IN-CLASS LESSONS

LESSON 1

WELCOME
We want to make this course as helpful as possible for you. Do not hesitate to
tell your teacher (the scintillating person at the front of the classroom) if there is
anything he or she can do to make this course better for you.

Your teacher has some information (name, contact information, etc.) he or

she wants to pass along. You can write it down here:

UNDERSTANDING YOUR SCORE

Your overall score, which can range from 200 to 800, is a scaled score calculated
by combining your Math and Verbal scores and comparing that result to a chart.
You can use the chart below as an approximate guide. These scores are
comparable from test to test. In other words, a score of 580 implies the same
level of performance no matter which test you take.

The two axes below represent your Math and Verbal scores; either axis can be
used for either score. Make a goal score by taking into consideration your starting
score, what score you need to get into your schools, and how much work time
you have to put into this course. Your instructor will help you set a realistic goal.

10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

10 210 260 300 330 360 400 430 470 500

15 260 300 330 360 400 430 470 500 550

20 300 330 360 400 430 470 500 550 580

25 330 360 400 430 470 500 550 580 610

30 360 400 430 470 500 550 580 610 650

35 400 430 470 500 550 580 610 650 690

40 430 470 500 550 580 610 650 690 720

45 470 500 550 580 610 650 690 720 760

50 500 550 580 610 650 690 720 760 800

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 GMAT MANUAL

The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) is emphatic in its

recommendation of how a GMAT score should be interpreted: A score isn’t to
be seen as an individual number or used as a strict cutoff for admission. The test
writers acknowledge a standard error of measurement of 28 points, which means
the score you get on any given exam may represent a “true” score of 28 points
higher or lower.

Your Official Guide lists the percentile ranks that correspond to scaled scores.
The percentiles indicate the percentage of examinees who score below a particular
level. Looking at the percentiles can help you put your score in perspective. For
example, a student who enters our course with a score of 530 ranks in the 45th
percentile. If that student were to improve her score by 80 points to a 610, she
would rank in the 74th percentile. Her score moved from the lower half of all
GMAT scores to nearly the top quarter, an impressive achievement.

There are two big messages here:

• Understand your score and its changes as you go through the course.
Your ultimate score depends on your starting score and how much
you put into the course.
• Commit yourself to preparing for GMAT once, getting your best
possible score, and moving on with the rest of your life.

INTRODUCTION TO PACING
The GMAT CAT calculates your score based on three considerations:

• Number of questions you answer correctly

• Difficulty of the questions you answer
• Number of questions you complete

Developing a pacing plan is just as important as knowing how to answer the

questions. The basic guidelines are:

1. Start slowly and carefully. The early questions carry the most weight,
so be as accurate as possible. Eliminate careless mistakes.
2. Gradually pick up speed so that you can finish the section.
3. Don’t waste time on killer questions. Guess and move on.
4. Don’t let time run out without answering all the questions. Leave at
least enough time to mark a guess for every question.

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 Lesson 1

Below are guidelines for how long to spend on each section of the test. Learn
them well. Notice that the focus is on how long you should take in any one
section, not how long you should spend on any one question.

MATH
Question numbers
Score 1–10 11–20 21–30 31–37

Under 35 30 min. 25 min. 15 min. 5 min.

35–42 30 min. 20 min. 15 min. 10 min.

Above 42 25 min. 20 min. 20 min. 10 min.

VERBAL
Question numbers
Score 1–10 11–20 21–30 31–41

Under 28 30 min. 25 min. 10 min. 10 min.

28–34 27 min. 20 min. 18 min. 10 min.

Above 34 25 min. 20 min. 15 min. 15 min.

Guessing
You will see some questions that you cannot solve, even if you are planning to
get a perfect score in a section. Guessing is essential in order to maintain the
score and level of difficulty that you earn in any section. Every test taker will
benefit from learning how to guess. It is a skill that requires practice!

If you see a killer question or if you are running short on time, improve your Don’t let killer questions
kill your confidence!
chance of getting a question right before guessing. If you can spot any trap
answer choices, eliminate them before you guess. If you increase your odds of
getting a question right, you will also increase your odds of raising your score.
Your instructor will be teaching you many strategies for guessing throughout
this course.

Applying to Business School

Applying to business school is a long process. Preparing for and taking the GMAT
is just the first hurdle. Information on researching, applying to, and paying for
school can be found on PrincetonReview.com. Visit the site with business-school
questions or to browse the archive of articles. Another way to keep on top of the
process is to subscribe to our free Business School Newsletter. Each month, we
send business school students an email with timely tips, advice, and up-to-the-
minute reminders. Information on business schools’ competitive environment,
post-grad job market, and steps for success are included, as well as admissions
and financial aid news.

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 GMAT MANUAL

PrincetonReview.com’s Online Bookstore carries a number of titles relevant

to prospective business school students. Our comprehensive line of books spans
from business vocabulary and internships to careers, interviewing, networking,
resumes, cover letters, and job hunting.

