Graduate Record Examination (GRE) math
Posted on October 22, 2009 by GRE Tutor
If you’re considering applying to graduate school, then you’ve already seen all the math you need for the GRE – in junior high. The only problem is, you may not have seen it lately. When was the last time you had to add a bunch of fractions without a calculator? The math that appears on the GRE is almost identical to the math tested on the SAT or ACT. You don’t need to know trigonometry. You don’t need to know calculus.
No matter how much your memories of junior high algebra classes have dimmed, don’t panic. The GRE tests a limited number of core math concepts in predictable ways. Certain topics come up in every test, and, chances are, these topics will be expressed in much the same way; even some of the words and phrases appearing in the questions are predictable. Since the test is so formulaic, we can show you the math you’re bound to encounter. Practice on test-like questions will prepare you for the questions you will see on the actual test.
Here is a checklist of the core math concepts you’ll need to know GRE tutoring. These concepts are vital, not only because they are tested directly on every GRE, but also because you need to know how to perform these simpler operations in order to perform more complicated tasks. For instance, you won’t be able to find the volume of a cylinder if you can’t find the area of a circle. We know the math operations on the following list are pretty basic, but make sure you know how to do them.
- GRE math basics
- Add, subtract, multiply & divide fractions
- Convert fractions to decimals, and vice versa
- Add, subtract, multiply & divide signed numbers
- Plug numbers into algebraic expressions
- Solve a simple algebraic equation
- Find a percent using the percent formula
- Find an average
- Find the areas of rectangles, triangles and circles
How math is scored on the GRE
The GRE will give you a scaled quantitative score from 200 to 800. (The average score is 575.) This score reflects your performance on the math portion of the GRE compared to all other GRE test takers.
Understanding the quantitative section
In the quantitative section, you’ll have 45 minutes to complete 28 questions, which consist of three question types: Quantitative Comparisons, Word Problems and Data Interpretation. The following shows how many questions you can expect of each question type, as well as the amount of time you should spend per question on each question type, very roughly speaking:
- Quantitative Comparisons (14 questions in all – 45 to 60 seconds)
- Word Problems (10 questions in all – 90 to 120 seconds)
- Data Interpretation (4 questions in all – 120 to 180 seconds)
Overview of the Quantitative Section Question Types
As someone famous once said, “Know thine enemy.” You need to know firsthand the way this section of the test is put together of you want to take it apart.
Word Problems
In the Quantitative section on the GRE, you will have to solve problems that test a variety of mathematical concepts. Word Problems typically deal with core math concepts: percentages, simultaneous equations, symbolism, special triangles, multiple and oddball figures, combinations and permutations, standard deviation, mean, median, mode, range and probability.
You can expect about 10 Word Problems. As with other question types, the more questions you get right, the harder the questions you will see.
Quantitative Comparisons
On Quantitative Comparisons, or QCs, instead of solving for a particular value, your job is to compare two quantities. At first, these questions tend to throw test-takers because of their unique format. But once you become used to them, they should actually take less time to solve than other math question types.
Doing well on QCs begins with understanding what makes them different from other math questions. The difficulty of the QCs will depend on how well you are doing in the section. In each question, you’ll see two mathematical expressions. One is in Column A, the other in Column B. Your job is to compare them. Some questions include additional information about one or both quantities. This information is centered, and is essential to making the comparison.
Data Interpretation
Data Interpretation questions are statistics oriented. You will likely be presented with a set of tables, charts, or graphs, which are followed by three to five questions.
