not about how many obscure math rules you can remember. It's actually a test of critical thinking ability when applied to quantitative topics. Keeping this in mind when you study and prepare will be helpful.

Of course, sometimes knowledge is power! Having a large vocabulary helps you spot more nuanced meanings behind the word choices, and having a good knowledge of basic mathematical concepts will help you solve these problems. Especially for the geometry problems, they are really like the "Sentence Completion" type questions!

That is, I think a good balance between the two would be to use a test prep book or website to help you determine which geometry rules / math tools you should know and learn them. Then, when you encounter questions during practice, make sure you are using these same skills to get to the answer. Sometimes, it's not super clear and the answer looks like "oh you have to do this special trick for this question" but I found that that is very rarely true. If you find a question that turns out to require a special "trick", then it's either a bad example question, or you don't yet fully understand the mathematical tools or the approach to the question. This is like a more quantitative student, like me, making a mistake in the verbal section because I did not consider the less common meaning of a common word (e.g. "row" to mean an quarrel). 

So, during your preparation, if you find yourself thinking that there are many questions that you just have to memorize yet another trick to solve, I would advise you to stop and take a step back and try to reanalyze the approach. Try to build the solution using only the basic tools.

I know I keep mentioning these "tools" but not actually say what they are. As I said above, I could try to list a "toolkit" but my GRE Q experience is outdated and there are already well written websites and books that will be much more thorough. But I hope this study/prep strategy will be helpful to you!

[bookworm1]

Thanks! I'm just getting started with my test prep book and online resources so at the moment I'm looking for general strategies like you provided. 

For me, with quantitative reasoning, part of the battle is my mindset. I am easily frustrated by math problems, so maybe thinking of them in terms of simple tools (especially with geometry) will help.

Cheers!

[GREMasterEMPOWERRichC]

Hi bookworm1,

With a December Test Date, you have plenty of time to prepare for the Quant section (but as an aside, you should probably still invest some time in your Verbal prep as well). If you have not yet done so, it would be a good idea to take a FULL-LENGTH MST (you can download 2 for free from www.gre.org). Once you have those scores, you should report back here and we can talk through your study options. 

TakeruK is correct - the Quant section of the GMAT is based heavily on your critical thinking skills and problem-solving ability. This means that while you DO need to know your math rules, you're going to find that many of the Quant questions that you face can be easily solved by using tactics and/or pattern-matching.

If you're a bit 'rusty' on your math, then I suggest that you spend some time at Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.org) - the site is free and makes the learning a bit more 'game-like' and fun (as opposed to most books, which focus on a dry academic approach). 

Do you have a score goal in mind?

When are you applying to Grad School?

GRE Masters aren't born, they're made,

Rich