The site’s Internship Search tool provides access to thousands of internships

at top companies around the world, whether you’re searching before, after, or
during business school.

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 Lesson 1

SET YOUR GOALS

Please fill out the information below and turn the questionnaire in to your teacher.
Knowing your goals and concerns will allow your teacher to work with you
more effectively.

Name
Goals and Expectations
What were your scores on the first practice test?

Math_______ Verbal_______ Overall________

What score range do you hope to reach?

What parts of the GMAT give you the most trouble?

How many hours outside of class per week do you plan to spend preparing for
the GMAT?

What things could interfere with your GMAT preparation time?

How will you handle possible interferences?

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 Lesson 1

VERBAL INTRODUCTION
In the Verbal section, you will have 75 minutes to answer 41 questions. You will
receive a separate Verbal score that ranges from 0 to 60 with an average of 27.
This Verbal score is a factor in your overall score on the 200 to 800 scale.

A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH
The Verbal questions strike fear into many hearts because the credited answers
seem very subjective and arbitrary. Fortunately, this isn’t the real story. The
questions and answer choices, both the correct and incorrect ones, follow definite
patterns.

The key to a good Verbal score is learning to take apart the questions and
answers, find the patterns, and use them to choose the best answer. Everything
in the Verbal section conforms to certain rules, and once you learn those rules
you will be able to work the problems.

THE IMPORTANCE OF POE

The multiple-choice format of the Verbal section actually works to your benefit. The “right” answer is right
Instead of writing down your own free-form responses to the questions, all you only because it’s better
than the others.
have to do is tell the difference between good and bad answers. Once you learn
the ways ETS creates bad answer choices, this process becomes more and more
straightforward.

The Process of Elimination (POE) is especially important in the Verbal section

because you will hardly ever find an answer that says what you want to say.
Don’t worry about “liking” the credited response. Just concentrate on finding
the things that make an answer incorrect.

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 GMAT MANUAL

SENTENCE CORRECTION 1
The sentence correction questions supposedly test your knowledge of grammar.
Hundreds of different grammatical rules could be tested, but the GMAT
concentrates on only a few. We will look at the most commonly tested mistakes.

THE FORMAT
Each sentence correction question presents a sentence with some or all of the
sentence underlined. The first answer choice repeats the underlined portion
exactly as it is in the original sentence. Each of the other answers provides a
variation on the underlined portion.

Your task is to choose the answer that creates the best sentence according to
the rules of grammar.

1. The Texas longhorn, a breed of cattle descended

from herds brought by the Spanish conquistadors, is
a symbol of the Wild West era of American history.

is a symbol of the Wild West era

are symbols of the Wild West
are symbolizing the Wild West era
is symbolic in the Wild West
are a symbol of the Wild West era

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 Lesson 1

The 2/3 Split

Notice the pattern of the answer choices. Two of the answers begin with is and
the other three begin with are. This pattern is a “2/3 split,” and it gives you a big
clue about the grammar rule the question tests. Once you choose between is
and are, you can eliminate either two or three of the answer choices. Then, you
can look for another error and repeat the Process of Elimination.

BASIC APPROACH
The key to success with sentence correction is to identify one error at a time and
eliminate choices that contain the error. Most questions contain more than one
error, so you’ll usually have to repeat the process two or three times.

Let’s work a question one error at a time. Look at the italicized words in the The 2/3 split between is
and are is a clue for which
answer choices, and identify the first error. error?

2. Each team of business students are responsible for

creating a marketable business plan.

are responsible for creating a marketable

business plan
are responsible to create a marketable busi-
ness plan
is responsible for creating a business plan that
is able to be marketed
is responsible for creating a marketable
business plan
is responsible to create a marketable business
plan
Once you identify the error, eliminate the choices that contain it. Compare
the remaining choices and identify a second error.

2. Each team of business students are responsible for What’s the second error?
creating a marketable business plan.

is responsible for creating a business plan that

is able to be marketed
is responsible for creating a marketable
business plan
is responsible to create a marketable business
plan

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 GMAT MANUAL

What’s the difference Eliminate choices with the second error. Since two answer choices remain,
between the remaining we need to repeat the identify-and-eliminate process one more time.
choices?

2. Each team of business students are responsible for

creating a marketable business plan.

is responsible for creating a business plan that

is able to be marketed
is responsible for creating a marketable
business plan
Step 1: Identify an error.
Identify a grammar problem or rule that the sentence is testing. Look for:

• A 2/3 split in the answer choices

• The common types of errors
• Differences among the answer choices

Step 2: Use POE.

Eliminate all answer choices that contain the error.

Step 3: Identify an error in the remaining choices.

Look for another grammatical error in the remaining answer choices. Once again,
compare the answer choices and look for differences.

Step 4: Use POE.

Eliminate the remaining choices that contain the secondary error.

Step 5: Keep going until only one answer choice remains.

Try another question using the basic approach.

