How can I get Q 51 in GMAT math

First, some popular questions..

I have a non math background... Can I get Q  51 (99 percentile) in math?

Yes you can.....I have helped people, who had a fear of math (before they met me), score Q 51.  So it is possible for a person with a non math background score high.

Remember - The GMAT quantitative section tests your math skills as well as your reasoning skills....

I am good at math... Yet in my mocks, I am not able to score above Q 45.. Why?

Your concepts may be good, but there is a still big gap in your preparation. I will explain the missing link below.

I know the concepts.. I can solve the questions.. But I take a long time.. How can i solve the question faster..... in less than 30 seconds?

You will be able to solve many of the sums in the GMAT, if you have 2 hrs for the math section. But you have only 62 mins to do 31 questions.

That works to 2 minutes or less..per question. There is a lacuna in your preparation. I will explain the missing link below.

I have been teaching GMAT since 2008. I have sat with a number of students . I explored their thought process. Some students are good at grasping concepts and applying the concepts in a math sum. Others go blank. They are not able to start the problem solving process.. why???.. 

There is something missing....

The missing link is mathematical reasoning..

some of the students have it in them.. others do not. 

here is a list of math concepts which are tested in GMAT

Knowledge of math concepts will help you.. But from my analysis you need more..

Here are list of additional skills

Math concepts + math skills = success in the exam.

This tutorial video will explain some of these skills.. Feel free to ping me if you need more info on these skills. 

To reach me:

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

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

Math reasoning skills can help you solve questions in less than 30 seconds..

Check this sum and follow the series

Check the solution here

http://letsgmat.blogspot.com/2020/07/gmat-math-thinking-skills-3.html

How to improve your accuracy in the GMAT critical reasoning section in 20 days?

Good news...........

You can improve your score in the GMAT critical reasoning section quickly. 

in less than 20 days...

You must know that in GMAT CR section, there are 15 question types.

For each question type there is a specific strategy.

Lets take an assumption question.

I teach my students this strategy 

1. Identify  the conclusion of the argument. Also identify the evidences,which the author uses to arrive at the conclusion.

2. Use the answer options

3. The correct answer option will be the reason ....... leading to the conclusion.

This strategy can be used for any assumption question. 

Like this, each question type has a specific strategy. 

Feel free to contact me if you want help in CR..My contact details is here

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

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

Now lets discuss the problems, which might hamper your accuracy rate.

1. You are not able to identify the question types  

When you read the question, you may not be able to identify  if the question is assumption or weaken the argument or find the conclusion…. When you observe the question stems, you can observe the clue words and classify the questions..

Here is a simple activity which can help you identify the question stems..

Take any GMAT Official guide. Go to the CR questions. Classify the questions based on the question stems. 

For example assumption based questions can have clue words like

• author assumes
• presupposes..
• additional evidence required...

You can use the explanations, at the end of the CR section, to identify the question stems...

Classify the questions based on the question stems… Don’t attempt to solve it..

Learn to identify the questions correctly. Once you identify then question type, then only you can apply the logic.

2. You forget the approach

Most of the time, students tackle a CR question by feel. They will be able to rule out 3 options. Then they toy with the last 2 options. This strategy is not reliable.

I would recommend that you remember the approaches for each question type.  Maintain a rule book. Mug up the approaches. 

3. You are not able to apply the concept/strategy into a question

 This is a common problem.

You might know the approach, but you might struggle to apply this approach into questions 

There is no shortcut. CR questions test your logical thinking. Logical thinking takes time to build  

At the end of the day,  While preparing for GMAT you are in the process of self discovery. The more questions you ask yourself.. more answers you will get.. 

Sometimes you will get the logic the very first time.. others might get it 5 times or 10 times later. 

Yes, you have to break your head and crack it.. 

just don’t give up.. 

because everyone eventually gets it. 

The activity i recommend:

Take any GMAT official guide...

Take 20 assumption questions from the OG. They will be scattered among the 250+ questions. Do them one after another using the assumption approach. Check your accuracy rate.

If accuracy is above 95% and above and you are able to easily eliminate all the options using logic..then you are fine

 

If accuracy is below 95%.. then you have to revise the strategy and work on all the questions again. For each question you have to derive the logic correctly. If you don’t get the logic, then revisit the questions. If you are not able to get the logic.. then seek help.

