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- cschramke
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- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 12:20 pm
Finding specific problem types for practice
If I need to practice specific problem types such as quad equations or ratios for example..is there any way to find these in our OG books or online? I've exhausted the syllabus looking for these types of problems and need extra practice. Please let me know if you have any suggestions!
- RonPurewal
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- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:23 am
Re: Finding specific problem types for practice
cschramke Wrote:If I need to practice specific problem types such as quad equations or ratios for example..is there any way to find these in our OG books or online? I've exhausted the syllabus looking for these types of problems and need extra practice. Please let me know if you have any suggestions!
You can try the MGMAT Foundations of Math book.
If you are talking about basic algebra skills -- i.e., not problems formatted like GMAT problems, but just basic algebra exercises -- then you can also (a) go to the bookstore or public library and get a high-school algebra workbook, or (b) just search the internet for exercises.
For instance, if you want practice in factoring quadratic equations, you should be able to find a million zillion different pages of exercises by just typing "quadratic factoring exercises" (or other such term) into google.
- cschramke
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- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 12:20 pm
Re: Finding specific problem types for practice
Thank you for the reply. I am not having trouble with the basics of these areas, rather, I am having trouble with the more complex GMAT problems/word problems related to these areas that are 600-800 level. I've found some random practice problems via google, but am never sure how reliable the question sources and their explanations are.
- RonPurewal
- Students
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- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:23 am
Re: Finding specific problem types for practice
There's not a ton of reliable stuff out there, true. (This is more of an issue on the verbal section, where just about all of the third-party material is so horrible and un-gmat-like that it makes my eyes hurt.)
If you are really aiming at scores that high, though, I've got good news for you: You don't really need topic-specific problems anymore at that point.
See, remember how this test works. The problems get "harder", but the material stays basic.
Even the "hardest" problems on the test are still based on elementary mathematics, no more advanced than first-year algebra and geometry (and in many cases considerably less advanced -- there are lots of very, very hard problems that don't use any actual mathematics beyond third-grade arithmetic).
So, where I'm going is this:
* If you're scoring, say, a 20 out of 51 on the quant section, and you're missing ratio problems or quadratic problems, then you should probably go study ratios or quadratics.
* If you're scoring in the 40s and you're missing problems in those areas, then the topics are not the issue. Really. I'd bet money on it.
If you are really aiming at scores that high, though, I've got good news for you: You don't really need topic-specific problems anymore at that point.
See, remember how this test works. The problems get "harder", but the material stays basic.
Even the "hardest" problems on the test are still based on elementary mathematics, no more advanced than first-year algebra and geometry (and in many cases considerably less advanced -- there are lots of very, very hard problems that don't use any actual mathematics beyond third-grade arithmetic).
So, where I'm going is this:
* If you're scoring, say, a 20 out of 51 on the quant section, and you're missing ratio problems or quadratic problems, then you should probably go study ratios or quadratics.
* If you're scoring in the 40s and you're missing problems in those areas, then the topics are not the issue. Really. I'd bet money on it.
- RonPurewal
- Students
- Posts: 19744
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:23 am
Re: Finding specific problem types for practice
Instead, do some problems in those areas, and then go back and do an extremely thorough review of those problems.
* What actually went wrong?
At your level, in about 99% of problems (including 100% of data sufficiency problems), this will not be a math issue. It won't.
It will be an issue of organization (or, more to the point, lack of organization). Or reading things more carefully. Or writing steps down rather than doing them in your head. Or this, or that. But it's almost always organization or logistics.
If it's DS, then, 95% of the time, the problem is that you had the wrong goal, right from the start.
For instance, if a question says "What is the sum of a + b?" and you set a goal of finding the individual values of a and b, then you're already doomed. Before you even start working.
* What other methods could you have used?
Backsolving?
Plugging in your own values?
Estimating?
Common sense (on word problems)?
Making a list of cases and testing them (in DS)?