Errors can occur at the 3. Concerned by the increasing trade deficit, the govern-
beginning, in the middle, or ment passed legislation which prohibits the con-
at the end of the answer
choices.
sumer to purchase computers that contain micro-
chips manufactured overseas.

which prohibits the consumer to purchase

computers that contain
prohibiting the consumer from computer
purchases which contain
that prohibit the consumer to purchase
computers containing
that prohibits the consumer from purchasing
computers that contain
prohibiting the consumer to purchasing
computers which are containing

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 Lesson 1

Rely on POE
The multiple-choice format of sentence correction questions works to your
advantage. Avoid the temptation to rewrite the sentence in your head before
looking at the answer choices. Instead, concentrate on using POE to eliminate
answers that contain grammatical errors.

When presented with two answer choices that are both grammatically correct,
stick with the answer choice that conserves the original meaning of the sentence.
An unnecessary change in meaning denotes an incorrect answer and should be
eliminated.

THE BIG SIX

How will you know which errors to look for in sentence correction questions?
As we mentioned earlier, ETS concentrates on a handful of grammar errors.
We’ll show you how to spot each type of error and use the grammar rule to
eliminate incorrect answer choices. Learn these rules backward and forward
because most sentence correction questions involve one or more of them.

The Big Six

The most common types of errors are:
• Verb Tense
• Pronouns
• Idioms
• Misplaced modifiers
• Paralellism
• Subject-Verb Agreement

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 GMAT MANUAL

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
While the rule for subject-verb agreement is simple, spotting errors is not
always so easy.

The Rule: A singular subject requires a singular verb. Plural subjects

require plural verbs.

Let’s try a few questions.

Use the 2/3 split to identify 1. Federally-imposed restrictions on how much they pay
the error. small savers has created difficulties for savings banks
as they are competing with such unregulated invest-
ment vehicles as money market certificates.

has created difficulties for savings banks as

they are competing with such
has made it difficult for savings banks compet-
ing with such
have created difficulties for savings banks as
they are competing with
have made it difficult for savings banks to
compete with such
have made it difficult for savings banks as they
are competing with such

Isolate the subject and the 2. Neither my mother nor my father, both of whom are
verb, and check for English professors, agree with my contention that
agreement.
James Joyce’s novel Ulysses is overrated.

both of whom are English professors, agree

with my contention that James Joyce’s novel
Ulysses is overrated
both of whom are English professors, agrees
with my contention that James Joyce’s novel
Ulysses is overrated
both of whom are English professors, agree
with my contention that Ulysses, a novel by
James Joyce, is overrated
each of whom is an English professor, agree
with my contention that James Joyce’s novel
Ulysses is overrated
English professors the both of them, agrees
with my contention that James Joyce’s novel
Ulysses is overrated

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 Lesson 1

3. Approximately seventy-five percent of the global

freshwater supply is stored in glaciers, which cover
roughly ten percent of land area.

is stored in glaciers, which cover roughly ten

percent of land area
is stored in glaciers, which covers roughly ten
percent of land area
is stored in glaciers, that covers roughly ten
percent of land area
are stored in glaciers, which cover roughly ten
percent of land area
are stored in glaciers, which covers roughly
ten percent of land area

4. Attempts to maintain the current level of funding for

museums, though impressive, has not resulted in the
continuation of financial backing for the coming year.

Attempts to maintain the current level of

funding for museums, though impressive
The attempt to maintain the current level of
funding for museums, though impressive,
Maintaining the current level of funding,
though an impressive attempt,
The impressive attempts to maintain the
current level of museum funding
Attempts to maintain the level of funding for
museums currently, though impressive,

5. A number of military personnel who served in Opera-

tion Desert Storm has encountered a series of
unexplainable symptoms that were attributed to Gulf
War syndrome.

has encountered a series of unexplainable

symptoms that were attributed to
has unexplainably encountered a series of
symptoms that have been attributed as
have encountered a series of unexplained
symptoms that have been attributed as
have encountered a series of unexplainable
symptoms that have been attributed to
have encountered, unexplainably, a series of
symptoms that were attributed as

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 GMAT MANUAL

To spot subject-verb agreement errors, look for:

To fix subject-verb agreement errors:

VERB TENSE
In most instances, verb tense should be kept consistent. Verb tense errors are
usually easy to correct once you decide which tense to use.

The Rule: Sentences should use only one tense (past, present, or
future) unless the meaning of the sentence requires a shift.

What changes in the 1. The Department of Education has concluded that if

answer choices? children learn to read and did math from an early age,
they will require less remedial work in later school years.

did math from an early age, they will require

less remedial work in later school years
did math from an early age, they require in
later school years less remedial work
do math from an early age, they require less
remedial work in later school years
do math from an early age, they will be re-
quired in later school years to do less reme-
dial work
did math from an early age, less remedial work
will be required in later school years

What helps you determine 2. Although Smith once championed the charity, he
which tense to choose? changed his mind after a journalist linked its origin to
a corrupt individual.

once championed the charity

had once championed the charity
has once championed the charity
was a champion of the charity once
championed the charity at one time

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 Lesson 1

3. So far this year, twenty elected legislators had opted

not to run for reelection in the aftermath of the
Bathwater scandal.

had opted not to run for reelection

had opted to not run for reelection
have opted to not run for reelection
have opted not to run for reelection
have opted to not run again for reelection

To spot verb tense errors, look for:

To fix verb tense errors:

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 GMAT MANUAL

PRONOUNS
Because pronouns are small words, you must read carefully to spot pronoun
errors.