Feel free to ping me, I will guide you.

Remember getting the answer is insufficient. You must understand the logic. 

You must also understand why the other options are wrong. 

Note:  

Remember CR unlike SC and RC, is not a volumes game. If 10 assumption questions you understand properly then all the assumptions you can do..because the logic is the same.

 

Repeat this activity for each question type.... You will be able to spot your weakness.

Only when you can identify your weakness..you can work on them....

Happy learning.

GMAT math thinking skills 6

 

Many students get stumped when they see a math problem. They do not know how to start and how to proceed. They read the question many times, trying to spot the clues. Sometimes the clues are hidden in the questions. Some times they are explicit.  

If you fall into this category.. Fear not.. There is an approach which can help you approach  math questions better.

Follow this 3 step problem solving process.

1. Collect the data given

2. Diagram the problem.

Break the question into segments. Do not read the entire question. After reading a segment, jot down the data on paper. Represent the data in the form of a table or any diagram.

3. Recall a math formula/concept which you can apply and solve

Let us use this approach and solve this problem

Step 1: Collect the data given

Data: 

1. 60 people are there
2. No two rank the same
3. (3/5) of 60 ranked vanilla last = (3/5)x 60 =36
4. (1/10) of 60 ranked vanilla before chocolate = (1/10)x 60 =6
5. (1/3) of 60 ranked vanilla before strawberry = (1/3)x 60 =20

Step 2. Diagram the problem.

Lets diagram the data. I have ranked the data 1,2,3

36 people ranked V(vanilla) last

6 people ranked V before C(chocolate). There are two cases here.  V is ranked 1 or 2.

20 people ranked V before S(Strawberry). There are two cases here. V is ranked 1 or 2.

If you observe 

Out of 60, 36 people ranked V last. Balance  = 60-36 =24 

There are 24 people..

6 people marked V before C (group 1) and 20 people marked V before S(group 2). Hence there should be some people common to both groups ( as 20+6 is not 24) These people should have ranked V first

3. Recall a math formula/concept which you can apply.

Set theory can be used to represent data which is common in two groups

20 is group 1.. 6 is group 2. X represents the number of people, who are common to both groups.

Formula: A union B =A+B-A intersection B

24 =20+6-x

x= 2

Follow this 3 step process. and remember to diagram data. 

This approach makes life easier in the GMAT.

GMAT math Thinking skills - 1

There are two ways to solve this problem

Approach 1 - 

This approach would require you to assume variables,write equations and solve them.

Yes!  this approach take some time

Those of you who are new to math, would, most likely, attempt a question using this approach

First :

Convert the ratio into number by introducing a constant x

The speed of the 3 runners will be 3x,4x and 5x.

Second 

Assume the distance traveled by each runner is 60 units ( 60 is the LCM of 3,4,5. You can take any number.. I took the LCM to avoid decimals.)

Speed = distance/time. Hence   Time = distance/speed

Time will be 60/3x,60/4x,60/5x. respectively = 20/x,15/x,12/x

Remove (1/x) and then you can write the numbers in a ratio: 20:15:12

Approach 2:

If you solve a mathematical question using this approach, it means you are comfortable 

• determining the nature of numbers,
• identifying  relationships between variables 
• substituting values to arrive at an answer fast

This approach would take less time than approach 1.

Now lets solve this question using this approach

You would have observed the following in the question

• ratio of the speeds are given
• distant is constant

The relationship between  speed and time is : Speed is inversely proportional to time. 

Hence if speed increases time decreases and vice versa. 

The speeds are in the ratio 3:4:5. 

Hence the times should be in the ratio: 1/3 :1/4: 1/5 as speed is inversely proportional to time. 

Multiplying with LCM (4,3,5) i.e. 60 ..............to normalize the ratio

We get 20: 15:12

The answer is 20:15:12

Take-away:

Always observe the hidden relationship between numbers

Watch this tutorial video and understand mathematical reasoning skills..

You can excel in math once you learn these skills.

Hope you understood both the methods.   

