5 points to keep in mind - GMAT critical reasoning

 

The CR puzzle

1. Critical reasoning has not been part of your school or college syllabus
2. 1/3rd of the verbal questions are CR
3. Official guide chapter on CR is tough to understand
4. Using ‘common sense’ and guess yield limited success
5. No one dedicated source book for GMAT/GRE cr    

Schedule a counselling session with our verbal tutor to get a customized plan

My contact link is here:
LinkedIn profile   https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgeanand/

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

Click here to do a critical reasoning drill

5 tips to keep in mind - GMAT reading comprehension

Do not take chances with reading comprehension

• Thorough preparation must
• Read all types of passages- science, art, literature
• Its critical reading not just understanding
• Ensure you know all types of question types asked
• Learn strategies for higher weightage inference questions

Schedule a counselling session with our verbal tutor to get a customized plan

My contact link is here:
LinkedIn profile   https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgeanand/

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

What math skills are tested on the GMAT?

 

What math skills are tested on the GMAT?

The quantitative section of the GMAT is predictable. If you grasp the fundamentals, you
will be able to ace the GMAT math section.

What are the fundamentals skills, you should focus on…

 

#GMAT MATH SKILL 1: ARITHMETIC

The GMAT tests your ability to do the following:

• Work with fractions, decimals and ratios
• Understand properties and concepts of real numbers
• Work with multiples and factors
• Understand and apply concepts of percentages in sums dealing with profit loss discount, simple and compound interest
• Calculate indices, exponent and surds
• Know and apply counting methods (permutation and combination)
• Understand probability and apply this concept in word problems
• Work on sets (Venn diagrams)
• Understand descriptive statistics (mean, median, mode and standard deviation)

        

#GMAT MATH SKILL 2: ALGEBRA

The GMAT tests your ability to do the following:

Solve and manipulate

• Equations
• Inequalities
• Algebraic expressions (isolate variable and solve for a variable)
• Functions

#GMAT MATH SKILL 3: GEOMETRY

The GMAT tests your ability to do the following:

Understand the properties of

•  Lines, triangles, quadrilaterals and circles
• Solids (cuboid, cylinders, spheres.)

Use the concepts of

• Coordinate geometry
• Trigonometry

 #GMAT MATH SKILL 4: RATIOS and PROPORTION

The GMAT tests your ability to do the following:

• Work with ratios and measurement problems

Apply the concept of ratios in

• Time and work problems
• Time speed and distance problems
• Mixtures and solutions

Once you get the grasp of the fundamentals, then you need to apply them in problems.

Time management is also an important parameter during problem solving.  You need to arrive at an answer in less than 2 minutes.

Need help in math,, Feel free to contact me

My contact link is here:

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

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

How to boost your GMAT verbal score from 28 to 35+.. Part 1/3

 

Today , We will focus on the sentence correction section..

To boost your score from VA 28 to 35+ 

Master “ effective expressions” in addition to standard rules of grammar.

What are effective expressions? 

Sentences 

• With no unwanted repetitions 
• With no confusing pronouns 
• With no awkward arrangement of words 
• With clarity 
• With contextually appropriate words 
• With meaning conformity 
• Less wordy

Schedule a counselling session with our verbal tutor to get a customized plan

My contact link is here:

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

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

Note*

It is unlikely that a less than 30 raw score in the verbal section contain the range of concepts listed above. Be prepared for tougher questions than those you found in your earlier attempt. For guidance in any or all of the test areas presented above, 

Contact us

Online / offline interactive classes available at semantics:

ranging from 6 hrs to 30 hrs for select areas or for full verbal course.

Watch this space for the next post 

How to boost your GMAT verbal score from 28 to 35+.. Part 2/3

Today , We will focus on the Reading comprehension section.

Read part 1 on sentence correction section here 

To boost your score from VA 28 to 35+ 

Upgrade your critical reading skills

• Work out more abstract passages: art, literature, history
• Read high-end essays.eg. From Times Literary Supplement archives

Read the 10 must not do's here

http://letsgmat.blogspot.com/2021/02/10-must-not-dos-for-gmat-reading.html

Schedule a counselling session with our verbal tutor to get a customized plan

My contact link is here:

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

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

Note*

It is unlikely that a less than 30 raw score in the verbal section contain the range of concepts listed above. Be prepared for tougher questions than those you found in your earlier attempt. For guidance in any or all of the test areas presented above, 

Contact us

Online / offline interactive classes available at semantics:

ranging from 6 hrs to 30 hrs for select areas or for full verbal course.