The Rule: Singular pronouns replace singular nouns, and plural

pronouns replace plural nouns. Also, a pronoun must unambiguously
refer to one noun.

If a sentence contains 1. Each of the dogs now in the animal shelter had been
multiple errors, it doesn’t neglected by their former owner before they were
matter which one you
attack first. abandoned.

had been neglected by their former owner

before they were abandoned
was neglected by its former owner before it
was abandoned
was neglected by their former owner before
they were abandoned
had been neglected by its former owner
before it was abandoned
was abandoned, but before that they had been
neglected by their former owner

Isolate the pronouns and 2. Although aspirin irritates the stomach, it can be
the nouns they replace. avoided if the aspirin tablet is given a coating that will
not dissolve until the tablet reaches the intestine.

Although aspirin irritates the stomach, it

The irritation of the stomach caused by aspirin
The fact that aspirin causes irritation of the
stomach
Aspirin causes stomach irritation, although it
Aspirin irritates the stomach, which

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 Lesson 1

3. Although the bite of diamond-backed adders are

rarely fatal, they cause chronic flesh wounds, posing
the greatest danger to the infant and elderly, who are
particularly vulnerable to its poison.

diamond-backed adders are rarely fatal, they

cause chronic flesh wounds, posing the
greatest danger to the infant and elderly,
who are particularly vulnerable to its
diamond-backed adders are rarely fatal, they
cause chronic flesh wounds, and pose the
greatest danger to the infant and elderly,
who are particularly vulnerable to their
the diamond-backed adder is rarely fatal, it
causes chronic flesh wounds, posing the
greatest danger to the infant and elderly,
who are particularly vulnerable to their
the diamond-backed adder is rarely fatal, it
causes chronic flesh wounds, and poses the
greatest danger to infants and the elderly,
who are particularly vulnerable to its
the diamond-backed adder is rarely fatal, they
cause chronic flesh wounds, and they have
posed the greatest danger to infants and the
elderly, who are particularly vulnerable to
their

4. Unsure to whom the teacher was talking, the stu- Once in a while, the GMAT
dents stared mutely at the algebra problem on the tests who vs. whom.
board.

Unsure to whom the teacher was talking

Unsure of whoever the teacher was talking to
Being unsure of which of them the teacher
was talking to
As they were unsure to whom the teacher was
talking
Unsure of who was being talked to by the
teacher
To spot pronoun errors, look for:

To fix pronoun errors:

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 GMAT MANUAL

RED PENCIL FEVER

Don’t eliminate something just because you don’t like the way it sounds. Often, the
correct answer won’t sound very good, and you don’t want to eliminate it hastily.
Start by eliminating those answers for which you can identify a definite flaw.

1. Depending on which scholar you consult, either Daniel

Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, Henry Fielding’s Joseph
Andrews, or Samuel Richardson’s Pamela is believed
to have been the first English novel ever written.

is believed to have been the first English novel

ever written.
is believed as being the first English novel ever
written.
are the English novels believed to be the first
written.
are the English novels which were believed as
the first written.
are the first English novels ever believed to be
written.
Because you’re looking for errors, it’s easy to find something wrong with
every sentence. Don’t forget that the sentence can be correct as is. Answer choice
(A) always leaves the sentence unchanged, and it will be correct on
approximately 20 percent of the sentence correction questions.

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 Lesson 1

MATH INTRODUCTION
The Math section of the GMAT follows the two 30-minute AWA essays and a
five-minute break. You will have 75 minutes to answer 37 questions. You will
receive a separate Math score that ranges from 0 to 60.

Smart strategies can help you guess wisely on difficult questions or when time
is short.

Trap Answers
Pick any number and write it down here: __________

Determine the trap answers for these questions:

1. The original price of an article was reduced by 25 percent. During a

special sale the new price was decreased by 10 percent. By
approximately what percent would the price now have to be
increased in order to restore the price of the article to its original
amount?
32.5%
35%
48%
65%
67.5%
2. A wooden crate has inside dimensions 3 meters by 4 meters by
12 meters. What is the length, in meters, of the longest,
straight, inflexible rod of negligible diameter that can be placed
completely within the crate?
12
12.6
13
19
24
3. The average (arithmetic mean) of x, y, and z is 50. What is the
sum of (4x + y), (3y + z), and (3z)?
150
200
600
800
It cannot be determined from the
information given.

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 GMAT MANUAL

Ballparking
Although the Math section involves some calculation, testing your computational
skills is not its primary purpose. Instead, the questions are designed more to
test whether you understand the concepts well enough to set up the problems.
Often, you don’t need to find precise answers. After all, the GMAT is a multiple-
choice test. You can use approximate numbers to make your calculation quicker
and easier. Then choose the answer that’s “in the right ballpark.”

