A common point of confusion among those studying for the GMAT—as well as the general writing public—is the difference between several sets of similar but different words (that vs. which, if vs. whether, between vs. among, like vs. as). Knowing which of these words to use in a given situation can often allow you to eliminate a […]
A linear equation is any equation where the highest power of the unknown, which I shall call x, is 1. To illustrate more clearly with a few examples: x+1 = 4 10x = 3 x = 18 – 4x x2 + 2 = 2x and x3 = 8 are not linear equations because there are […]
Supporting idea questions ask about details directly stated in the passage. You can identify them because they will refer to only one part of the passage. These questions are different from main idea questions because supporting ideas questions ask about the points the author makes within the passage and do not ask about the passage as […]
Sometimes RC questions will ask you to take part of the passage and analogize it to a completely different situation. These questions are somewhat similar to Application questions. Improve your test scores in RC by following these three easy steps for this question type! Let’s look at an example question: We can tell this […]
The first step of the Kaplan Reading Comprehension Method is to read the passage strategically. Kaplan students know that part of strategic reading is making notes as you move through the passage; this passage map is your guide through the passage. In the map, note the purpose of each paragraph. What function does it serve? Why did […]
This type of GMAT test question sounds like the beginning of a joke but leaves most students groaning in front of their computers: “A train leaves the station at 4:53am going east at 60mph. A second train….” These word problems are often long, confusingly worded, and just plain boring. The intimidation factor comes from not […]
In every Sentence Correction question there will be at least one noun. You have been learning the basics of grammar and nouns since elementary school, but it never hurts to review. Let’s look at several different types of nouns you will encounter on the GMAT and how to correctly answer Sentence Correction questions when those […]
This Sentence Correction exercise is much harder than anything you will see on test day. It relies on the following principle: namely, if a question testing some of the Sentence Correction issues listed in the Official Guide is a good addition to your practice arsenal, then a question testing all of them could be welcome variation […]
GMAT critical reasoning questions often ask you to identify the assumption of an argument. The first step in doing that successfully is understanding what, exactly, they mean by “assumption.” An assumption in GMAT-speak is the unstated link somewhere in the chain of evidence and conclusion. Finding the assumption means, basically, finding that gap in the […]
Really? First they tell us we can’t use a calculator, then they tell us we should average 2 minutes per question, and then they give us this: 67.5% of 812 is 15% of what number? This may seem impossible to solve in under two minutes without some outside help. In fact, there are many typical […]