GMAT math thinking skills 5

 

Topic: Time and work

Difficulty level: Moderately difficulty

You will get word problems like this in your exams.

The concepts involved in this problem are

1. Time and work

2. Ratios

3. Equations

Method 1

This method will take time as you need to read the question,  write equations, and solve them. Time consuming!!

Alex takes 6 days to a work. Amount of work done by Alex in 1 day = 1/6

 Bill takes 10 days to a work. Amount of work done in 1 day = 1/10

 Charles takes 15 days to a work. Amount of work done in 1 day = 1/15

 

Method 2

This method is faster. We can use percentages to solve. 

Alex completes 100% of work in 6 days. Bill completes 100% of work in 10 days. Charles completes 100% of work in 15 days.

 In 2 days Alex completes

 Lets construct a table

Days          Percentage

6                100%

2                  ??

 

Cross multiplying = 2x100/6 =33.33 %

In 2 days Alex completes =33.33% of work

 

Similarly

Bill completes 100% of work in 10 days.

In 2 days Bill completes 20% of the work

 

 

Charles completes 100% of work in 15 days.

In 2 days Bill completes 13.33% of the work

 

Total work completed = 33.33 +20 +13.33= 66.66%

 

Remaining work = 100-66.66 = 33.33% 

 

 Charles completes 100% of work in 15 days.

In how many days he will complete 33.33%

 

Percentage             Days

100%                        15

33.33                        ??

 

Cross multiplying

= 33.33x15 / 100  = 5 days

 Take away: 

 You can use percentages as a tool to save time and minimize calculations.

Watch this tutorial video and understand mathematical reasoning skills..

You can excel in math once you learn these skills.

 

GMAT Reading Comprehension Vocabulary - list 2

 

Take home, some GMAT jargon. Just gorge on them

Yes, you heard it right…there are words typical to GMAT verbal ( critical reasoning and reading comprehension).. here’s a list comes handy in RC/CR.

List 2:

26. cynicism: an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness.

27. derision: scorn, ridicule, contemptuous treatment.

28. diatribe: a harsh denunciation.

29. didactic: intended to teach or instruct.

30. digress(ive): to turn aside; to stray from the main point.

31. discretion: cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions.

32. disinterest(ed) (edness): indifferent; free from self-interest.

33. dogma(tic) (tism) (tist): stubbornly opinionated.

34. eclectic: composed of elements drawn from various sources.

35. elegy: a mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead.

36. empirical: based on observation or experiment.

37. enigma(tic): mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand.

38. ephemeral: brief; fleeting.

39. equivocate: to use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent.

40. erudite (ition): very learned; scholarly.

41. esoteric: intended for or understood by a small, specific group.

42. eulogy(ize): a speech honoring the dead.

43. fallacy: an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief.

44. foster: to nourish, cultivate, promote.

45. grandiloquence:  pompous speech or expression.

46. hackneyed: rendered trite or commonplace by frequent usage.

47. hyperbole: an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech.

48. iconoclast: one who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institutions.

49. indifferent: having no interest or concern; showing no bias or prejudice.

50. inimical: damaging; harmful; malevolent.

Read list 1 here

http://letsgmat.blogspot.com/2020/08/gmat-reading-comprehension-vocabulary.html

GMAT sentence correction - superia SC series - 1

 

Difficulty level : moderate

Main subject - Regan

Main verb - Met

Clue words - and - parallel ideas

Sentence analysis:

Regan met lewis and FAA to discuss  the strike and  the legal and political action to handle the strike.

Option A: "they" They refers to Regan+lewis +FAA or controllers.. The antecedent of the pronoun  unclear. Hence the sentence is ambiguous.

Eliminate A 

Option B: them refers to FAA + Lewis or controllers. The antecedent of the pronoun  unclear. Hence the sentence is ambiguous. Hence eliminate B

Option C: Handling - participle phrase. .. Use infinitive - to handle - That is a better option

Option D : Correct - 

Observer the sentence structure : to discuss X and Y

To discuss the strike and what legal and political.... to handle such an event.

Tip: X and Y can be noun or noun clauses

Option E: The necessity of what?.. sentence sounds wordy and convoluted. 

Option D is the answer.

How do we conquer the fear of GMAT math?

 

Let start with a show of hands

 How many of us go blank when we see a math sum?

I can see that most of you are raising your hands, the others must be one of lucky 2%.

 

Now the big question.

Why some of us go blank and others seem to have the knack of solving math sums?

 

Well you can blame it on your mathematics teacher @ school or on your genes. But nevertheless while preparing for GMAT or in fact while doing an MBA, you will encounter lot of math.