1
Ballpark to simplify the 4. Four containers of flour are on a table: The first contains of a
calculations. 3 1
1
pound, the second contains of a pound, the third contains
6 9
1
of a pound, and the fourth contains of a pound. If each
18
container can hold one pound of flour, how many additional

pounds of flour are required to fill all four containers?

2
9

2
3

11
9

25
9

25
9
Even when you do not feel confident enough to ballpark away all of the wrong
answers, Ballparking can help you avoid obviously wrong answers.

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 Lesson 1

W X

•O

Z Y

5. In the diagram above, circle O is inscribed within square WXYZ.

If the square has area 400, what is the area of the circle?
20 π
50 π
75 π
100 π
400 π
6. Paul drives from his apartment to his parents’ house and back.
On the trip to his parents’ house, he travels at an average speed
of 60 miles per hour. On the return trip, Paul drives at an
average speed of 80 miles per hour. Which of the following is
the closest approximation of Paul’s average speed, in miles per
hour, for the round trip?
60.0
68.6
70.0
71.4
80.0
In general, follow these guidelines:

1. Double-check before you choose an answer that was “too easy ”on a
difficult question.
2. When you get stuck on a tough question, eliminate the predictable
trap answers before you guess.

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 GMAT MANUAL

MATH 1
DATA SUFFICIENCY
Think of statements (1) Many test takers feel that data sufficiency questions are much harder than
and (2) as rules to follow problem solving questions. However, both questions test the same math topics.
when you answer data So, why do data sufficiency questions seem so much harder? The primary reason
sufficiency questions.
is the strange format of the questions and answer choices. It is very important
to become familiar with the types of data sufficiency questions, the fact
statements, and the meaning of each answer choice. Essentially, a data sufficiency
problem asks you to find which fact or combination of facts provides enough
information to answer the question. Let’s look at the format.

What the Answer Choices Say

Directions: This data sufficiency problem consists of a question and two
statements, labeled (1) and (2), in which certain data are given. You have to
decide whether the data given in the statements are sufficient for answering the
question. Using the data given in the statements plus your knowledge of
mathematics and everyday facts (such as the number of days in July or the
meaning of counterclockwise), you must indicate whether

statement (1) ALONE is sufficient,

but statement (2) alone is not
sufficient to answer the question
asked;
statement (2) ALONE is sufficient,
but statement (1) alone is not
sufficient to answer the question
asked;
BOTH statements (1) and (2) TO-
GETHER are sufficient to answer
the question asked, but NEITHER
statement ALONE is sufficient;
EACH statement ALONE is suffi-
cient to answer the question asked;
statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER
are NOT sufficient to answer the
question asked, and additional data
specific to the problem are needed.

What The Answer Choices Mean

Here’s what each answer choice really means:

(A) 1 2

(B) 1 2

(C) 1 2

(D) 1 2

(E) 1 2

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 Lesson 1

What to Do—AD/BCE
Each time you work a data sufficiency question, read the question carefully.
Ask yourself, “What do I know?” and determine what information is provided.
Next, ask yourself, “What do I need to know?” and determine what additional
information is needed to answer the question.

If you think of the five answer choices as A, B, C, D, and E, you can check one
fact at a time to eliminate answers. Look at Fact (1) and narrow the answer
choices to “AD” or “BCE.” Write these on your scratch paper to facilitate POE.

Try the following problems by first using Fact (1) to eliminate some answers.
Then (and only then) look at Fact (2).

1. What is the value of x?

(1) If x is subtracted from 60, the result is 20.
(2) If x is divided by z, the result is 20.

2. If x + y + z = 180, what is the value of x?

(1) y = 75
(2) y + z = 141

x
3. If x and y are positive integers and = 2 , what is the value of x?
y
(1) 1< y < 5
(2) y is odd.

3x
4. If = z , what is the value of x?
2y
(1) yz = 30
(2) y =10 and z = 3

5. What is the value of x?

(1) x + y = 20
(2) z − 3 x = 45

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 GMAT MANUAL

yes no

yes no yes no

yes no

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 Lesson 1

ALGEBRA VS. ARITHMETIC

Which of the following questions would you rather answer?

1. Max has a 10-dollar bill. He goes into a candy store and buys 3
pieces of candy that cost 50 cents each. How much change, in
dollars, does Max receive?
$9.50
$8.50
$7.00
$1.50
$0.50
No matter how good you
2. Max has x dollars. He goes into a candy store and buys y pieces are at algebra, you’re
of candy that cost z cents each. How much change, in dollars, better at arithmetic.
does Max receive?
x – yz

yz – x

x − yz
100
100x – yz

x – yz
100
What makes algebra complicated? Variables! Calculations with numbers are
much easier than calculations with variables. Wouldn’t life be wonderful if you
could trade algebra problems in for arithmetic problems?

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 GMAT MANUAL

PLUGGING IN
There is a way to turn algebra problems into arithmetic problems. It’s called
Plugging In. Just follow these steps:

Step 1: Assign a number to each variable in the problem.

