# GMAT Roman Numerals Questions Revisited

March 13, 2014 by

We covered GMAT Roman Numerals questions recently, and like any good teacher, I want to review this topic again to help solidify it in your mind. So, we challenged students on Facebook with a practice question yesterday that combined Roman Numerals with properties of exponents, and got some great responses.

Take a moment to check out the question and the original blog entry on the shortcut strategy for Roman Numerals questions.

Now, let’s tackle this!

#### GMAT Roman Numeral Tip

Remember that when you see a Roman Numeral problem, you should think: “I should start with the answer choice that shows up most frequently so that if I can eliminate it, I can mark out the most answer choices.” This will save you time and effort. Remember, every second is valuable on the GMAT, and learning time-saving strategies is every bit as important as (some would argue even MORE important … Read full post

# Beat GMAT Verbal: Reading Comprehension in a Nutshell

March 11, 2014 by

In this fourth part of a series of posts on the GMAT’s Verbal Section, we take a look at Reading Comprehension (RC) and reveal some key takeaways that mean more points for you on test day. If you’ve not yet read the first two posts in this latest GMAT Verbal series, check out GMAT Verbal: Some Big Ideas, pt. 1, Beat GMAT Verbal by Making Predictions, and GMAT Critical Reasoning: How to Make Predictions. Ideally, read those first then come back in here and let’s crack GMAT RC.

To get mine as many points as possible from these questions, you absolutely must have a standard method for attacking both Reading Comprehension passages and the banks of questions that follow them. Furthermore, it is important to note the adaptive nature of the GMAT’s scoring algorithm. Recall that as you do better on the exam, it gets harder.

# GMAT Problem Solving: Tips for Roman Numeral Questions

March 10, 2014 by

It’s finally time! You’ve waited all weekend for it, and we’re finally going to share the solution, and more importantly, helpful tips for dealing with GMAT Roman Numeral questions. If you didn’t see Friday’s practice question, take a look now:

#### GMAT Problem Solving

##### Roman Numeral Question

If x, y, and z are consecutive odd integers, with x < y < z, then which of the following must be true?

I. x + y is even

II. $\frac{x+z}{y}$ is an integer

III. xz is even

• A) I only
• B) II only
• C) III only
• D) I and II only
• E) I, II, and III

#### Strategy and Tips for Solving GMAT Roman Numeral Questions

For Roman Numeral questions, start by finding the statement that appears most often in the answer choices, and evaluate it first. Therefore, if it is untrue, you can eliminate the highest number of answer choices.

In this case, … Read full post

# Introducing the First GMAT Course eBook for Kindle

March 3, 2014 by

Great news for Kaplan students: we’ve collaborated with Amazon to bring the first GMAT course ebook directly to students enrolled in Kaplan courses using the Kindle reading apps and Kindle Fire tablets. This makes our GMAT course the first Kindle-compatible Kaplan course available for aspiring business school students. Kaplan GMAT students will have the ability to study across multiple devices—Kindle Fire and Android tablets, iPads, PCs and Macs—and take advantage of features such as note taking, highlighting, tracking progress, word look up, searching and syncing.

“Until recently, the adoption of tablets and eBooks for studying has lagged the adoption of eBooks for leisure reading, because studying involves engagement with the book through highlighting, note-taking and other tactile actions,” said Lee Weiss, Executive Director of Emerging Products, Kaplan Test Prep. “But as these functions became more user-friendly in eBook form and device ownership continues to grow, we’re now seeing a demand … Read full post

# GMAT Question of the Week: Data Sufficiency and Averages – The Explanation

February 13, 2014 by

To get this question correct, you must combine your knowledge of fundamental math concepts with use of the Kaplan Method and strategies for approaching Data Sufficiency and Averages. Here’s a breakdown:

The average formula is

$Average&space;=&space;\frac{sum&space;-of-&space;terms}{number-&space;of-&space;terms}$

The question stem asks  “Is  $\frac{\left&space;(&space;m+n&space;\right&space;)}{2}&space;<&space;50$?”

