Tips for Accuracy and Speed in GAT/GRE Quantitative

For those of you who did not know, the GAT/GRE are not allow a calculator. So, if you have not done math by hand for a while, you may have forgotten how to do many simple calculations. Here are some tips that will help you do math by hand quickly and accurately. While these tips will help you on the entire test, you will get the most out of them on the quantitative comparison section.

1. Cross-multiply 2-fractions to compare them.

The numerator with the larger product will belong to the larger fraction:

E.g. 1: 4 / 5  vs.  8 / 11

Which fraction is bigger? I could change both to decimals, but let’s try the cross-multiply method, which is much faster.

(4)(11)= 44 and (8)(5)= 40

44 is the larger product. Since the product involved 4, which is the numerator of 4/5, 4/5 is the bigger fraction.

2. Squaring a fraction or decimal between 0 and 1 will make the number smaller.

E.g. 2: (1/3)² = 1/9

While this tip is very simple to prove, it’s crucial that you keep it in mind during the quantitative comparison section so that you can avoid unnecessary calculation.

3. Taking the square root of a fraction or decimal between 0 and 1 will make the 

number larger.

E.g. 3: √(¼) = ½

4. Memorize these two formulas for dealing with division:

a) (1/x) / y = 1 / xy

b) 1 / (x/y) = y / x

Students often fumble the calculations when presented with multiple layers of division or fractions. These simple formulas should keep you on track.

E.g. 4a: 1/2 / 3 = (½)(1/3)=1/6

E.g. 4b: 1 / 2/3 = 3/2

5. In order to find a percentage increase, find the difference between the original number and the increased (or decreased) number and divide that by the original number.

E.g. 5: A pair of pants was selling for $20 last week, but now is selling for $27 this week. By what percent did the price of the pants increase?

27 – 20 = 7

7 / 20 = 35 / 100 = 35 percent

6. If you are asked to find x+y or x-y from a system of equations, you may want to try adding or subtracting the equations before solving for the variables.

The GRE will often provide you with a simple method for solving a problem that will not be obvious. The challenge lies in finding the simplest method. Notice how the above problem was solved a lot faster by subtracting the equation than by solving for the variables.

E.g. 6: if 4x+2y=23 and 3x+3y=22, then x- y =

Set up the equations like you see below, and see if adding or subtracting will help you arrive at the answer more quickly. In this case, subtraction will do the trick.

    4x + 2y = 23
–  (3x+ 3y = 22)
————————-
x- y = 1.

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Why you should test candidates' analytical skills?

Analytical skills refer to the ability to gather data, break down a problem, weigh pros and cons and reach logical decisions. Employees who have these skills help companies overcome challenges, or spot issues before they become problems. Every position requires analytical skills. For some roles (for e.g. Investment Banker), methodical thinking is key, while for others (e.g. Marketing Strategist) brainstorming abilities are more relevant. Regardless of how they approach problems, employees with sharp analytical skills are able to confidently connect the dots and come up with solutions. The following analytical interview questions will help you assess how candidates:

• Gather data from numerous sources
• Use a critical thinking to evaluate information
• Communicate the findings of their research to team members
• Make judgments that help businesses

Combine these questions with problem-solving and competency-based interview questions to gauge how candidates address difficult situations that are likely to occur on the job.

Examples of analytical skills interview questions

• Describe a time when you had to solve a problem, but didn’t have all necessary information about it in hand. What did you do?
• What metrics do you track on a regular basis (e.g. conversion rates, number of new customers, expenses)? What information do you research and how do you use it?
• How do you weigh pros and cons before making a decision?
• If you had to choose between two or three options, how would you decide? (e.g. pricing, performance evaluation systems, training)
• Explain step-by-step how you troubleshoot [X] issue. (For e.g. wifi connection problems / a sudden drop in sales)
• Your manager wants to buy new software / hardware that will raise the team’s productivity and asks for your recommendation. How would you respond?

