GMAT Flashcards: Quant, Verbal & Data Insights Decisions
300 original flashcards for current-format GMAT Quant, Verbal, and Data Insights concepts, cues, and reusable decisions.
About this deck
GMAT Flashcards: Quant, Verbal & Data Insights Decisions
Build quick recall for the current GMAT with 300 original cards across Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Data Insights. The deck focuses on reusable concepts and decisions; full-length practice belongs in official or properly licensed question banks.
What the cards map
- Quant maps numeric forms, terms, rules, and formulas to their meaning, conditions, or use. Short scenarios ask for the operation, equation, or answer check that fits.
- Verbal maps passage and argument cues to purpose, scope, evidence, inference, reasoning flaws, and evaluation moves.
- Data Insights maps targets, constraints, source and display cues, metrics, and evidence states to the interpretation or decision they support. It covers Data Sufficiency, Multi-Source Reasoning, Table Analysis, Graphics Interpretation, and Two-Part Analysis.
Learning order
The mixed sequence keeps all three sections in rotation. Quant foundations come before algebra, models, and strategy checks; passage reading comes before argument evaluation; shared data literacy comes before the five Data Insights formats. Closely related prompts are spaced apart so one card does not cue the next.
Current-format boundary
This deck has no geometry lessons or formula drills, Sentence Correction, or the retired Integrated Reasoning section. It also excludes timing, scoring, test-center policy, full passages, large data sets, and response-pattern tricks.
Every card is an original compact concept or decision prompt. No official or competitor questions, answer choices, explanations, mark schemes, curriculum text, logos, or trade dress were copied or adapted. See the official GMAT exam content and Data Insights preparation guidance for the current exam boundary.
This is an independent, unofficial study resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). GMAT is used only to identify the exam.
Cards in this deck
Card 1
Question
Which numerator-and-denominator operation creates an equivalent fraction?
Answer
Multiply or divide the numerator and denominator by the same nonzero number. The fraction's value stays unchanged.
Card 2
Question
What does data sufficiency ask you to determine?
Answer
Whether the information guarantees one answer. You usually don’t need to calculate that answer.
Card 3
Question
How do you form a passage's main idea?
Answer
Combine the passage's central topic with its main claim about that topic. The answer should cover the whole passage at the right level.
Card 4
Question
What does multiplying a decimal by 10ⁿ do when n is a positive integer?
Answer
It moves the decimal point n places to the right. Dividing by 10ⁿ moves it n places left.
Card 5
Question
What makes information sufficient for a value question?
Answer
It forces exactly one value for the target. Different values that satisfy all conditions make it insufficient.
Card 6
Question
How do you identify the passage's primary purpose?
Answer
Name what the author is doing with the topic: explaining, comparing, challenging, defending, or proposing. Keep content and action together.
Card 7
Question
How do you find p percent of a quantity q?
Answer
Compute (p/100) × q. Translate “of” as multiplication.
Card 8
Question
How can two valid cases prove insufficiency?
Answer
Make the cases produce different answers to the question. One clean counterexample pair is enough.
Card 9
Question
How do you determine a paragraph's role?
Answer
Connect the paragraph to what comes before and after it. Decide whether it introduces, supports, qualifies, contrasts, applies, or concludes the larger discussion.
Card 10
Question
A total of 45 is split in the ratio 2:3. What are the two parts?
Answer
18 and 27. The five ratio units are worth 45 ÷ 5 = 9 each.
Card 11
Question
Why can an integer restriction change sufficiency?
Answer
It removes noninteger possibilities. A range containing many real numbers may contain only one integer.
Card 12
Question
When is a product of signed factors negative?
Answer
Provided no factor is zero, an odd number of negative factors gives a negative product, while an even number gives a positive product. If any factor is zero, the product is zero.
Card 13
Question
How should two data-sufficiency statements be tested initially?