Watch this space for the next post 

GMAT math thinking skills 11

GMAT tests your logical skills as well as your knowledge of math concepts. To score high, you need to remember various formulas, theorems. Also you need to master critical problem-solving skills.

Today I am going to  take you through one problem -solving skill – Diagramming

 Students with a non-math background usually.. do this

1. Read the complete math problem
2. Write equations.

Solving equations is time consuming.  You can make mistakes too..if your are not careful.

 

Students who are fairly proficient in quantitative reasoning..do this

1. Break the problem into parts. (they don't read the whole question in one assay)
2. Analyze each part, and represent that part visually

Rarely do they write equations. 

Then  they do mental calculations

This approach saves time...

Lets take this math problem

Observe the problem solving process…

If the average number of 8 terms is given to be 40 and the average of first 6 terms is given to be 35. What is the average of the remaining 2 terms?

Method 1:Conventional approach

Average = sum of numbers/ number of items

Average of 8 terms = 40

So let the 8 terms be a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h

(a+b+c+d+e+f+g+h)/8 = 40

(a+b+c+d+e+f+g+h) = 40*8 = 320…..equation (i)

(a+b+c+d+e+f)/6 = 35

(a+b+c+d+e+f) =  35*6 = 210…..equation (ii)

Subtract both equations to get g+h

g+h= 320-210= 110

Average = 110/2 = 55

 

Method 2: Visualization 

Let's visually represent the sum

Let's take 8 terms as 8 dashes.

The sum of the 8 terms = 8 x 40=320.  The sum of the first six terms is 6 x 35=210.

Subtract both sums to get the sum of the remaining terms = 320 - 210= 110

Hence average =110/2=55

The second method takes less time too.

So even if you have non math background, you can ace the math section by writing less equations and drawing more diagrams.

Feel free to contact me if you want to ace the math section by using simple strategies like this. 

My contact link is here:

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

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

Let's try another sum

Solution is here

 http://letsgmat.blogspot.com/2021/07/gmat-math-thinking-skills-10.html

How can I raise my GMAT verbal score from V 30 to V 37 in 1 month ?

 

This is the score card of a student who took the 1 month score booster verbal program.

His math was strong. He wanted to maximize his verbal score.

We started off with a test. 

We identified his weak areas.

His weak areas were sentence correction and critical reasoning.

His reading comprehension skills were fair . He felt that if he had more time, he could have got all correct.

So we devised a strategy, were we could solve sentence correction questions fast and use that extra time to tackle reading comprehension questions. .

Sentence correction 

There are 25 errors tested in the GMAT. So we put him through drills. We

• honed his identification skills 
• exposed him to basic and advanced concepts 
• showed him time-saving tactics.

Watch this video to learn how to start your sentence correction prep.

  

Critical reasoning 

There are 15 questions types. We taught him logic and gave him an approach to solve each question type.

We gave him drills, with which he was able to deconstruct the argument 

Here is a small drill 

https://semanticslearning.com/blog/gmat-blog/gmat-gre-critical-reasoning-exercise-1/

After mastering the concepts, he did 5 mock tests. He was consistently scoring V 35+.

He scored V 37 eventually.

The sessions were one-on-one. We feel a focused intervention, like this, will help you hone your skills..

If you need help in GMAT prep

 My contact link is here:

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

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

Happy learning

Why you need a GMAT coach

This article is from Seth's blog

A coaching paradox

At the top tier of just about any sort of endeavor, you’ll find that the performers have coaches.

Pianists, orators and athletes all have coaches. In fact, it would be weird if we heard of someone on stage or on the field who didn’t have one.

And yet, in the world of business, they’re seen as the exception.

Part of the reason is that work feels like an extension of something we’ve been doing our whole lives. Figure skating isn’t like school, but showing up at work seems to be. “I’ve got this,” is a badge of honor.

And part of the reason is that a few coaches have made claims that stretch belief, and we’re not actually sure what they do. It doesn’t help that there’s no easy way to identify what sort of coach we need or what we’re going to get…

It turns out that the people with the potential to benefit the most from a coach are often the most hesitant precisely because of what coaching involves.

Talking about our challenges. Setting goals. Acknowledging that we can get better. Eagerly seeking responsibility…

And yet we avert our eyes and hesitate. It might be because having a coach might be interpreted as a sign of weakness. And what if we acknowledge our challenges but fail to overcome them? It could be that we don’t want to cause change to happen, or that we’re worried that we will.

One company I admire believes in coaches so much that they’ve put several on staff, ensuring that their leadership all benefit from one. But mostly, it’s something we have to pay for ourselves.