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Tips for GAT Test

• Prepare things the night before.
• Don't stuck with one book i.e. diversify your study from books/internet/facebook group/past papers...etc.
• Wake up your mind and body.
• Eat a smart breakfast. 
• Warm up your brain. 
• Wear suitable attire. 
• Bring effective snacks.
• Allow ample time to arrive.
• Don't forget to bring hand clock, pencils/pens, roll no slip, CNIC ...etc. 
• Don't bring mobile/books to exam center. 
• Increase your spirituality by Zikar Azkar. 
• Set a minimum and maximum target. i.e. if you are CAT-A student for business studies then minimum passing marks i.e verbal (20/35), Quantitative (20/35) and Analytical 10/30) = 50  or 21/35, 21/35 12/30  = 54 many more possibility then becomes. 
• It means if you correct 5 MCQs out of 10 then your total score out of 100 becomes 50 score. If you correct 3 MCQs out of 5, then your total score out of 100 becomes 60. But if you correct 4 MCQs out of 5 then your total score out of 100 becomes 80.
• Set benchmark then achieve it. 
• First attempt maths, then verbal and finalize with analytical.
• Don't stuck with any MCQs if you are not sure. just leave for last and use educated guess either B or D. 
• Read Read Read i.e. Without reading you will lose marks easily
• There is no negative marking.
• Fill the circle correctly. 

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Why The GAT Matters & How To Use It To Your Advantage

The Graduate Assessment Test (GAT) is a 2 hour assessment based on your knowledge ranging from verbal, quantitative and analytical. It is sometime called as local Graduate Record Examination (GRE), is a prerequisite test taken in order to get admission into any M Phil in almost all Pakistani universities. Moreover, it is required for the Higher Education Commission (HEC) scholarships. Naturally, students in the last semester/year of their graduation get worried about their GAT exams, as their future is dependent on how well they do in these papers.                                                                                        

There are a 100 multiple choice questions and a total of 120 minutes. Each question carries one mark and there is no negative marking. Furthermore, there are 40 question in the English section, 30 in the analytical and 30 in the mathematics section. This is for biological sciences. For other subjects, there might be a slight variation. For complete details, visit the National Testing Service (NTS) website.

The Verbal section usually comprises antonyms, synonyms, fill-in-the-blanks and reading comprehension questions. In mathematics, which is essentially high school level, the questions consist of basic geometry, sets, basic arithmetic and basic algebra. The analytical section mainly consists of logical puzzles and  few logical reasoning questions.

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Basics of Maths

1. Circles

Circumference = 2 * Pi * R 

where R = Radius or Pi * D where D = Diameter

Diameter = 2 * R

Radius = D/2

Area = Pi * R²

The area of a circle is 36. What is the diameter of the circle?

36 = Pi * R² so R = 6 / Square root of Pi so D = (12 * Square root of Pi)/Pi

The radius of a circle is 10. What is the circumference of the circle?

Circumference = 2 * Pi * R so circumference = 20 * Pi

What formula do you use to find the ratio of the arcs, sectors, etc. of a circle?

x/360 = arc length/circumference = area of sector/area where x is the degree measure of the angle



2. Perfect Squares

List all the perfect squares from 0 to 100

0 (don't forget 0!), 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100



3. Odds and Evens

Odd + Odd = Even

Odd * Even = Even

Even - Even = Even

Even/Odd = Even (or decimal)

Even * Even = Even

Odd + Even = Odd

Odd - Odd = Even

Odd/Odd = Odd (or decimal)



4. Least Common Multiples

What is the least common multiple of 15 and 24?

15 = 3 * 5 and 24 = 2 * 2 * 2 * 3, Eliminate one of each of the common factors (3) and multiply the rest of the prime factors, LCM = 120

What is the least common multiple of 12 and 30?

12 = 2 * 2 * 3 and 30 = 2 * 3 * 5, Follow the same procedure as above, eliminate 2 & 3, LCM = 60



5. Common Percent Equivalencies

Decimals to Fractions

0.4 = 2/5

0.875 = 7/8

0.167 = 1/6

0.85 = 17/20

0.375 = 3/8

Fractions to Decimals

5/8 = 0.625

2/40 = 0.05

5/6 = 0.833

3/5 = 0.6

2/16 = 0.125



6. Distance Problems (Distance, Rate & Time)

Distance = Rate * Time

Rate = Distance/Time

Time = Distance/Rate



7. Triangles (30-60-90, 45-45-90, 3-4-5, 5-12-13)

Draw a 30-60-90 triangle and label its sides and angles

The side opposite the 90 will be 2X, the side opposite the 60 will be X * the square root of 3, the side opposite the 30 will be X

Draw a 45-45-90 triangle and label its sides and angles

The sides opposite the 45 will be Xs, the side opposite the 90 will be X * the square root of 2

(Note: All of the following are right triangles)

If the leg opposite the 30-degree angle is 8, what is the hypotenuse of the triangle?