Step 2: Work the problem step-by-step using the numbers you chose. You
should end up with a numerical answer (with no variables left
over) that answers the question in the problem. Circle the answer.
This is your target.
Step 3: Plug the number(s) you assigned to the variable(s) into the
answer choices. Choose the answer choice that matches your
target. Be sure to check all five answer choices.

3. Steven is three times as old as Jean, and Jean is two years

older than Ken. If Ken is k years old, then how old is Steven?
3k + 2

3k + 6

3k – 3

3k – 6

k −2
3

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 Lesson 1

Choose Good Numbers

Make your life easier by choosing good numbers. Good numbers are those that
work well with the other numbers in the problem and make your calculations
easier. Check the problem to see what sort of calculations you will make. Then,
pick numbers that fit smoothly with those calculations. For example, if you know
that you will need to find one-tenth of x, choose a number that is divisible by 10.

4. The Amazing soft drink company interviewed c consumers for a Choose numbers to fit the
2 calculations in the
market-research study. The study found that of consumers problem.
5
preferred Zing cola to Diet Zing cola. Of those who preferred Diet
1
Zing, preferred Caffeine Free Diet Zing. How many consum-
6
ers, in terms of c, did not prefer Caffeine Free Diet Zing?

c
11

c
10
7c
15

9c
10

10c
11

Depending on the particular number you choose, more than one answer choice
may match. For example, try plugging in y = 60 in the problem below.

5. A machine working at maximum capacity can produce x radial

tires in an hour. How many tires can the machine produce if it
works continuously at maximum capacity for y minutes?
x
60 y
xy
60
60 x
y
60
xy
60xy

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 GMAT MANUAL

6. If a and b are distinct integers and x = a + b and y = a – b, then

which of the following expresses xy + y, in terms of a and b?
2b2 + 2ab
a2 – b2 + a–b
a–b
–a – b
a2 + b2 – a – b

If more than one answer choice matches your target, pick a different number
and try again. You need only test the answer choices that remained after your
first attempt. Even better, avoid the problem in the first place by choosing your
numbers carefully. Follow the guidelines below when choosing numbers for
Plugging In.

Avoid numbers that can make several answer choices match your
target.
• Do not use 0 or 1.
• Do not use numbers that appear in the question or in the answer
choices.
• Do not use the same number for more than one variable.

Choose numbers to make the calculations easy:

• If there are fractions in the question, choose a number that’s a

common multiple of the denominators. (Multiplying the
denominators together is an easy way to find a good number.)
• If a question involves different units, use a multiple or factor of the
conversion number.
• If a question involves percents, use 100 or a multiple of 100.

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 Lesson 1

HIDDEN PLUG INS

In some Plugging In problems, the variable is invisible. You won’t see an x, y, or
z, even though the problem involves an unknown quantity. The question will
ask for a fraction or percent of some unknown amount.

1 1
1. Maggie pays of her monthly income for food, for utilities,
8 8
1 4 What’s the invisible
for student loans, and of the remainder for rent. If at the variable?
8 5 1
end of each month Maggie puts of her remaining income
2
into a CD account, what portion of Maggie’s monthly income

does she put into the account?

1
8

1
10

7
80

1
16

1
20

2. If 20 percent of the trees in a certain park are evergreens, and What’s a good number
to plug in on percent
40 percent of the non-evergreens are maple trees, and there are problems?
75 percent as many oak trees as maple trees in the park, what
percent of the trees in the park are not maples, oaks, or ever-
greens?
10%
12%
20%
24%
25%

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 GMAT MANUAL

PLUGGING IN THE ANSWERS

You’ve seen how to use the Plugging In approach when the answer choices
contain variables. You can also use a variation of that method when the answer
choices contain numbers. The goal is the same: turn algebra into arithmetic.

Why start with the middle 1. Rob has to make 5 payments on his student loans from college.
answer choice? Each payment will be twice the amount of the previous pay-
ment. If the total amount he has to pay back is $1,550, how
much is Rob’s first payment?
$10
$20
$25
$50
$75

Follow these three steps:

Step 1: Identify what the question is asking.

Step 2: Plug in the middle answer choice. Work the problem step-by-step
and see if everything matches.
Step 3: Eliminate answers that don’t work. Keep plugging in answers
until you find one that works.

Work the problem in bite- 2. Mike has twice as many stamps as Jean has. After he gives
sized pieces. Write down
each step as you go.
Jean 6 stamps, he still has 8 more stamps than Jean does. How
many stamps did Mike have originally?
28
32
36
38
40

Choose Good Numbers

Not all of the answers fit nicely with the calculations. Start with the answers
that work well in the problem.