I can hear lots of groans. :-)

 

Few years back I read this book ‘How to solve it’ by George Polya. I modified my teaching style from just teaching question answers, question answers, question answers, question answers……to question logic answers, question logic answers, question logic answers…..

 

I found that I could tutor a person to achieve 45+(raw score in GMAT) within few weeks as instead of few months. Wow!! The best part of it I could see that students are able to solve math problems independently without me intervening.

 

In the book, Polya gives a detailed step by step process on how to approach math problems in general

 

I will modify the process and present it to you in context with GMAT math

Keep these steps in mind when you approach a math problem in the future.

 

Step 1: Understanding the problem

Answer the following questions first

1. Do you understand all the words used in stating the problem?
2. What are you asked to find or show?
3. Can you think of a picture or diagram that might help you understand the problem?
4. Is there enough information to find the solution?
5. What information, if any, is missing?

The answer to these questions will channelize your thinking towards the answer.

 

Step 2: Devise a plan

What will be the best approach to address the problem?

Approaches can only be devised. If a tutor explains a sum to you, then you will be able to understand only that problem. But when you encounter a new problem, you will go blank again.

Ideally when you encounter a new problem, you will have to use the existing ideas plus any new ideas you can conjure up. These process are mostly done mentally and involve little computation/calculation.

 

To get an idea, do any/all of the following.

1. Make a systematic list/table
2. Write an equation
3. Consider special cases
4. Use direct reasoning- for example If A>B and B>C then A>C.
5. Use indirect reasoning.-Think of an earlier sum where you encountered a similar problem
6. Look for a pattern
7. Draw a picture
8. Solve a simpler problem- break the problem into small parts and solve each part.
9. Use a model- Make a general assumption and solve by guessing.
10. Work backwards. –work with answer options

Now that you have got an idea. Put pen on paper and solve to get an answer

Stage 3: Carry out the plan

 

Solve the problem with great care and patience

Discard the plan if it does not work and devise a new plan

Record what you have done to avoid repetitive work – For future use.

While attempting Data sufficiency questions, it is imperative you check your results. So

Stage 4: Looking back or checking

Have you addressed the problem?

Is your answer reasonable?

Can the method applied to other similar problems?

Is It consistent.

Now go ahead and repeat this thought process on different math problem and the next time when you see a math problem you will not go blank.

Watch this video to understand mathematical reasoning...

Take a GMAT math diagnostic test here.. . Ping me your scores... We can chalk out a plan together..

To schedule a counselling session.

Click here.: https://semanticslearning.com/

My contact details are here:

LinkedIn profile : https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgeanand/

Facebook learning group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/semanticsGMAT/

How to bounce back from failure?

 You did your GMAT mock.. It turned out to be a total disaster. 

Or you did a section test. You forgot all your concepts and got an abysmal score.

Failure is part of the learning curve. All of us fail. There is no shame in admitting it.

But

What we do after the failed event?.. how we pick ourselves up?... That is what defines us.

As future Management Graduates. Failure is going to be part of your life.. Learn how to deal with it. in this video

GMAT Reading Comprehension Vocabulary list 1

 

Take home, some GMAT jargon. Just gorge on them

Yes, you heard it right…there are words typical to GMAT verbal ( critical reasoning and reading comprehension).. here’s a list comes handy in RC/CR.

1. Allusion : Indirect reference to a person, place or event to another.

2. Archaism : The use of words and expressions that have become obsolete in common speech.

3. Burlesque : An incognito imitation; it imitates the matter or form of a play in an amusing manner.

4. Connotation and denotation : The denotation of a word is its primary meaning; connotation is the range of accompanying meanings in which it suggests or implies.

5. Motif and theme : A motif is an element – an incident, device or formula – which recurs frequently.

6. Prosody : Systematic study of writing verse (poem); principles in the use of rhyme, stanza etc.

7. Anecdote : Simple narration of a single incident.

8. Pastoral elegy : Represents both the mourner and the one he mourns.

9. Figurative language : Deviates from what we apprehend as the standard significance or sequence of words, in order to achieve special meaning or effect.

10. Symbol : A word or set of words that signifies an object or event which itself signifies something else.

11. Historicism : A theory that history is determined by unchangeable laws and not by human agency or, it is a theory that all cultural phenomena are historically determined and that historians much study each period without imposing any personal or absolute value system.

12. Historical School : A school of economics maintaining that any economic theory must be based on historical studies of economic institutions.

13. Idealism : A philosophical system or theory that maintains that are real is of the nature of thought or that the object of external perception consists of ideas; the pursuit of high noble principles.

