Aptitude tests › GRE Quantitative Reasoning
GRE Quantitative Reasoning: what it asks, and how to practise
The GRE General Test, run by ETS, is taken for many graduate and business school programmes. Its Quantitative Reasoning measure asks school maths, arithmetic, algebra, geometry and data analysis, in four question types, one of which, the quantity comparison, is unique to it. This page sets out what ETS says about the measure and which parts preplaud lets you practise. preplaud covers the quantitative part only; Verbal Reasoning and Analytical Writing aren't covered here.
What ETS says
| Sections | Two Quantitative Reasoning sections: 12 questions in 21 minutes, then 15 in 26 minutes |
|---|---|
| Adaptive | Section-level: how you do on the first section sets the difficulty of the second |
| Whole test | About 1 hour 58 minutes, with Verbal Reasoning and Analytical Writing (the format since 22 September 2023) |
| Calculator | A basic on-screen calculator; ETS advises using it only for tedious sums such as long division or square roots |
| Four content areas | Arithmetic, algebra, geometry and data analysis; proofs are not tested |
| Question types | Quantitative comparison; multiple choice with one answer (of five); multiple choice with one or more answers; numeric entry; and data interpretation sets built on one table or graph |
The content areas, and where to practise each
- Arithmetic: integers (divisibility, factors, primes, remainders, odd and even), exponents and roots, percent, ratio, rate and absolute value. Practise in Number properties and Data and percents.
- Algebra: exponents, factoring and simplifying, functions, linear and quadratic equations and inequalities, simultaneous equations, word problems, and coordinate geometry. Practise in Linear equations & systems, Quadratics & powers, Expressions & nonlinear equations and Functions & growth.
- Geometry: lines, circles, triangles (including isosceles, equilateral and 30°-60°-90°), quadrilaterals and other polygons, similar figures, three-dimensional figures, area, perimeter, volume, the Pythagorean theorem and angles in degrees. Practise in Geometry, and the special triangles in Trigonometry & circles (the GRE asks no trigonometry itself).
- Data analysis: mean, median, mode, range, standard deviation, quartiles, percentiles and interquartile range; reading tables and graphs; probability, including conditional probability; distributions, including the normal; and counting (permutations, combinations, Venn diagrams). Practise in Statistics & studies, Charts, Counting and Probability.
Quantity comparisons
Every comparison has the same four answers: Quantity A is greater, Quantity B is greater, the two are equal, or the relationship cannot be determined from the information given. preplaud's comparison items use that wording and layout, and appear from level 4 of most of the maths drills. The guide shows the three habits that settle most of them, chief among them: when a letter isn't pinned down, try a few values, and if the answer changes, it cannot be determined.
What practice can and cannot do
- It makes the moves automatic, and every preplaud item explains the move it uses, step by step.
- It doesn't cover every format. preplaud's items have one right answer each; it has no "select one or more" items yet, and no data interpretation sets of several questions on one graph. Use ETS's practice tests for those.
- It doesn't copy the test. preplaud's questions are its own, in the GRE's style, and preplaud makes no claim that practice raises a GRE score.
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Sources
- ETS: GRE General Test structure (five sections, two of them Quantitative Reasoning at 12 questions in 21 minutes and 15 in 26, section-level adaptive, about 1 hour 58 minutes, on-screen calculator)
- ETS: GRE Quantitative Reasoning (the four content areas and their topics, the question types, the calculator advice)