Answer
Test each statement independently against the stem. Do not carry information from one statement into the other.
Card 14
Question
What makes an integer greater than 1 prime?
Answer
It has exactly two positive divisors: 1 and itself.
Card 15
Question
What should you do first on a detail question?
Answer
Return to the relevant lines and read their local context. Memory tends to preserve the topic while blurring qualifications.
Card 16
Question
What is the divisibility rule for 2?
Answer
The last digit must be even: 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8.
Card 17
Question
How do you test whether a fact is relevant?
Answer
Connect it to the requested target. A true fact that does not narrow the target adds no decision value.
Card 18
Question
How far may a reading inference go beyond the text?
Answer
Only as far as the text strongly supports. Prefer the smallest justified step and reject claims needing outside knowledge.
Card 19
Question
Why is prime factorization useful in GMAT arithmetic?
Answer
It exposes divisibility, factors, greatest common factors, least common multiples, and perfect powers.
Card 20
Question
What must happen before quantities with different units are combined?
Answer
First confirm that their dimensions are compatible, then convert them to a common unit. Keep the unit attached through the calculation to catch mismatches.
Card 21
Question
How do you apply a passage principle to a new case?
Answer
Extract the principle's required conditions, then test whether the new case has them. Surface similarity isn't enough.
Card 22
Question
Which relationship connects distance, rate, and time?
Answer
Distance = rate × time. Rearrange only after the units are compatible.
Card 23
Question
How do you find a least common multiple from prime factorizations?
Answer
Take every prime that appears, using the largest exponent present.
Card 24
Question
How do you multiply powers with the same base?
Answer
Add the exponents: aᵐ × aⁿ = aᵐ⁺ⁿ.
Card 25
Question
How is a weighted average computed?
Answer
Divide the total weighted value by the total weight. For groups, use group size as the weight unless another weight is given.
Card 26
Question
What should a quick passage map record?
Answer
Each paragraph's role and major viewpoint, plus the passage's overall direction. Record structure, not a sentence-by-sentence summary.
Card 27
Question
What does the principal square root symbol √x return?
Answer
For real x ≥ 0, it is the nonnegative number whose square is x. For example, √9 = 3, not ±3.
Card 28
Question
When can bounds replace exact arithmetic?
Answer
When the bounds separate the viable decisions. Stop once every value in the interval leads to the same choice.
Card 29
Question
How do you keep viewpoints separate?
Answer
Attach each claim to its speaker: author, critic, researcher, or group. Track agreement, disagreement, and any later qualification.
Card 30
Question
How do “sum,” “product,” and “quotient” translate into algebra?
Answer
They mean addition, multiplication, and division, respectively.
Card 31
Question
How do you reduce a fraction to lowest terms?
Answer
Divide the numerator and denominator by their greatest common factor.
Card 32
Question
What evidence should determine the author's tone?
Answer
Evaluative words, qualifications, and the treatment of competing views. Topic alone doesn't establish approval, concern, or skepticism.
Card 33
Question
When should rounding usually occur?
Answer
At the end, unless estimation already settles the decision. Early rounding can move a result across a cutoff.
Card 34
Question
How do you convert a terminating decimal to a fraction?
Answer
Write the digits over the matching power of 10, then reduce. For example, 0.375 = 375/1000 = 3/8.
Card 35
Question
When should you stop calculating in a sufficiency problem?
Answer
As soon as uniqueness is proved or disproved. More arithmetic cannot change the sufficiency decision.
Card 36
Question
How do you spot an out-of-scope answer?
Answer
It introduces a person, period, cause, or consequence the passage doesn't address. Being reasonable doesn't make it textually supported.
Card 37
Question
What is the percent-change formula?
Answer
For original > 0, percent change = (new − original) / original × 100%. Percent change from zero is undefined; negative baselines require context-specific interpretation.
Card 38
Question
What makes information sufficient for a yes-or-no question?