16

If one of the legs is 6 and the hypotenuse is 10, what is the other leg?

8 (3-4-5 triangle)

If the hypotenuse is 20, what is the length of the leg opposite the 45-degree angle?

10 * the square root of 2

If one of the legs is 10 and the other leg is 24, what is the length of the hypotenuse?

26 (5-12-13 triangle)



8. Prime Numbers

List all the prime numbers less than 22

2 (1 is not a prime number!), 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19



9. Work Problems

What is the formula to use for work problems?

(X*Y)/(X+Y) = Combined time of two workers (C) where X equals the time of one worker working alone and Y equals the time of the other worker working alone

If Sue can do a job in 3 hours and Bob can do the same job in 6 hours, how long will it take them working together at their respective rates?

2 hours

If Tom can do a job in 10 hours and Tom and Mary together can do the job in 6 hours working at their respective rates, how long will it take Mary to do the job by herself?

10Y/(10 + Y) = 6 so Y = 15 hours



10. Percent Problems

What number should you always pick for percent problems?

100

What formula will give you the percent increase/decrease?

[(New # - Old #)/Old #] * 100

What formula will give you what percent the new quantity is of the old quantity?

(New #/Old #) * 100



11. Number Properties

What numbers get bigger when you square them?

Negative numbers and numbers greater than 1

What numbers stay the same when you square them?

0 and 1

What numbers get smaller when you square them?

Numbers between 0 and 1

What numbers get bigger when you cube them?

Numbers between -1 and 0 and numbers greater than 1

What numbers stay the same when you cube them?

-1, 0 and 1

What numbers get smaller when you cube them?

Numbers less than -1 and numbers between 0 and 1



12. Probability

What formula will give you probability of an event occuring?

Favorable events divided by total number of events

What method do you use to find the total number of events that could occur?

Multiply each individual event by the number of different things that could happen for that event

What is a popular shortcut to find the probability of "success"?

1 - Probablity of failure



13. Inequalities

An inequality can be treated just like an equal sign with one exception. What is it?

When you are dividing or multiplying by a negative number, you must "flip" the sign

If 6x < -18, what does x have to be?

x < -3

If -10x + 120 > -2(40 + 15x), what does x have to be?

x > -10



14. Averages

What is the formula used to find out the average of a group of numbers?

(Sum of numbers/# of numbers)

If a group contains five numbers and the average of the numbers is 17, what is the sum of the numbers?

85

If the average of a group of numbers is 24 and the sum of the numbers is 192, how many numbers are there?

8



15. Divisibility Rules

How do you know if a number is divisible by 3?

Sum of the digits is divisible by 3

How do you know if a number is divisible by 4?

Last two digits are divisible by 4

How do you know if a number is divisible by 5?

Last digit is either a 0 or a 5

How do you know if a number is divisible by 6?

Number is even and divisible by 3

How do you know if a number is divisible by 7?

Number divides evenly by 7 (there is no shortcut)

How do you know if a number is divisible by 9?

Sum of the digits is divisible by 9

Is 47 a prime number?

Yes

Is 117 a prime number?

No (divisible by 3, 9, etc.)

Is 981,495 a prime number?

No (divisible by 3, 5, etc.)



16. Ratios

If three things are in a ratio of 5:9:11, what does the total number of things have to be a multiple of?

25 (the sum of the numbers)

If the number of things represented by the 5 doubles, can you represent the new ratio as 10:9:11?

Yes, multiplication and division are okay

If you add 6 things to the the number of things represented by the 9, can you represent the new ratio as 5:15:11?

No, not unless you know the absolute number

If the number of things represented by the 9 is reduced by one-third, can you represent the new ratio as 5:7:11?

No, but you could represent it by 5:6:11



17. Exponents

(x²)*(x³) = x⁵ (Add the exponents)

(x⁸)/(x²) = x⁶ (Subtract the exponents)

(x³)² = x⁶ (Multiply the exponents)

x^-6 = 1/x⁶



18. Parallelograms

What is the formula for the area of parallelogram?

Base * Height (Not Side * Side)

What things do you know to be true about a parallelogram?

Opposite angles are equal, opposite sides are equal, sides are parallel, interior angles equal 360

What do you know about the area of a parallelogram versus the product of its sides?

The area will always be less than the product of the sides (because the height of of the parallelogram will always be less than the length of the sides).