Need math help: Get in touch with me:

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

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

My company: https://semanticslearning.com/

Want to explore math reasoning skills further try another problem

Solution here

https://letsgmat.blogspot.com/2020/07/gmat-math-thinking-skills-3.html

8 ways to score poorly in the GMAT

Here are the top 8 ways to score poorly in the GMAT.

1. I know math,

 so no need to go through the same old arithmetic, algebra, geometry stuff. 

It is possible to get Q51 in the math section, provided you are thorough with the math concepts and you have the essential problem solving skills, which can help you crack a question in less than 30 seconds. 

2. I have tones of free downloads 

..what is relevant, what is not, even God may not know..

The cost of finding,collating and structuring free content is high.  What works for you? what doesn't work for you? Do you want to do a trial and error approach to see which plan works? 

3 . Just official guide (OG), 

what else, nothing official about it…

First build concepts, then apply the concepts on OG questions. You need to use OG at the last stage of your preparation.

4. I will join for the costliest, longest duration course in town…

let them get me the score, no need to  study at  home..

There is a popular saying : "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink." 

You need to work with the GMAT tutor in tandem. Then you can maximize your score in the shortest possible time

5. I won't do the essays while practicing,

Only math and verbal mock exams will do....

Work on all the sections of the exam. The skills in the various sections ( Integrated reasoning,math,verbal. and essays) are inter-related.

6. I speak and write good English, 

so verbal is going to be a cake walk, no less

I hear this often. Only when you go deep into verbal section. You will understand the nuances. Fortunately you can get 100% accuracy in the verbal section.

7.  I need just one month for preparation,

......... after all I had high grades in college.

High grades in college doesn't guarantee you a 700+ in the GMAT. Follow the customized study plan given by the tutor. Only when you achieve the learning objective at the concepts stage, take mock tests. Only when you reach your target score in the 3 or more tests.. book for the exam.

8. Do as many tests as possible,

 in fact 90 percent of my preparation time should be spent on tests. concepts? What concepts?

Fundamentals first... ..always

Also  some notable mentions

9. My friend said GMAT was easy for him, no tough questions 

hey, what was your friend’s score?

Each test aspirant is different,  What works for your friend, may not work for you.. Get a customized study plan

10. The luck factor

Out of five tests you did, one test you scored above 650. So you will give the test as planned.  you believe in luck!

I wish life was as simple as that....

A little bit about me.

I am George, a GMAT tutor, since 2008. I coach students online as well as offline at my center. You can

• Check my linkedin profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgeanand
• Join my facebook online learning community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/semanticsGMAT
• Visit my website to know about my classes:  http://www.semanticslearning.com/
• Read my thoughts on GMAT prep via my blog: https://letsgmat.blogspot.com/

10 things to keep in mind when you practice GMAT reading comprehension

1. Keep your fears away

One fear most test takers feel is ‘ what if the passages are totally unfamiliar’. This is highly unlikely if you have spent a good amount of time reading quality passages and have taken good number of comprehension tests.

2. Imagine yourself succeeding

Be optimistic about your preparation and success in the GMAT. Start your preparation early so that you do not take the test till you are ready.

3. For god’s sake do not procrastinate

The day you wake up to think, oh I have plenty of time left for prep, you are on the road to procrastination. You have semester work, events to participate in, personal issues; none of these should come in the way of your reaching your goal.

4. All strategies need not work for you

We all vary in our styles of learning. Some of us would require longer preparation time, others less. It’s more rewarding to compare our performance today with our own past performance than with that of others.

5.Do not expect overnight results

Efficient reading involves building an array of skills. It takes time. Perseverance is the key. Lot of hard work is required to excel, give up not.

6. Do research

Learn those tiny tips from friends who are preparing for verbal tests, what worked for them, what did not, they are invaluable sources of test info.

7.Meditate;

with your learning your own reflections and insights can throw up new ideas that work best for you.

8.Do not panic; 

instead make a panic plan. Put together a remedial plan with the help of a mentor- a senior or trainer; there is always a way out.

9.Invest intelligently

 in buying good reading material: books, CDs, general reading material. And invest time wisely.

10. Selfishness is a virtue

 If Ayn Rand did feel that way, so can you. Do not spare your reading time playing agony aunt/uncle for those hapless souls; nevertheless when you need reassurance ask and get!!