Answer
It forces the same yes-or-no answer in every valid case. The underlying value may still vary.
Card 39
Question
What preserves a ratio when its quantities are scaled?
Answer
Multiplying or dividing both terms by the same nonzero factor preserves the ratio.
Card 40
Question
How do you reject a main-idea answer with the wrong scope?
Answer
Compare it with the whole passage. A detail-only answer is too narrow; a claim extending beyond the passage is too broad.
Card 41
Question
Why should you track whether a variable is positive, negative, or zero?
Answer
Sign controls valid cases and operations. Squaring can hide sign, and division requires a nonzero denominator.
Card 42
Question
How do you simplify subtraction of a negative number?
Answer
Change it to addition: a − (−b) = a + b.
Card 43
Question
Whose purpose matters in a primary-purpose question?
Answer
The passage author's purpose. A theory or researcher may be described at length without representing what the author ultimately wants to do.
Card 44
Question
When is the on-screen calculator most useful?
Answer
For tedious arithmetic after the setup is clear. It does not replace choosing the right relationship or denominator.
Card 45
Question
In Data Sufficiency, what stem information applies when testing either statement?
Answer
Everything in the question stem. Stem facts remain active for each statement and for the combination.
Card 46
Question
What is the divisibility rule for 3?
Answer
The sum of the digits must be divisible by 3.
Card 47
Question
What does a transition paragraph often do?
Answer
It closes one line of thought and sets up the next. Its role depends on both sides, not only on its first sentence.
Card 48
Question
When is a proxy measure useful?
Answer
When evidence shows it reliably tracks the target for the intended decision. Correlation may support prediction, but it proves neither causation nor suitability on its own.
Card 49
Question
How do you find a greatest common factor from prime factorizations?
Answer
Take each shared prime to the smaller exponent.
Card 50
Question
What is the arithmetic mean?
Answer
The sum of the values divided by the number of values.
Card 51
Question
What units should a rate have?
Answer
One quantity per another, such as kilometers per hour. The denominator tells you what the rate is measured against.
Card 52
Question
How do you divide powers with the same nonzero base?
Answer
Subtract the exponents: aᵐ ÷ aⁿ = aᵐ⁻ⁿ.
Card 53
Question
What makes a paraphrase faithful to a passage detail?
Answer
It preserves the original meaning, scope, and certainty in different words. Shared keywords alone don't make it accurate.
Card 54
Question
How do you recover a total from an average?
Answer
Total = average × number of values.
Card 55
Question
How do you choose between two plausible reading inferences?
Answer
Choose the one with the tighter textual chain and fewer assumptions. Plausibility in the real world is secondary.
Card 56
Question
What quick check can catch a calculator-entry error?
Answer
Estimate the order of magnitude and direction first. An exact result far outside that range deserves another look.
Card 57
Question
How do you simplify a square root with a perfect-square factor?
Answer
Factor out the perfect square. For example, √72 = √(36 × 2) = 6√2.
Card 58
Question
What makes a new example parallel to one in the passage?
Answer
The same logical relationship. Match cause, contrast, exception, or function rather than shared subject matter.
Card 59
Question
When can work rates be added?
Answer
Add the stated constant rates when the workers operate simultaneously without interfering with one another. At 1/4 and 1/6 job per hour, together they complete 5/12 job per hour.
Card 60
Question
What is the denominator in a percent comparison?
Answer
The stated reference value. “A as a percent of B” means A divided by B, then multiplied by 100.
Card 61
Question
How do you translate “5 less than x”?
Answer
x − 5. The phrase “less than” reverses the spoken order.
Card 62
Question
In Data Sufficiency, what should you check before testing values?
Answer
The full domain. Honor stated restrictions and implicit ones such as positive lengths or nonzero divisors before judging sufficiency.
Card 63
Question
How do you add fractions with different denominators?
