Tips - Quantitative Comparison

[kaja mydeen]

Quantitative Comparison

Quantitative comparison questions offer unique opportunities and challenges. Your job isn't to solve a problem, just to determine whether one quantity is greater than another. Keep the following in mind when answering quantitative comparison questions:

   1. If the quantities are expressed in different forms, make them look alike. Eliminate parentheses and factor out expressions. In geometry formulas, convert a given measurement (such as an area, perimeter or volume) to the formula that it represents.
   2. Consider the two columns to be two sides of equality. Whatever you do to one side, do to the other. (The only operations that you cannot do without potentially changing the relationship between the two sides are multiplying and dividing by a negative number.)
   3. If the problem includes variables, try substituting numbers to make the relationship clearer. Choose numbers that are easy to work with. Try to find a second set of numbers that will alter the relationships. Make sure the relationship holds for positive numbers, negative numbers and fractions.
   4. The choice "The relationship cannot be determined from the information given" is correct in cases when you can demonstrate two different relationships between the columns. If the quantities both contain only numbers, then it is never correct.
   5.Beware of common traps. One trap is the use of squares: the square root of 25 can be either +5 or-5.
   6. Remember your goal, to determine whether one side is larger than another. Stop working on the question the second you have enough information. Do NOT bother doing any additional calculations.

[kavee]

Learn word lists early in the morning. That's believed to help you remember the words longer. Also concentrate on word lists starting with A, P, S, R, T, and C if you are short on time.
Get to the word etymology if you have a hard time remembering the word's meaning. Try to read the word in context and use it.
Be prepared with the CAT computer format.
Schedule the test for a day and time that work best for you.
Remember to eat a healthy breakfast, drink plenty of fluids and dress comfortably on exam day.
Pack your exam materials (identification, pencils, directions, etc.) and arrive early at the test site to reduce stress.
Read the GRE website [1] thoroughly and carefully. It includes a wealth of information about what to expect on the test.



General Tips
Use the process of elimination in finalizing an answer choice when you are not sure. Eliminate any answers you know are wrong, then take your best guess as to which of the remaining choices are correct.
Use the scratch paper for calculations.
Look at the display time on the computer occasionally and pace yourself accordingly.
Use abbreviations for names, colors etc.
Do not assume anything until it is explicitly stated.



Analytical Tips
Use an essay template. The Issue Essay should include a summary of the argument, a summary of the opposing side and at least three points supporting your argument choice. The Argument Essay you are evaluating should include conclusion, premises, and assumptions. Practice writing sample essay questions, especially if you have not done thesis style writing or have not done it lately.



Verbal Analogies Tips
Determine the relationship between the two words and use it in a sentence.
Look for common relationships: part to whole, cause to effect, person to occupation, word to definition, and synonyms.
Look for the parts of speech of the words. The answer choice words should have the same parts of speech as the ones in the question.



Verbal Sentence Completion Tips
Come up with your own words for each blank without looking at the answers.
Get rid of answers that don't match your words.
Use the context of the sentence. If the sentence implies that you're looking for a positive word, then your answer should be a positive word also.
If the sentence has more than one blank, make sure all the blanks fit in correctly.



Verbal Antonyms Tips
Come up with your own opposite. Eliminate answers that do not fit in with the mood of the word.



Verbal Reading Comprehension
Do not learn the content. You don't have to understand the passage to get the main idea of the article. Your ability to comprehend the material is tested here.
Answer based on the reading. Do not use existing knowledge on a given topic to answer the questions. Remember, the directions say to choose the best answer and not correct answer.
Read ALL of the choices before you pick an answer.
Quantitative Tips
Use reverse calculation or logic to eliminate unrealistic answers.
Be clear about basic math vocabulary (words like LCM, HCF, integers, etc.).
Review:
Statistics (averages, mean, median, mode, range)
geometry (triangles, area, perimeter, circles, Pythagorean Theorem)
exponents, factorials, fractions, inequalities, proportions
order of operations (ODMAS-brackets, division, multiplication, addition, subtraction)
permutations, probability
quadratic equations, ratios, roots