GMAT math probability webinar

I would like to invite you to the GMAT master class (webinar), this weekend(Saturday (6 pm)and Sunday (6pm)).

Topic: introduction to probability.

These classes will benefit you, if you have a non-math background . If you would like to attend, Send me a message.. I will send you the zoom link.

GMAT sentence correction exercise

Do you want to ace the sentence correction section of the GMAT? 

Here is a good workout. Analyse the given passage. mark the following:

1. Subject and corresponding verb

2. Noun and its modifier

3. Noun and pronoun

4. Adjective and the noun its modifying

5.clauses- dependent/ relative

6. standard sentence structure

What else can you observe.

Famines that once plagued South Asia are now vanishingly rare, the population less susceptible to disease and starvation. But that progress may be reversed, experts worry, and funding for anti-poverty programmes may be cut as government struggle with stagnant growth rates or economic contractions as the world heads for recession.

  Source- The Hindu paper

GMAT sentence correction rules

Rule: Tense consistency

Illustration:

She invited me to the party and asks me to dance.

observe the word "and"

There are two segments in this sentence.

She invited me to the party and asks me to dance.

Note the tense for each segment

“She invited me to the party” is in past tense

“asks me to dance.” is in present tense

The tense has to be consistent throughout the sentence

Correct sentence:

She invited me to the party and asked me to dance.

GMAT reading comprehension? Just do it

Keep your fears away
One fear most test takers feel is ‘ what if the passages are totally unfamiliar’. This is highly unlikely if you have spent a good amount of time reading quality passages and have taken good number of comprehension tests.

Imagine yourself succeeding
Be optimistic about your preparation and success in the GRE test.  Start your preparation early so that you do not take the test till you are ready.

For god’s sake do not procrastinate
The day you wake up to think, oh I have plenty of time left for prep, you are on the road to procrastination. You have semester work, events to participate in, personal issues; none of these should come in the way of your reaching your goal.

All strategies need not work for you
We all vary in our styles of learning. Some of us would require longer preparation time, others less. It’s more rewarding to compare our performance today with our own past performance than with that of others.

Do not expect overnight results
Efficient reading involves building an array of skills. It takes time. Perseverance is the key. Lot of hard work is required to excel, give up not.

Do research, learn those tiny tips from friends who are preparing for verbal tests, what worked for them, what did not, they are invaluable sources of test info.

Meditate; with your learning your own reflections and insights can throw up new ideas that work best for you.

Do not panic; 
instead make a panic plan. Put together a remedial plan with the help of a mentor- a senior or trainer; there is always a way out.

Invest intelligently in buying good reading material: 
books, CDs, general reading material. And invest time wisely.

Selfishness is a virtue 
If Ayn Rand did feel that way, so can you. Do not spare your reading time playing agony aunt/uncle for those hapless souls; nevertheless when you need reassurance ask and get! Howzzat.

GMAT data sufficiency tips Save precious minutes…HOW?

Save precious minutes…HOW?

Don’t calculate exact answer.

Ask: “can I find the answer?” instead of “what is the value of the unknown variable?”

Data sufficiency is a test of mathematical reasoning.  It tests your ability to evaluate the adequacy of given data in answering a question in the mathematical setting. This involves verifying the sufficiency of data to solve a problem, distinguishing between relevant and irrelevant data, and establishing relationship between variables.

Here’s how the directions for data sufficiency problems appear in the exam

A given question is followed by two statements. You are required to determine whether the statements can be used to answer the question.

Mark (A) if statement I alone is sufficient but statement II alone is not sufficient to answer the question

Mark (B) if statement II alone is sufficient but statement I alone is not sufficient to answer the question

Mark (C) if both statements I and II together are sufficient to answer the question

Mark (D) if each statement alone is sufficient to answer the question

Mark (E) if statement I and II together are not sufficient to answer the question

Let’s take a problem

In the figure above, the points A,B,C,D  and E lie on the a line. A is on both circles, B is the centre of the smaller circle, C is the centre of          the larger circle, D is on the smaller circle and E is on the larger circle. What is the area of the region inside the larger circle and outside the smaller circle?
(I) AB=3 and BC=2
(2)CD=1 and DE=4

To find the area of a circle the radius of the circle is required. The area of the circle = (pi)*radius*radius.
AB = is the radius of the inner circle
AC = is the radius of the inner circle
The required area= (area of the outer circle)-(area of the inner circle)

Lets take statement (I)
AB= 3 and BC =2. The area of the outer circle can be computed as the radius of the outer circle is AC(AB+BC).The radius of the inner circle is AB. The difference in the two areas will give the numerical answer.
It is not necessary to calculate the exact numerical value. It is just enough to know that the answer can be determined with the data given. Time can be saved.
Statement(I) alone is sufficient.