^^^ These methods are the single best vehicle to improving your math score. Use them. Often. Don't be a one-trick pony.
* Can you write a similar problem? (Especially data sufficiency)
Try it. If you can write problems about these kinds of things, you'll become much more aware of certain factors that influence their outcome. Especially when it comes to the wording of the question and so on.
* What actually went wrong?
At your level, in about 99% of problems (including 100% of data sufficiency problems), this will not be a math issue. It won't.
It will be an issue of organization (or, more to the point, lack of organization). Or reading things more carefully. Or writing steps down rather than doing them in your head. Or this, or that. But it's almost always organization or logistics.
If it's DS, then, 95% of the time, the problem is that you had the wrong goal, right from the start.
For instance, if a question says "What is the sum of a + b?" and you set a goal of finding the individual values of a and b, then you're already doomed. Before you even start working.
* What other methods could you have used?
Backsolving?
Plugging in your own values?
Estimating?
Common sense (on word problems)?
Making a list of cases and testing them (in DS)?
^^^ These methods are the single best vehicle to improving your math score. Use them. Often. Don't be a one-trick pony.
* Can you write a similar problem? (Especially data sufficiency)
Try it. If you can write problems about these kinds of things, you'll become much more aware of certain factors that influence their outcome. Especially when it comes to the wording of the question and so on.
- RonPurewal
- Students
- Posts: 19744
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:23 am
Re: Finding specific problem types for practice
The point is, basically, that there are 2 kinds of issues that can come up on these problems: (i) logistics/organization/due diligence, or (ii) actual math issues.
Every now and then, once in a blue moon, a problem of type (ii) will come along -- that is, a problem on which actual mathematics is genuinely the issue.
For instance, in terms of quadratics, maybe you don't know how to factor 5^(2t) - 3(5^t) - 10 if you see it.** In that case, yes, maybe you want practice in "quadratic equations with exponentials".
But, in those cases, you don't need GMAT items to practice on, because the GMAT-ness is not the issue. If the issue is math, then you can just google the math term, and the internet will give you tons and tons of practice exercises for free.
E.g., in terms of the topic above, this is the first hit i get by googling it:
http://www.astarmathsandphysics.com/a_l ... tions.html
Hey, explanations and problems. Cool. And there will be lots and lots of pages out there about any conceivable math topic.
If the issue is (i) organization/logistics/due diligence -- as it will be on most problems, and probably all data sufficiency problems -- then the math topic is irrelevant, because the math topic is not the issue.
In these cases, you just need to identify your mistake, review the problem thoroughly (see previous post), and then do more GMAT items. It doesn't matter if the items involve different math topics, because that doesn't affect the issue of organization/logistics.
Good luck.
**It factors into (5^t - 5) times (5^t + 2).
Every now and then, once in a blue moon, a problem of type (ii) will come along -- that is, a problem on which actual mathematics is genuinely the issue.
For instance, in terms of quadratics, maybe you don't know how to factor 5^(2t) - 3(5^t) - 10 if you see it.** In that case, yes, maybe you want practice in "quadratic equations with exponentials".
But, in those cases, you don't need GMAT items to practice on, because the GMAT-ness is not the issue. If the issue is math, then you can just google the math term, and the internet will give you tons and tons of practice exercises for free.
E.g., in terms of the topic above, this is the first hit i get by googling it:
http://www.astarmathsandphysics.com/a_l ... tions.html
Hey, explanations and problems. Cool. And there will be lots and lots of pages out there about any conceivable math topic.
If the issue is (i) organization/logistics/due diligence -- as it will be on most problems, and probably all data sufficiency problems -- then the math topic is irrelevant, because the math topic is not the issue.
In these cases, you just need to identify your mistake, review the problem thoroughly (see previous post), and then do more GMAT items. It doesn't matter if the items involve different math topics, because that doesn't affect the issue of organization/logistics.
Good luck.
**It factors into (5^t - 5) times (5^t + 2).
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