GRE Test. Tips?

[KadeerQ]

I can't believe the emphasis placed upon a standardized test score. I think undergrad GPA should certainly place a larger premium then a score someone on a good day can get lucky with.

I'm locking myself in my room with all the Quant books on the GRE I can find for the next 6 days and only emerge for food and the test day. Thanks everyone again.

I'll post again if I run into anymore problems.

 

[KadeerQ]

If you peruse through the tracker, you'll find a heavy number of "800Q" in the notes of the admit as well as the reject.

Some of the rejects were pretty harsh. Solid GPA's and great scores. Kinda scary actually.

 

[Prashant.Kumar]

Oh shoot! I read that backwards, I thought your 770 was for quantitative.
Thus my confusion, since I was thinking you were having difficulty with getting the last 30 points.
Yea I'm with vuze, you need to go again.
Holy cow! Your verbal score is insane!

.... Don't worry guys, I'm caught up to the convo now

 

[groy]

Is there a good reference for the most common GRE math tricks? I know there's a lot of tricks for the quant comparisons. I often end up doing the math out unless it's highly noticable. I guess the number one rule for me is to look for duplicate #s and multiples in the problems. I'd like more time to double/triple check my answers before moving onto the next problem.

 

[Yos Feit]

Assume that every question has a time-saving twist, because you will lose too much time calculating the result in a straightforward way. Said another way, it is a test of math insight. You should never have to use Pythagorian theorem, even if it provides the correct answer. Instead memorize all the integer-sided triangles. Given simultanious equations to solve, is there a simple subtraction instead of solving for one variable in terms of another? As you work through your practice problems, identifiy the simplifying concept, and not the universal, algorithmic solution. The Princeton review books have a thorough section on guesswork and test strategies.

I found this short book helpful for the essay:
Writing Analytically, DavidRosenwasser

Unfortunately, you need to know subtle differences in meaning and alternate word definitions in order to score > 750 on the verbal. For example, the word insipid usually means boring as in "I have no patience for your insipid girlfriend" but it can also mean without flavor as in "Nor do I care for her insipid cooking". You will be up against a gazillion Engish majors on this section. The best preparation is years of reading challenging material at the college level.

 

[KadeerQ]

A + b/c ÷ d/e
If any of the above variables are to be doubled to halve the equation, which one should it be?

See, this question took me about 3 minutes to figure out. There's got to be an easier way to save time.

I just plugged in numbers.

 

[Shantanu Kumar]

A + b/c ÷ d/e
If any of the above variables are to be doubled to halve the equation, which one should it be?

See, this question took me about 3 minutes to figure out. There's got to be an easier way to save time.

I just plugged in numbers.

Just write the equation in most simplified form and you can easily see the answer.I don't see any trick over here.
On simplifying the given equation you will get an expression like (Acd + be)/cd.
You can easily see that either doubling c or d will make the value of new expression half of the older one.
Also sometime plugging options is not such a bad idea.

 

[Anbu]

Just write the equation in most simplified form and you can easily see the answer.I don't see any trick over here.
On simplifying the given equation you will get an expression like (Acd + be)/cd.
You can easily see that either doubling c or d will make the value of new expression half of the older one.
Also sometime plugging options is not such a bad idea.

It's past 3:00 am where I am so I could be wrong but I don't see how doubling c or d will half the equation. You have them both in the numerator & denominator.

 

[Shantanu Kumar]

yes,i screwed up.
As far as i understand we have to change only one of the variables.In that case i don't see any solution.

 

[rajanS]

after thinking about it. it doesn't make sence...perhaps you wrote the equation wrong?
should it be: [a+(b/c)] * e/d?
in this case the answer is double d...

 

[Devdeep]

I second Caesar! aka @rajanS ...

@KadeerQ, please check your original question...

 

[Devdeep]

@KadeerQ... post more problems so that we can try to help...

 

[rajanS]

I second Caesar! aka @rajanS ...

@KadeerQ, please check your original question...

haha thanks...
honestly, if one cannot get a 790 or above, perhaps they are getting into a wrong field?? Many schools see that repeated attempts at gre Quant score as not a good sign.

 

[KadeerQ]

haha thanks...
honestly, if one cannot get a 790 or above, perhaps they are getting into a wrong field?? Many schools see that repeated attempts at gre Quant score as not a good sign.

It'll be a second attempt only. I know I can get it. Come on, I'm a chem eng major with a 3.7GPA. Its mainly a time issue for me. Hence me asking these questions to see if I'm missing a trick.

 

[KadeerQ]

after thinking about it. it doesn't make sence...perhaps you wrote the equation wrong?
should it be: [a+(b/c)] * e/d?
in this case the answer is double d...

No definitely the right equation. The answer I got, which was correct after checking it was E. Because it took me longer then average to figure it out, I though their might be a trick I'm missing!

 

[KadeerQ]

Here's another one:

Tanks X and Y are filled to capacity with
fucl. Tank X holds 600 gallons more than Tank Y.
If 100 gallons of fuel are to be pumped into each
tank, tank X would then contain 3 times as much
fuel as tank y. What is the total number of gallons
of fuel in thc two full tanks?

OK the answer I got is B)1200.

x holds 600 more = 800 if y holds 200

add 100 to each 900 + 300 = 1200. Right?

BUT, checking the answer is A)1400

Number crunching, I cant figure out an equation which holds 600 more and 3 times after adding 100 to equal 1400.

Even if I missed something, both answers would be right.

Questions like this one piss me off because you easily figure it out and then find it was wrong. Doubts creep in for the rest of the questions

 

[darth]

Here's another one:

Tanks X and Y are filled to capacity with
fucl. Tank X holds 600 gallons more than Tank Y.
If 100 gallons of fuel are to be pumped into each
tank, tank X would then contain 3 times as much
fuel as tank y. What is the total number of gallons
of fuel in thc two full tanks?

OK the answer I got is B)1200.

x holds 600 more = 800 if y holds 200

add 100 to each 900 + 300 = 1200. Right?

BUT, checking the answer is A)1400

Number crunching, I cant figure out an equation which holds 600 more and 3 times after adding 100 to equal 1400

Even if I missed something, both answers would be right.

Questions like this one piss me off because you easily figure it out and then find it was wrong. Doubts creep in for the rest of the questions

It's asking for the total no. of gallons of fuel in two full tanks..... keep in mind that tanks were already full as is mentioned in the first sentence of the question. Now you can't add more to a full tank so it must be drawn from the full tank..... In that case the contents are 400 and 1000 , if you draw 100 from both of them X will be thrice and Content of full tanks ( Initial condition) would be 1000+400 = 1400........ Hope I am making some sense

 

[Devdeep]

No definitely the right equation. The answer I got, which was correct after checking it was E. Because it took me longer then average to figure it out, I though their might be a trick I'm missing!

@KadeerQ... "e" is in the numerator of (Acd + be)/cd ... there is NO way this expression is going to be halved if you double "e". Please double check your original question and re-post...

 

[Shantanu Kumar]

Mistake

 

[KadeerQ]

It's asking for the total no. of gallons of fuel in two full tanks..... keep in mind that tanks were already full as is mentioned in the first sentence of the question. Now you can't add more to a full tank so it must be drawn from the full tank..... In that case the contents are 400 and 1000 , if you draw 100 from both of them X will be thrice and Content of full tanks ( Initial condition) would be 1000+400 = 1400........ Hope I am making some sense

Misread the question. My mistake.

Totally making sense.