Let’s take statement (II)
CD+DE=CE=CA which is the diameter of the bigger circle.
The diameter of the smaller circle is CA+CD. The radius of the smaller circle is half the diameter. Hence the radius and the diameter of the inner circle can be computed.  As the radii of the bigger and inner circle are computed, the required area can be determined.

Statement (II) alone is sufficient.

Hence answer is D.

Questions such as “what is the value of ...?” , “determine the value of ...?“ can be attacked in this manner.

GMAT sentence correction error types

To ace the verbal section in the GMAT, you need to master these 25 sentence correction concepts. These concepts are tested every time in the GMAT. Some sentences will have two or more error types.

To know more about GMAT preparation, attend a counselling session. Email me at urmentor@semanticslearning.com.

Critical reasoning jargon and its meaning

Grammar

GMAT reading comprehension - How to prepare Part 1

Comprehension: fix it

Every admission test includes a section on passage comprehension, in which a test taker is required to read, analyse and answer questions based on what is stated or implied in the passage. 

These questions are designed to test a wide range of abilities pre-requisite to academic study at a higher level. Those abilities include:

• understanding the meaning of individual words, phrases and sentences with in the passage
• understanding the meaning and purpose of paragraphs and larger bodies of text
• distinguishing between specific details and meaty points
• summarizing a paragraph or an entire passage
• drawing conclusions from the given data
• reasoning out extended information
• understanding the structure of writing and organization of arguments
• identifying the author’s assumptions and opinions
• synthesizing various points coherently
• identifying strengths and weaknesses of a position
• developing and considering alternative explanations
•  Gleaning the tone and tenor of the author

As this list implies, reading and understanding a piece of text requires far more than a passive understanding of the words and sentences it contains; it requires active engagement with the text, asking questions, formulating and evaluating hypotheses and reflecting on the relationship of the particular text to other texts and information. Passages are generally drawn from the life sciences, arts, humanities and everyday topics and are based on material found in books and periodicals, both academic and nonacademic.  Questions can cover any of the topics listed above, from the meaning of a particular word to assessing additional evidence that might support or weaken points made in the passage. Mostly  the questions are standard multiple-choice questions, in which you are required to select a single answer choice, and others ask you to select multiple answer choices........to be continued...in the next blog

www.semanticslearning.com

Dynamics of computer-based tests

When open ended questions ruled the world of educational testing, the test faced immense criticism for its subjectivity, after-all the evaluator’s biases were too obvious to be ignored. Though there is no replacement for open ended questions ( the reason why they are still  the best bet for knowledge assessment at school and  college),  a new era of objective  multiple-choice questions( MCQs), affordable for testing a large number of students, found their place at different levels .   Though reasonably reliable, MCQs are not fool-proof either, with their posing a two-way challenge-  the chances of guess and the failure to test certain thinking  skills if they  are relevant to be tested. Unlike open- ended questions, MCQs cannot test creativity, self-expression or a respondent’s thinking process.  As an antidote to the ‘guess’ factor, many MCQ format tests come with negative marking.

The emerging computer- based tests( CBTs)
The emergence of computer as a medium of testing, especially in aptitude testing involving large numbers, has opened up many possibilities. With revolutionary software, we can present multiple format questions, adapt test to the test taker’s ability, reduce chances of guessing, evaluate essay responses, equate scores on different
tests.