Answer
Rewrite them with a common denominator, then add the numerators. For example, 2/3 + 1/4 = 8/12 + 3/12 = 11/12.
Card 64
Question
How do you distinguish description from argument in a passage?
Answer
Description presents what happened or what a view says; argument gives reasons to accept, reject, or revise a claim.
Card 65
Question
How should you compare decimals with different lengths?
Answer
Append trailing zeros and compare place by place. For example, compare 0.47 with 0.4700, which are equal.
Card 66
Question
How should combined statements be evaluated?
Answer
Intersect their constraints with the stem. The combination is sufficient only if every remaining case gives one answer.
Card 67
Question
How do you find common ground between two viewpoints?
Answer
Look for the narrow claim both accept, even if they disagree about its cause, importance, or implications.
Card 68
Question
How do you solve a proportion such as a/b = c/d?
Answer
Cross-multiply to get ad = bc, provided b and d are nonzero.
Card 69
Question
How is average speed computed?
Answer
Total distance divided by total time. It is not usually the simple mean of the segment speeds.
Card 70
Question
What does |x| represent?
Answer
The nonnegative distance from x to 0 on the number line.
Card 71
Question
Why are strongly emotional tone descriptions often wrong?
Answer
They overstate measured academic prose. Match the answer's intensity to the author's actual language.
Card 72
Question
What is the divisibility rule for 4?
Answer
The number formed by the last two digits must be divisible by 4.
Card 73
Question
Can the ordinary percent-change formula be applied directly when the original value is zero or negative?
Answer
No. The ordinary GMAT rule assumes original > 0. Change from zero is undefined, and a negative baseline requires context-specific interpretation.
Card 74
Question
Why can a true statement still be a wrong answer?
Answer
It may not answer the question asked. Check the task—main idea, detail, inference, role, or purpose—before checking truth.
Card 75
Question
When must a weighted average lie between its component values?
Answer
When every weight is nonnegative and the total weight is positive. The average then lies between the smallest and largest component values.
Card 76
Question
How do you express an integer n divided by d with remainder r?
Answer
n = dq + r, where q is an integer and 0 ≤ r < d for positive d.
Card 77
Question
What does an inequality usually provide?
Answer
A range, not a unique value. It can still be sufficient if the question asks whether a threshold is crossed.
Card 78
Question
How should you handle an EXCEPT detail prompt?
Answer
Verify four statements against the passage and select the one that isn't supported. Keep the reversed task visible while checking each choice.
Card 79
Question
How should you set up a unit conversion?
Answer
Multiply by a conversion factor equal to 1, placing units so the unwanted unit cancels.
Card 80
Question
Can two individually insufficient statements remain insufficient together?
Answer
Yes. They may repeat the same limitation or still leave multiple valid answers.
Card 81
Question
For a positive base, how do you simplify a power raised to another power?
Answer
Multiply the exponents: (aᵐ)ⁿ = a^(mn).
Card 82
Question
When can you infer that an author accepts a claim?
Answer
When the author endorses it directly or relies on it without distancing language. Merely reporting another person's view isn't endorsement.
Card 83
Question
How should successive percentage changes be combined?
Answer
Multiply their factors. A 10% rise followed by a 10% fall gives 1.10 × 0.90 = 0.99, a 1% net fall.
Card 84
Question
What are compatible numbers in estimation?
Answer
Nearby numbers chosen to make mental arithmetic easy, such as 203 ÷ 9.9 ≈ 200 ÷ 10 = 20.
Card 85
Question
Which constraints are easy to overlook in a word problem?
Answer
Countability, positivity, distinctness, and capacity limits. Translate each noun and rule into a usable constraint.
Card 86
Question
How do you state the exact disagreement between two viewpoints?
Answer
Identify one claim that one side accepts and the other rejects. Don't substitute a topic that only one side discusses.
Card 87
Question
How do you represent three consecutive integers?
Answer
n, n + 1, and n + 2 for an integer n.