3. Julia is twice as old as her brother Paolo, who is five times as

old as their dog Winnie. In 10 years, Julia will be four times as
old as Winnie will be then. How old is Paolo?
25
27
30
33
35

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 Lesson 1

4. A dealer charges a price that is 15 percent higher than the

manufacturer’s price on a computer. During a President’s Day
sale the dealer then discounts his price by 10 percent. If the
dealer earns a gross profit (final price – manufacturer’s price) of
$38.50 on a computer purchased during the sale, what was the
manufacturer’s price for the computer?
$504.25
$770
$950
$1,100
$1,385

5. Fredrico earns a salary of $350 in a certain week at an appliance

2
store. In addition, he receives a bonus equal to of the
5
amount of his total sales that exceed $1500. If he earns $770,
what were Fredrico’s total sales for the week?
$1600
$1750
$1925
$2225
$2550

Identifying Plugging In Problems

Plugging In is a great technique, and you should be on the lookout for
opportunities to Plug In.

Plug In
To recognize a basic Plug In problem, look for:

Hidden Plug In
To recognize a Hidden Plugging In problem, look for:

Plugging in the Answers (PITA)

To recognize a Plugging In The Answers problem, look for:

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 GMAT MANUAL

HOMEWORK REVIEW
Use this chart to note any questions you have from the reading or examples in the homework.

Page # Question # What que stion do you have ?

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 lesson 1

PRACTICE
PLUGGING IN

1. If k years from now George will be l years old, 5. If x = 3t – 1 and y = 12t 2, what is y in terms of x?
how old was George m years ago? (x + 1)2
l–k–m
l + (k – m) 4(x + 1)2
l+k–m
( )
2
k – (l + m) 3 x +1
k + (m – l)
4

( )
2
2. If 2x = 4y = z, what is x – y in terms of z? 4 x +1
z
3
4
z (x –1)2
2
z
x 2 + 2x − 8
6. =
2z x2 − 6x + 8
1
4z
–1

3. A group of x people are in a room. One-third of 1

x
the people leave the room, and an additional 2 3
people enter the room. In terms of x, how many
x+4
people will now be in the room?
 x−4
1
x −  +2 x +8
 2
x −8
2 x+2
3 7. Copper pipe costs x cents per foot in 8-foot
3x + 2 lengths, and x + y cents per foot in shorter
lengths. What is the lowest possible price, in
cents, of 51 feet of pipe in terms of x and y?
3x + 6
51(x + y)
51x
x+2 48x + 3y
48(x + y)
51x + 3y

4. What must be added to x + y to obtain x − y ?

2 2
–y
–x
2y
2x
y–x

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 GMAT MANUAL

HIDDEN PLUGGING IN 3. A parking garage has places for a certain number

1. Twenty-five percent of the residents of City Y are 1 2

of cars. If of the places are left empty, and
65 years old or older. Twenty percent of the 5 5
residents of City Y who are under the age of 65
are age 18 or younger. What percent of the of the places are used by compact cars, non-
residents of City Y are between the ages of 18 compact cars take up what fraction of the filled
and 65?
15% spaces in the garage?
25%
45% 1
60% 3
75%
2
3 5
2. In an election, of the voters voted for Candi-
7 1
3
date A, and of the remaining voters voted for
5 2
Candidate B. Of the voters who voted for neither
3
1
Candidate A nor Candidate B, voted for Candi- 5
2
date C. What fraction of all the votes were cast 4

for Candidate C? 5
4. Fred and Bobbie are book collectors, and Fred
1 has twice as many books as Bobbie does. One-
70 fourth of Fred’s books are signed by the authors,
and three-fifths of Bobbie’s books are signed by
4 the authors. If Fred and Bobbie combine their
35 collections, what fraction of the books are signed
by the authors?
9
35 11
30
13
35 29
60
9
10 23
30

17
20
It cannot be
determined.

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 lesson 1

5. Computer retailer A is selling a computer at a 20 6. At a certain university, 3 out of every 5 students

percent discount from its suggested retail price. live in an on-campus dormitory. If one out of
Computer retailer B promises to match this price every 10 students who do not live in an on-
and then discount it a further 10 percent. campus dormitory lives in a university-owned
Computer retailer B’s final price is what percent apartment, what fractional part of the student
of the suggested retail price? body does not live in either an on-campus
75% dormitory or a university-owned apartment?
72% 7
70%
68% 10
28% 1
2

9
25

3
10

7
25

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 GMAT MANUAL

PLUGGING IN THE ANSWERS

1. If 2x2 – 2x – 12 = 0 and y2 – 5y + 6 = 0 5. Judy is 26 years old and Diane is 5 years old. In

how many years will Judy be twice as old as
when x = –y, then what is the value of x? Diane?
–3 16
–2 19
0 21
2 24
3 26