The CAT CBT
The Common Admission Test conducted by the IIMs for admissions into IIMs and many other MBA colleges is now administered on computer ( this year the test will be administered from Oct 16th  to Nov 11th).   In the previous year, the test had two sections, with a time-limit of 70 minutes per section. The quantitative ability and data interpretation formed one section, and verbal ability and logical reasoning constituted the other. The test permits you to go back and forth with in a section, skip questions for later attempt, and  work on any question within a section. The second section will appear only after the time limit for the first section is up. All questions are in the multiple-choice format. There are scroll bars to view data spread across more than one screen and you can highlight text. A review screen will show if you have left any question unanswered. Negative marks for wrong answers serve as penalty.  
Statistical procedures, conforming to psychological testing standards,  are used to equate scores of different test takers who take different combinations of questions, drawn from a large pool.

The GRE, Section adaptive
The Graduate Record Examination conducted globally by Educational Testing Services USA, for admission into MS, PhD and business courses, had introduced a new computer test format in 2011. The test has three sections -  an essay section with two topic prompts, a quantitative ability section with two sub-sections  and  a verbal reasoning section with two sub sections. Not all questions in the math and verbal are in the conventional multiple choice format. For some questions, you are required to enter a numerical value, click on one or  correct answers, or highlight a sentence in a passage etc. As in  the CAT exam, you can move forward and backward with in a section(here sub-section), answer questions in any order, or skip a question. An online calculator is peculiar to to facilitate calculations.

A unique feature of the GRE is that the test is section adaptive. The first subsection of each of math and verbal comprises moderately difficult questions. Your performance in this section determines the difficulty level of the questions in the second sub-section presented to you. This means that a good performance in the first sub-section will result in a tougher second subsection, raising your chances of a higher score. The essays are graded two ways – language assessment using an e-rater and content evaluation manually by essay evaluators. The GRE test has evolved so much that scores on the paper- based test and those of the computer-based test are equated.

The GMAT, Question adaptive
The Graduate Management Admission Test, administered by GMAC USA, is one step ahead of the CAT and the GRE, in its format. In addition to the essay, quantitative and verbal sections you have a new integrated reasoning( IR) section. A vast majority of test takers find the verbal section of the test more complex and demanding than that of the other two exams  discussed above. The passages are abstract,  sentence correction questions tests the intricacies of English language and critical reasoning tests higher order thinking skills.  The integrated reasoning tests your ability to analyse, integrate and evaluate data presented in multiple format. In the IR section, you can drag columns and rearrange data.
Unlike section-adaptive GRE, the GMAT is question adaptive. That is, depending on your performance in a  given question, the  weight age of the next question will be determined. Hence you cannot skip a question, neither can you go back to a question. Each section is separately adaptive. There is no score deduction  for unanswered questions;  instead a cluster of wrong answers will invite lower weightage questions.
With each admission test posing a new set of challenges, test aspirants must adapt to the changing dynamics of competitive exams. The scores of CAT and other Indian exams are valid only for that year, where as the GRE and GMAT scores care valid for 3-5 years. Since these exams test more or less similar skills, many  MBA colleges in India take GMAT or GRE scores. Though there are overlaps in preparation, extra bit of learning will give you more options.

Contributed by Dr. Vijayakumari
GRE, GMAT trainer at semantics Chennai
Email: vijaya@semanticslearning.com

How to prepare for GMAT logical reasoning?

How to prepare for GRE, GMAT logical reasoning?

Let’s face reality. Few college books prepare you to think critically. But critical thinking skills are extensively tested in both GRE and GMAT. Critical reasoning (referred to also as logical reasoning or analytical reasoning) constitute an array of thinking skills that involve, analysis, synthesis and evaluation of numerical, verbal or non-verbal data. Numerical reasoning questions measures your ability to apply reasoning in a math setting whereas non-verbal reasoning involves interpreting symbols and pictures, the latter skills hardly tested in higher order aptitude tests. A majority of reasoning questions tested in these exams are text-based

(verbal reasoning).

Logic is the science of correct reasoning. It is integral to mathematics and philosophy. There are many logic concepts that originate from the above disciplines and applied in GRE and GMAT tests. The common test areas, viz.  critical reasoning (short passages that present arguments), argument essay and integrated reasoning draw immensely from philosophy and logic. These questions requires you to analyze issues, reason logically, and argue effectively. These skills are essential to succeed in higher studies as well as in careers.