Card 88
Question
How do percentage points differ from percent change?
Answer
Percentage points are the direct difference between percentages. Moving from 20% to 25% is 5 points and a 25% relative increase.
Card 89
Question
What is a reversed-relationship trap?
Answer
It swaps cause and effect, support and conclusion, or the positions of two viewpoints while reusing familiar passage language.
Card 90
Question
How do you multiply two fractions?
Answer
Multiply numerator by numerator and denominator by denominator, canceling common factors when convenient.
Card 91
Question
How do direct and inverse proportion differ?
Answer
Direct:
y = kx; inverse:y = k/xforx ≠ 0.Card 92
Question
How do you recover an original value after a percentage increase?
Answer
Divide the new value by the growth factor. After a 20% increase, original = new ÷ 1.20.
Card 93
Question
When should absolute wording raise suspicion?
Answer
When the passage is qualified. Words such as always, never, entirely, and impossible require equally strong textual support.
Card 94
Question
What should you identify first in Data Sufficiency?
Answer
The exact target and answer type. Decide whether the stem asks for a value, a comparison, or a yes-or-no result.
Card 95
Question
What ending makes an integer divisible by 5 or by 10?
Answer
A last digit of 0 or 5 gives divisibility by 5; a last digit of 0 gives divisibility by 10.
Card 96
Question
How should a Data Sufficiency condition be handled?
Answer
Translate it into a precise constraint before testing sufficiency. Keep it separate from the conclusion you want.
Card 97
Question
How do you reject a half-right answer?
Answer
Test every part of it. One accurate clause can't rescue a second clause that distorts the passage or exceeds its scope.
Card 98
Question
When you convert a positive measurement to a smaller linear unit, what happens to its numerical value?
Answer
It increases. Multiply by the number of smaller units in one larger unit.
Card 99
Question
DS example: Is x > 5? Statement: x > 3. Is the statement sufficient?
Answer
No. Both x = 4 and x = 6 satisfy the statement, but they answer the stem differently.
Card 100
Question
What is a⁰ when a is nonzero?
Answer
- The nonzero-base condition matters because 0⁰ is not assigned this rule.
Card 101
Question
Which claim is the argument trying to establish?
Answer
The main conclusion. Find the claim supported by the other statements, then check that it answers the argument's central issue.
Card 102
Question
When should the two statements be combined?
Answer
When neither statement is sufficient alone. Use both constraints at once and test the remaining possibilities.
Card 103
Question
A positive number rounds to 8.2 to the nearest tenth. What interval contains it?
Answer
8.15 ≤ x < 8.25. The lower endpoint rounds up to 8.2; the upper endpoint rounds to 8.3.
Card 104
Question
What should you check when the conclusion changes populations?
Answer
Whether the evidence applies to the new population. Results from volunteers, specialists, or one age group may not transfer to everyone.
Card 105
Question
How should test values be chosen in Data Sufficiency?
Answer
Choose valid values that probe boundaries, signs, and distinct outcomes. Random easy values can miss the deciding case.
Card 106
Question
How do you translate “A is 30% more than B”?
Answer
A = 1.30B. The percentage is based on B.
Card 107
Question
When can one equation involving two variables be sufficient for a target?
Answer
When every valid solution gives the same target value, even if neither variable is unique. For example, x + y = 10 is sufficient to determine x + y.
Card 108
Question
What does a correlation establish by itself?
Answer
Only that two things vary together. It doesn't establish which one causes the other or whether a third factor causes both.
Card 109
Question
How do you divide by a nonzero fraction?
Answer
Multiply by its reciprocal. For example, 3/5 ÷ 2/7 = 3/5 × 7/2.
Card 110
Question
Why is a ratio often insufficient for an absolute value?
Answer
A ratio fixes relative size but usually leaves the scale free. Many proportional pairs can share the same ratio.
Card 111
Question
What is the divisibility rule for 9?