2. Several persons rented a car for $30. If there had 6. Pat has a pocket full of quarters, dimes, and
been one more person in the group, it would nickels. He takes 6 coins out of his pocket that
have cost each person $1 less. How many people amount to $0.70. If there are only two denomina-
were in the group originally? tions of coins among the 6 coins in Pat’s hand,
5 how many nickels is he holding?
6 2
10 3
12 4
15 5
6
3. This year, half of the clients of a certain consult-
ing firm ended up paying the firm exactly $22,000 7. On any given Sunday, 75 percent of the people in
each, while the other half ended up paying the a city who own TV sets turn them on. Thirty
firm exactly $33,000 each. If the firm received a percent of the people who turn their TV sets on
total of $275,000 from its clients, how many watch football. If 9,900 people watch football on
clients does the consulting firm have? Sunday, how many people in the city own TV
9 sets?
10 75,000
11 44,000
12 30,000
13 24,000
20,000
4. A certain bakery produces only chocolate and
vanilla cupcakes. If the bakery sells 160 cupcakes
per day, and 26 more chocolate cupcakes than
vanilla cupcakes are sold per day, how many
chocolate cupcakes does the bakery sell per day?
54
67
82
93
106

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 lesson 1

ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS Hidden Plugging In

1. D Plug in 100 for the number of residents. There
are 25 people that are 65 or older, and 15 are 18
Plugging In or younger. There are 60 people in between.
1. A Plug in k = 3, l = 10, and m = 5. If George will be
10 in 3 years, he’s 7 now. Thus he was 2 (target 2. B Use the denominators to find the ideal number
answer) five years ago.
to plug in for the number of voters: 70. From the
2. A Plug in. Be sure to choose numbers that make data given, 30 choose Candidate A and 24 vote
the equation in the question true. Let x = 6,
y = 3, and z = 12. In that case, x – y = 6 – 3 = 3 for Candidate B. Of the remaining 16, 8 choose
(target). Only choice (A) works.
Candidate C. The fraction of voters that vote for
3. B Use Plugging In. The value of x that you plug in 8 4
C is , which reduces to .
should be a multiple of 3; let x = 12. If a third of 70 35
the people leave, that leaves 8; if 2 come in, your
new total is 10 (target answer). 3. C If there are 25 places in the garage, then there

x+y are 5 empty places and 10 of the places have

4. A If you plug in x = 3 and y = 5, then = 4 and
2
x−y compact cars in them. If you picked (B), you
= −1 . You have to add –5 (target answer)
2 probably misread the question; the question
to 4 in order to get –1.
involves the fraction of non-compact cars in the
5. D Plug in for t first. If t = 2, then x = 5 and y = 48.
filled spaces. There are 10 non-compact cars and
The question wants the value of y, so 48 is your
1
target answer. 20 filled spaces, so the fraction is .
2
9+6−8 4. A Get rid of (E), which is the Trap Answer. Give
6. D Plug in x = 3, and the fraction becomes ,
9 − 18 + 8 Fred 20 books and Bobbie 10 books; 5 of Fred’s
books are signed and 6 of Bobbie’s are signed.
7
which reduces to , or –7 (target answer). The total is 11 out of the 30 books.
−1
5. B Use Plugging In. Let the suggested retail price
7. E The 8-foot lengths are less expensive, so you be $100. Retailer A sells the computer for $80,
want to get as many as possible: six. If you get and retailer B sells it for $72. This second price
six 8-foot lengths, that leaves 3 feet at the more is a 28 percent discount from the original price.
expensive rate. Let x = 2 and y = 3; the first 48 The Trap Answer is (C).
feet cost $96, and the remaining 3 feet cost $5
each, or $15. Your target answer is $111.
6. C Use Plugging In. It’s important to see here that
3
3 out of 5 is the same thing as . If there are 50
5
students, then 30 live in a dorm and 2 live in an

apartment. There are 18 students remaining, and

18 9
reduces to .
50 25

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 GMAT MANUAL

Plugging In the Answers

1. B Plug In the Answers. (C) can’t be right, because 5. A In 21 years, Judy is 47 and Diane is 26. Judy is
0 doesn’t work in either equation. Plug –2 into less than twice as old as Diane, so (C) is too big.
the first equation [ 2(–2)2 – 2(–2) – 12 = 0] and (A): In 16 years, Judy is 42 and Diane is 21.
plug 2 into the second equation [(2)2 – 5(2) + 6 =
0]. 6. C Pat has to have quarters in his pocket (otherwise,
you can’t have 70 cents with only 6 coins). (C) If
2. A Plug In the Answers. A shrewd eye gravitates to he has 4 nickels, the other two coins must be
(A) and (B), because 5 ¥ 6 = 30 and 6 – 5 = 1. (C): quarters: 4 ¥ .05 = .20, and 2 ¥ .25 = .50.
10 people pay $3 each, and 11 people pay $2.73
(the difference is too small). (A): 5 people pay $6 7. B If 30,000 own sets, then 22,500 of them are on
each, and 6 people pay $5 each. and 6,750 are tuned to football: too small. (B): If
44,000 people own sets, then 33,000 are on and
3. B Plug In the Answers. Get rid of all the odd 9,900 have the football game on.
numbers (because the clients are split in half).
Only (B) and (D) are left; try either one. (B): 10
clients means that 5 pay $22,000 ($110,000) and
5 pay $33,000 ($165,000).

4. D (C) is too small [82 (chocolate) + 56 (vanilla) =

138], but (D) works [93 + 67 = 160].

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