And so, paying for a coach, for something that’s hard to measure, which might be socially awkward, to get better at something that feels normal—combine that with a hesitancy to ask for help—it’s a wonder anyone has a coach.

The paradox is that the very things that hold us back are the reasons we need a coach in the first place.

If you need help in GMAT.. Feel free to ping me.

My contact link is here:

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

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

Ten ‘feel good’ factors about GMAT

 

Ten ‘feel good’ factors about GMAT 

• You can retake the exam to improve your score 
• There are hardly any surprise elements in the exam
• A great score in the GMAT can cancel out ‘not- so -great’ undergrad grades
• GMAT scores can land you merit scholarship 
• GMAT scores are valid for five years
• Many Indian business schools use GMAT scores for admission
• You don’t have to master ENTIRE Grammar.only select concepts
• Critical reasoning preparation helps in both reading comprehension and analytical writing
• Now you can choose the order in which you want to attempt the sections
• Both math and verbal learning comes handy in IR

for self-paced, individualized preparatory packages..mail/ call/ message me

My contact link is here:

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

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

GMAT math thinking skills 10

 GMAT tests your logical skills as well as your knowledge of math concepts.  To score high, you need to remember various formulas, theorems. Also you need to master critical problem-solving skills.

Today I am going to  take you through one problem -solving skill –

Counting skills

Take this problem .

This sum requires higher order thinking

There are two ways to solve this question

 

Method 1:Using pattern recognition

 Lets say,  you didn’t know the concept of counting and permutation and combination

First focus on the 8x8 grid...

Take the smallest unit of chessboard. It’s a 2x2 grid

How many rectangles can you count?

All the squares are rectangles too.

First count squares  there are 5

How many rectangles can you count? There are 4.

In total there are 9 . 

If you observe........ 9  = 1+8

these numbers follow the cube series

 

Now take a  3x3 grid

How many rectangles can you count?

First count squares  there are 14

How many rectangles can you count? There are 22

In total there are 36 . 

If you observe ..........36  = 1+8+27

these numbers follow the cube series

 

Always remember 

the number of rectangles in a grid follow the cubic series 1³ 2³ …3³…

So in a chess board.. the number of rectangles is the  sum of the cubes from 1³ to 8³

 Hence 1³ +2³ + 3³+4³ +5³ +6³ +7³ +8³ =1296

  

 

 

Method 2:Using principles of counting

The chess board has 8 rows and 8 columns. a 8x8 grid.

All squares are rectangles. So you need to count the squares also.

 

Okay.. First look at the gird..

Can you observe the number of horizontal lines? There are 9 lines

Similarly

Can you observe the number of vertical lines? There are 9 lines

 

If you observe… to draw a rectangle. You need to select two horizontal lines and two vertical lines.

The point of intersection of these lines form a rectangle.

So how do we choose two lines out of 9. 

Use combination.

To select 2 horizontal lines = ⁹C₂

To select 2 vertical lines = ⁹C₂

Now as per the rules of counting…you need to multiply

⁹C₂ x ⁹C₂ = ((9x8)/ (1x2) ) x ((9x8)/ (1x2) ) = 1296

There are 1296 rectangles in a chessboard.

 

To know more about Math problem solving skills.. Feel free to contact me

 My contact link is here:

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

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

Lets try another sum

Solution is here

http://letsgmat.blogspot.com/2020/11/gmat-math-thinking-skills-7.html

 

GMAT retake on your mind?

 

What should you do:

Though each test taker has a different set of reasons for not performing up to her true potential, our experience with students over the years help us arrive at certain broad frameworks.

If your aim is an admit at a top B.School, it makes no sense to score a Quant 49 and Verbal 21, nor is there a balance in a 35 verbal and 41 Quant.

The 50 -60 points difference can be filled by reworking your prep and test taking strategy.

Majority of those who score lower than their potential attributes it to the verbal section.

Thus,

In the replan, spent more time on the verbal than on the math.

In math, ensure you work on questions with apparently simple concepts but complex reasoning, especially data sufficiency.

Do a thorough study of those areas in verbal that troubled you in the exam

• Reading more passages on art, history, culture
• Revising sentence errors more in terms of ambiguity, wordiness, diction
• Gathering strategies for strengthen, weaken boldface arguments
• Evaluating, periodically, your progress by taking tests( FULL TESTS)

Be confident. Your score can go only in one direction, UPWARDS

 

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/

 

 

GMAT critical reasoning - strengthen the argument - practice question

 Try this question

Strategy: 

• Identify conclusion - and the cause and the effect.
• Look for other reasons. that support the conclusion..