Is a square always a parallelogram?

Yes

Is a parallelogram always a square?

No

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List of Analogies for Begainers

                 1.         Rose: Flower:: Hammer: Tool                    Kind / Type         

2.         Good: Bad:: Happy: Sad                                      

3.         Mouth: Eat:: Feet: Walk

4.         Hungry: Eat:: Tired: Sleep

5.         Fire: Hot :: Ice: Cold :: Snow: Frozen

6.         Dirt: Brown :: Leaves : Green

7.         Flower: Plant :: Dog: Animal  

8.         Dark: Light :: Little: Big

9.         Teacher : School :: Doctor : Hospital

10.     Nurse: Hospital: Waiter: Restaurant

11.     Cashier: Bank:: Patient: Hospital

12.     Student: School:: Manager: Bank  

13.     Book : Read :: Television : Watch

14.     Awful: Bad :: Fantastic : Good

15.     Thirst: Drink :: Hungry : Eat

16.     Big: Large :: Little : Small

17.     Early: Late: Near: Far

18.     Now: Later :: Easy: Difficult

19.     Nice : Mean :: Short : Tall

20.     Knife : Metal :: Pillow : Cloth                          

21.     Chess: Game:: Lipstick: Makeup       

22.      Anger: Feeling :: Sister : Sibling                            Type

23.     Jazz: Music :: Painting : Art

24.     Pen: Write :: Ruler : Measure

25.     Hammer: Hit :: Gun: Shoot

26.     Brush: Paint:: Cutter: Cut   

27.     Genius: Smart :: Idiot: Stupid

28.     Doorknob: Door :: Key : Keyboard                     Part

29.     Beach: Sand :: Forest : Tress

30.     Lettuce: Vegetable :: Apple: Fruit

31.     Desk: Classroom:: Sink:

32.     Tub: Bathroom :: Stove : Kitchen                    Stove (Cooker, Oven, Range, heater)

33.     Bed: Bedroom:: Toilet : Bathroom

34.     Broom: Clean :: Stove: Cook:: Mop: Clean 

35.     Mother: Woman :: Father: Man

36.     Coffee: Drink :: Violin : Instrument

37.     Guitar: Instrument:: Sofa:

38.     Right: Left :: After: Before

39.     Up: Down:: Backward: Forward 

40.     Out: In :: Above: Below

41.     Shoes: feet : Helmet: Head

42.     Gloves: Hands: Socks: Feet

43.     Bread: Food : Red: Color

44.     Poor: Money: Sad: Happiness                                Lacks

45.     Brick: Wall:: Page: Book  

46.     Cell: Human:: Cell: Plant

47.     Day: Week :: Month: Year                                      Part

48.     Bone: Body:: Stem: Plant

49.     Wall: Room:: Knee: Leg

50.     Eyes: See :: Figure: Touch

51.     Summer: Hot :: Winter : Cold

52.     Banana: Yellow : Carrot : Red

53.     Beef: Meat : French: Language                                Type

54.     Pakistan: Country: German: Language

55.     Beef: Cow :: Mutton: Goat : Chicken: Hen

56.     Good: Wonderful:: Tasty: Delicious

57.     Dead: Alive :: Dry: Wet

58.     Window: Glass:: Shirt: Cloth

59.     Happiness: Emotion:: Ring: Jewelry

60.      Biology: Science: Bread: Food :: Urdu: Art

61.      Money: Buy:: Soap : Wash                                      Things

62.     Concrete: Hard:: Ice: Cold

63.     Handle: Broom:: Wing: Airplane

64.     Salad: Vegetables:: Book: Pages                           Made Up

65.     Tennis: Sports:: Painting: Art

66.     Toothpaste: Teeth:: Shampoo: Hair

67.     Wheel: Car:: Toe: Leg

68.     Umbrella: Rain :: Sunscreen: Sun                         Protect

69.     Stupid: Intelligence:: Bald: Hair

70.     October: November:: Spring: Summer

71.     Optional: Compulsory:: Rough: Exactly :: Temporary: Everlasting

72.     Rough: Smooth: Office: Domestic

73.     Honor: Arguments: Bombastic: Humble

74.     Ghastly: Lovely:: Alter: Maintain

75.     Glasses: See:: Cane: Walk

76.     Interesting: Fascinating ::Uncommon: Rare

77.     Reward: Good:: Punishment: Bad

78.     Spend: Save:: Give: Receive

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