14. Existentialism : A philosophical movement that stresses the individual’s position as a self-determining agent responsible for his or her own choices.

15. Humanism : Assumes the dignity and central position of man in the universe and emphasizes on moral and practical rather than purely aesthetic values.

16. Aberrant/Aberration: deviating from the norm.

17. Aesthetic: dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful.

18. Anomaly: deviation from the normal order, form, or rule, abnormality.

19. Archaic outdated: associated with an earlier, perhaps more primitive, time.

20. Aver:  to state as a fact; to confirm or support.

21. Bolster: to provide support or reinforcement.

22. Bombast / bombastic: self–evident or pompous writing or speech; pompous; grandiloquent.

23. Buttress:  to reinforce or support.

24. Capricious: inclined to change one’s mind impulsively; erratic; unpredictable.

25. Censure:  to criticize severely; to officially rebuke.

Read list 2 here:

http://letsgmat.blogspot.com/2020/08/gmat-reading-comprehension-vocabulary_23.html

The big 50 point jump in GMAT - Stuck at 650.. How do i jump..

 

Are you aspiring for a 700 in the GMAT and trying to figure out why your score is stuck at 650 and not hitting the 700 mark?

 Here are 3 potential reasons.

Firstly, are you ready for higher order reasoning and problem solving?  Find out, how consistently you have performed in data sufficiency questions, inference questions in reading comprehension and weaken/strengthen questions in critical reasoning( assuming  you worked out Official guide questions)

 

Secondly, while taking the computer based tests, did you fall short of time and guessed more than 5 question in either/both QA and VA section. If so penalty and poor pacing and time management is the issue.

 

Thirdly, your concentration wears of while you are working on the last part of the Verbal Ability section. Build stamina, slowly and steadily by taking many 4hrs tests.

 

To raise your score from 650 to 700, let’s say a re-taker do spend 30 days reworking on concepts, practicing with hundreds of tougher questions and analyse these questions to improve your performance.

 

Lets have a chat, if you want a customized study plan...

 

My contact link is here:

LinkedIn profile : https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgeanand/

Facebook learning group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/semanticsGMAT/

 

Can you ACE THE GMAT in 1 month?

Can you ace the GMAT in 1 month?…..YES..... You can....

Let me take you through my plan.

This 1- month plan has been tried and tested on our students. 

The course books, 8 of them, are designed for GMAT aspirants with no prior preparatory experience. The books are designed by academicians with over 15+ years of GMAT teaching experience. 

Does this plan work?

Yes…

Some of our students have jumped 250 points from 450 to 700. Others have jumped from 650 to 720. Others have hit 780.  

I’m confident. You will score high, if you follow the plan.

We make a customized study plan for each student..as each learner is different

Lets take each section of the exam

Reading comprehension

GMAT passages are mostly abstract, drawn from varied sources- sciences, history, art, philosophy, literary criticism. The questions require you to read critically. We teach you critical reading dynamics. That is

• Drawing inferences from the passage
• Distinguishing between topic and the emotional content of a passage
• Recognizing the tone of a passage, attitude of the author
• Identifying the organisation and structure of the passage

Extensive passage analysis and discussion will empower you to read GMAT passages critically. Follow up reading practice ensures that you practice all types of passages and questions that appear in the exam.

Our action plan: Read 150 passages.

Students are given a curated compilation of passages.  First easy passages, then medium, then difficult..

Sentence correction (SC)

GMAT SC tests both correctness and effectiveness of expression. A thorough survey of all rules that constitute standard sentence formation constitutes the first module of  SC course.

An exhaustive list of idioms tested on the GMAT is discussed with illustrative sentences. Clear distinction between awkward vs effective, clear vs ambiguous, wordy vs concise etc in the context of real GMAT questions will give you test confidence. The most common GMAT SC errors- 25 error types- are discussed with multiple illustrations, and practised on hundreds of multiple choice questions. Notes and drills ensure review of rules.

Our action plan: We will take you through the 25 SC errors in-depth. 

 You will 

• learn how to identify these errors using clues.
• be able to spot errors in less than 30 seconds.

You will be working on 500+ SC questions..

A PARTIAL LIST OF SC ERRORS.

• Misplaced modifier 
• Wordiness
• Un-idiomatic construction
• Conditionals
• Tense inconsistency
• Unclear use of 'which'
• countable vs non-countable nouns         
• Illogical comparison
• Lack of clear subject
• Incomplete comparison     
• Faulty diction
• Meaning conformity           

 

Critical reasoning (CR)

Let’s face it. Few college books teach you to think critically. Hence, essential skills of reasoning have to be mastered now for GMAT CR success. This is precisely why our course is designed with an introductory module on basics of logic theory carefully illustrated with arguments as they appear in GMAT. Elements of logic theory comprise inductive and deductive arguments, methods of argument analysis and evaluation, common logical fallacies.