How to build reasoning skills

1.    Using test prep resources

A common practice among test aspirants is to seek help from coaches, preparatory test guides and online discussion forums in order to learn tips and strategies to crack reasoning questions. No doubt some of these are useful sources to make you motivated and test ready. However exercise caution; desist from using these indiscriminately; do quality check.

2.    Reading varied texts

Those who are habituated to reading will over time become critical thinkers, and thereby succeed in many areas of aptitude tests. It is to be noted that the question stimulus in reasoning tests are drawn from everyday knowledge rather than from academic disciplines. Being well-read will make you familiar with the content of these problems.

3.     From principles of  logic

A third and highly productive way to build your logical reasoning is to master elementary logic theory. What is logic theory?

 Here’s a basic concept in logic.

Statement : Whenever Sara goes to the supermarket, she buys cookies.

You saw Sara this morning carrying a jar of cookies. Can you then infer that Sara has gone to the super market?

 No. this is wrong reasoning, because the supermarket is not the only place where Sara buys cookies from.

Let’s consider the scenario:  Sara did not buy cookies, can we infer that she did not go to the supermarket? Yes, we can.

In logic theory terms, the original statement can be expressed as,

If A, then B; If not B, then not A. This expression can be applied to a class of problems. Many such formulae  can be learnt and applied to logical reasoning. Merely common sense will not work.

There are many books on elementary logic suitable for beginners  that can give you solid foundation in  critical thinking. You may make use of such sources for your test preparation.

A good book on critical reasoning

One book I would recommend is Critical thinking: A Student’s Introduction by  Gregory Basham, William Irwin et al.  Online edition of this book is also available.

This book provides all basics consistent with the reasoning historically assessed in tests of reasoning and aligned with the content areas covered in  global admission examinations. Hence a good reference source for aptitude trainers too. The real-world examples and proven step- by- step approach to answering questions that this book provides can significantly improve the way you look at reasoning  problems.  The concepts that you need are; structure  and components of arguments, inductive and deductive arguments, method of evaluating arguments and  ways to spot common errors in arguments.

Let your preparation involve understanding the logic behind problems and not merely seeking solutions.

Becoming a critical thinker is both an adventure and  hard work.   Practice. Make mistakes. Learn from them. Improve. In the coming  test season, be equipped with a workable set of thinking tools.

Contributed by

Dr. Vijayakumari

Instructor  at semantics, Chennai

Email: vijaya@semanticslearning.com

www.semanticslearning.com

Statement of purpose ( SOP ) - Template

More  on  sops
A  proposed structure  of presentation

Para 1- achievements summary
Sub heading 1. Academic
Sub-heading 2. Co-curricular
Sub-heading 3- social/community work
Sub-heading 4- career achievements of the last 2-3 yrs – specific details of contribution- eg. Cost management, productivity improvement

Para 2- challenges  and dimensions of work
Challenging tasks assigned /volunteered at school or college level
Challenges in execution
At job - Geographical reach, size  of wares/service managed  and customer base served

Para 3 - initiatives
School/ college level –to solve an existing problem or to improve upon an existing practice
What work was voluntarily sought and successfully carried out in your job

Para 4 – the value placed on you
By your employer, for your consistency
Any rapid rise in your career, extra rewards earned...

How many hrs should I prepare for GMAT

Based on observation If you haven't spent atleast 150hrs on GMAT preparation then the probability of you scoring 700+ is slim.

GMAT tips to score more..

Ten ways to score poorly in GMAT! If you are rich enough for retakes, that is
1. I know math, so no need to go thru the same old arithmetic, algebra, geometry stuff
2. Tones of free downloads on your pc..what is relevant, what is not, even God may not know..
3. Just official guide, what else, nothing official about it…
4. I will join for the costliest, longest duration course in town…let them get me the score, no need to study at home..
5. I wont do the essays while practicing, only math and verbal mock exams will do
6. I speak and write good English, so verbal is going to be a cake walk, no less
7. I need just one month for preparation, after all I had high grades in college.
8. Do as many tests as possible, in fact 90 percent of my preparation time should be spent on tests. concepts? What concepts?
9. My friend said GMAT was easy for him, no tough qns ( hey, what was your friend’s score?)
10. Out of five tests I did, one test I scores above 650. So I will give the test as planned. I believe in luck!
PS Good luck

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