Remember, with a Yes/No Data Sufficiency question, you are looking at the statements and trying to determine whether they provide a consistent YES or NO answer to this question. A consistent answer of yes OR no is sufficient. An inconsistent answer (yes and no) is insufficient.

Statement (1): Sufficient. This statement says that $\frac{\left&space;(&space;3m+3n&space;\right&space;)}{2}&space;=&space;90$

Pull the 3 out of the numerator to get  $\frac{\left&space;(&space;3(m+n)&space;\right&space;)}{2}&space;=&space;90$

Multiply both sides by 2 to get  $3\left&space;(&space;m+n&space;\right&space;)=180$

Then divide both sides … Read full post

# GMAT Data Sufficiency and Averages

February 11, 2014 by

Who’s afraid of a little GMAT Data Sufficiency and Averages? Not you! Take this one step-by-step to get to the correct answer. Consider timing yourself to see how close you are to the 2 minute suggested average for GMAT DS questions.

Post your answer here in the comments, or on Facebook. We’ll provide a full explanation of this problem in a couple days. Happy practicing!

Edit: The explanation has been added.

February 4, 2014 by

Anyone interested in full-time MBA programs hopefully already knows that most institutions have Round 1 application deadlines in or near the month of October. Yet, it is likely that a sizable percentage of those interested, perhaps even the majority, do not know anything about business school application rounds at all, much less when the deadlines are.

This bit of b-school trivia is all too often something folks begin figuring out over the summer months. When people do uncover the information, they will likely feel that they have all the time in the world. They might even congratulate themselves for starting so early!

Then, when the grindstone really gets leaned into and all the aspects of an application package begin to take shape, it hits countless aspirants: they really ought to have begun the process much, much sooner.

Time flies and there is a lot to be done. Those looking to … Read full post

# Technology and Your GMAT Prep

January 30, 2014 by

The GMAT is in many ways a technological marvel. Thousands of locations across the globe instantly report scores on the same test. The computer-adaptive test adapts to your skill level, adjusting difficulty on a question by question basis. Every center is equipped with a state-of-the-art palm scanner for additional security.

Technology can also help you prepare for this test. Every GMAT student knows that paper-based quizzes can’t produce a test-like experience. Full-length practice Computer Adaptive Tests, like those offered by Kaplan, are key to success. You can take the online prep a step further; most GMAT prep books, like Kaplan’s or the Official Guide, are also available as PDFs. Learning your lessons from a tablet or computer screen get your eyes used to reading on a monitor, and forces you to take your notes on separate scratch paper and not directly on the questions themselves. The more test-like … Read full post

# Writing the GMAT Argument Essay

January 27, 2014 by

As you probably know by now, with the inclusion of the Integrated Reasoning (IR) section came the exclusion of the one of the previously required essays.  Before the test change, GMAT test takers built the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) score on the backs of two essays: Analysis of an Argument and Analysis of an Issue.  These two essays would be scored independently—by one human and one computer—then those two scores would be averaged for a total AWA score on a 0-6 point scale in ½-point increments.  In order to keep total testing time at 3.5 hours, test makers decided to cut the thirty-minute Analysis of an Issue essay and insert a thirty-minute Integrated Reasoning section. Now, only the GMAT Argument essay remains.

So what can you make of this decision?  Are you better off with the Argument essay over the Issue essay?  And, if so, is there a way we … Read full post

# Test Your GMAT Sentence Correction Skills: The Explanations

January 23, 2014 by

Hopefully you’ve already tried out our GMAT Sentence Correction quiz. If not, stop right now and do so! There’s great value in trying these questions on your own first before reading the explanations.

Now, on to the explanations to these questions…

#### GMAT Sentence Correction Quiz

##### Just like Congress is the legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, so Parliament is the legislative body of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
• A) Just like Congress is the legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, so
• B) As Congress is the legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States,
• C) As Congress is the legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, in the same way
• D) Just as Congress is the legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, so
• E) Just as the Federal

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