In our interactives we’ll teach you, step by step, how to analyze issues, reason logically, and argue effectively. Our approaches to the 15 different types of CR questions - the first ever exhaustive listing - will ready you for the real test. The specific skills you acquire are:

• breaking down argument into its parts, to see what conclusion is drawn and how it is supported
• recognizing the line of reasoning employed in an argument
• checking logical validity of claims
• offering counter arguments using relevant hypothetical data
• supplying additional information
• drawing inference from the argument
• identifying logically similar arguments
• defining relationship between arguments
• evaluating a given argument for consistency

Our action plan: We will teach you the 15 question types and the algorithm for each type.

You will be put through drills (500+ cr questions)

Problem solving and Data Sufficiency

The questions you get in the quantitative section of the GMAT, are drawn from arithmetic, algebra, geometry and statistics. We teach you math in 3 stages.

• Stage 1 of your preparation will involve thorough review of elementary math concepts
• Stage 2 involves application of concepts to problems in quantitative setting
• Stage 3 involves quantitative reasoning – strategies for data sufficiency, short cuts approaches to problem solving such as
• problem conversion and simplification
• working with answer option
• verifying adequacy of data
• estimating ranges of values which can satisfy the given relationship

 Our action plan

• refresh math concepts thrice
• learn reasoning skills, which can help a student solve a question in less than 30 seconds

You need to work on 700+ questions.

Also

GMAT Integrated reasoning (IR)

 tests your ability to analyse, synthesise, compare, contrast, infer from, integrate and judge data presented in multiple formats such as verbal texts, graphs, tables and charts.

IR tests both your numerical ability and logical skills. Your math and reasoning skills learnt in the other sections of the test will help you in this section.

We teach you how to interpret graphs, sort tabular data, draw conclusions by integrating data from multiple sources, and make decisions.

Extensive practice of IR questions will prepare you for the test.

Our action plan: You  are made to work on 50 Integrated reasoning questions.

GMAT Analytical writing assessment (AWA) 

tests your ability to critically analyse a case study. Your reasoning skills learnt in the other sections of the test will help you in this section.

Our action plan: You need to write 10 analytical writing essays using the approaches taught earlier in SC and CR.

Also 

You need to do 

• 20 math section tests and 20 verbal section tests
• 5+ mock CATs to get test confidence.

 

Hope to hear from you..

To reach me: 

• My linkedin profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgeanand
• My facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/semanticsGMAT

How to enhance your critical thinking - Tedx talk

How to think critically

GMAT requires you to 

1.  read a paragraph critically

2.  analyse a math question

3. identify elements in a sentence correction question and apply logic

So how does one think critically.. Watch this video

GMAT sentence correction- the analytical way

Doubts are best clarified in class

Preparing for GMAT is no child’s play. And definitely not the verbal section of the GMAT. Iam sure many of you there agree with me.

The intricacies of sentence corrections are better understood when you are made to think with the sentence(for god-sake its not just math that involves thinking)

Your problems with sentence correction will be over the day you start thinking with grammar. Cos there is no grammar separate form meaning and no meaning separate from accepted knowledge- philosophical or scientific.

When you with a verbal expert, you are made to think with the sentence.

Here’s an example

The set of propositions which was discussed by the panel have been published in the society journal.

A. which was discussed by the panel have been

B. which were discussed by the panel have

C. that was discussed by the panel was

D. which were discussed by the panel has

E. discussed by the panel has been

Explanation:

Step 1: identify subject/verb/standard sentence structures(not only...but also or X and Y.....)

Step 2: Bracket out modifiers/prepositional clasues

Step 3: check meaning..

There are in total 25 errors that GMAT wants you to identify...

Lets look at the analysis of this question

The set ( of propositions that were/are discussed by the panel) was/ has been published in the society.

Bracket out all word groups- the prepositional phrase- has been bracketed out. The set was/has been—both are right, since no specific time reference.

The point here is that relative pronoun which/that refers to propositions and not ‘the set’. Hence are/were/ have been must refer to propositions and not ‘the set’

Hence we narrow down to E. drop the ‘ which are’/ that are…wordiness.

The sentence correction tip you gave me is good.

No need, the sentence correction tip that you gave me is good.

Lets chat if you have verbal queries.. We can chalk out a study plan together...

linkedin profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgeanand/

My Blog: https://letsgmat.blogspot.com/