To ace the verbal section.. You need to do drills like this...

https://semanticslearning.com/blog/gmat-blog/gmat-gre-critical-reasoning-exercise-1/

If you need help in the GMAT, feel free to ping me.

Can you play with numbers - GMAT math tip

Some question in the GMAT test your ability to reason with numbers. 

That too, in 30 to 45 seconds.

So while preparing for an exam of this caliber,focus on

learning math concepts and math reasoning skills.

One of the math reasoning skills, you must hone, is  Playing  with numbers.

Tip:
Some of the concepts, you must pay attention to, are 
Factors and multiples · Prime and composite numbers · Tests for divisibility · Common factors and common multiples · Prime factorization.....

Try this sum

In an auditorium, 360 chairs are to be set up in a rectangular arrangement with x rows of exactly y chairs each. If the only other restriction is that          10 < x < 25, how many different rectangular arrangements are possible?

A. 4        B. 5         C.6          D.8         E.9

This sum is based on number properties. There are two methods to solve this problem.

Method 1 - the conventional way

You should know the concept of prime factorization.

As per the question

X rows x Y chairs = 360

The product of two numbers = 360

We can say that X and Y are integers.

Now Let's find the prime factorization of 360

360 = 2 x 2 x 2 x 3 x 3 x 5

 

As per the condition given in the question 

The value of x should lie between 10 and 25.

The value of X should be a combination of the prime factors of 360

360 = 2 x 2 x 2 x 3 x 3 x 5

Pick few of the above numbers and find the product ( the product should lie between 10 and 25)

2 x 2 x 3 = 12

3 x 5 = 15. and so on...

Hence X can have values 12, 15,18, 20,24

 The pairs are

x = 12 & y = 30
x = 15 & y = 24
x = 18 & y = 20
x = 20 & y = 18
x = 24 & y = 15

There are five such possibilities

 Answer option: B

 

Method 2: Playing with numbers

Let us say you didn’t know the concept of prime factorization, then you can play with numbers and arrive at the answer.

X is a number between 10 and 25

Possible values of x

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

(Product of one of these numbers) x (a new number) should give 360

Did you notice that there are prime numbers in the middle. 

None of the prime numbers divide 360 - 13,17,19, 23

Rule out the primes

Whats left.............

12 14 15 16 18 20 21 22 24

(Product of one of these numbers) x (a new number) should give 360

The number should divide 360 and give an integer.. take one number at a time

360 /12 .. its divisible ... keep it..

360/14 = 360/(7x2) is not an integer ....360 is not divisible by 7.. rule it out

360/16 = 360/(4x4) is not an integer... 360 is not divisible by 4 twice.. rule it out

360/21 = 360/(7x3) is not an integer....360 is not divisible by 7.. rule it out

360/22 = 360/(2x11) is not an integer...360 is not divisible by 11.. rule it out

Whats left..

12 15 18 20 24

Hence 

There are five such possibilities

 Answer option: B

Hope you understood both the methods. Even if you are out of touch with math .. with logic 

you can ace this section...

If you need any help math help in your GMAT prep... Contact me...

My contact details are here:

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

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

What next? 

Take a GMAT math diagnostic test

Take a GMAT diagnostic test

 

Take the test here..

Take the Reading comprehension, sentence correction, math and critical reasoning test

Test duration is 10 -15 mins.

Ping me your scores , we can devise a study plan together 

My contact details are here:

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

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

 

3 ways to improve your math skills - GMAT math tips

Math is tough for some of us.

The reason - The way, math was taught to us in school or college.

Can it be mastered now?

Yes, you can...

GMAT  mainly tests your mathematical reasoning.

Your ability to 

• reason with numbers and symbols.
• apply principles/formula and solve questions
• evaluate cases or arguments
• strategize for a solution
• identify patterns and use logic
• check data efficacy and more.

So if you are taught skills ( Skills are different from math concepts), you will be fine.

Ping me if you would like to know more about the math skill-development course .

My contact details are here:

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

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

So how we do work on our math skills. Here are 3 ways, which can help you hone your general math skills

1.Make math part of your daily life... practice it without even thinking

For example, if a dress that’s regularly $50 is on sale for 30% off, what is the sale price?  

Do simple calculation.

Or if you have to travel 20 miles. You are going at a speed of 20 miles per hour. How long will you take?

2.Use mental math everyday

20+30+45+60 = ??? don’t use calculator.

What is 15 squared or what is 20 squared…

Everyday spend 5 - 10 minutes working on basic computation

 

3.Practice diagramming

Always picture a math problem.

Make few circles/ draw connections/ some stick figures….

Here are sample images for math problems

If you have any queries regarding math preparation.. ping me

Happy learning...