Answer
The sum of the digits must be divisible by 9.
Card 112
Question
What matters most when applying a sample result to a population?
Answer
Representativeness. The sample must resemble the target population on traits that could affect the result.
Card 113
Question
What should you check after solving a squared equation?
Answer
Check every allowed root. If positive and negative roots produce different target answers, the information is insufficient.
Card 114
Question
What does a negative exponent mean?
Answer
It takes the reciprocal: a⁻ⁿ = 1/aⁿ for nonzero a.
Card 115
Question
Which baseline makes a comparison informative?
Answer
The baseline relevant to the claim. Compare the outcome with what would otherwise have happened, not merely with an unrelated earlier figure.
Card 116
Question
What risk appears when an equation factors into multiple branches?
Answer
Each branch may create valid cases. Test all branches against the stem before deciding sufficiency.
Card 117
Question
How can you compare two positive fractions quickly?
Answer
Compare their cross-products. For a/b and c/d with positive denominators, compare ad with bc.
Card 118
Question
What may be assumed from a Data Sufficiency diagram?
Answer
Only marked or stated facts. Do not infer scale, equality, perpendicularity, or midpoint status from appearance.
Card 119
Question
What multiplier represents a p percent increase or decrease?
Answer
Use 1 + p/100 for an increase and 1 − p/100 for a decrease.
Card 120
Question
Which statements count as evidence?
Answer
The statements offered as reasons to accept another claim. Evidence may be factual or assumed for the argument, even if it isn't proven in real life.
Card 121
Question
Can a mean determine an individual observation?
Answer
Not by itself. A mean fixes the total, but different sets can have that total unless more constraints apply.
Card 122
Question
What weakens a move from past evidence to a present claim?
Answer
A relevant change over time. New technology, prices, rules, or behavior can make the earlier evidence a poor guide.
Card 123
Question
A value becomes 96 after a 20% increase. What was the original value?
Answer
- Divide the final value by the growth multiplier: 96 ÷ 1.2 = 80.
Card 124
Question
How do extreme valid cases help in Data Sufficiency?
Answer
They expose whether the target can change. Test the smallest, largest, or boundary cases allowed by the conditions.
Card 125
Question
How do you test for reverse causation?
Answer
Ask whether the alleged effect could instead cause the alleged cause. Productive teams may meet more because they are productive, not the reverse.
Card 126
Question
Must a sufficient statement make every variable unique?
Answer
No. It only needs to make the requested target unique, even if other variables remain undetermined.
Card 127
Question
A price rises 20% and then falls 20%. Does it return to its original value?
Answer
No. The multipliers give 1.20 × 0.80 = 0.96, so the final price is 4% below the original.
Card 128
Question
Why can a voluntary survey be biased?
Answer
People who choose to respond may differ from those who don't. Strong opinions or extra interest can distort the sample.
Card 129
Question
How do you expand a(b + c)?
Answer
ab + ac. The outside factor multiplies every term inside the parentheses.
Card 130
Question
What should the final Data Sufficiency decision describe?
Answer
Which information set guarantees an answer. It should not report the target’s numerical value.
Card 131
Question
What is the goal when solving a linear equation?
Answer
Isolate the variable by applying equivalent operations to both sides.
Card 132
Question
DS example: Is integer n even? Statement: n = 7. Is the statement sufficient?
Answer
Yes. It guarantees one answer—no. A statement can be sufficient even when that answer is negative.
Card 133
Question
When must an inequality sign reverse?
Answer
When both sides are multiplied or divided by a negative number.
Card 134
Question
What must be checked before comparing two groups?
Answer
Whether they differ in other relevant ways. Age, experience, starting level, or incentives may explain the outcome instead.
Card 135
Question
When is substitution preferable to elimination in a two-equation system?
Answer
Use substitution when one variable is already isolated or easy to isolate; use elimination when coefficients cancel easily.
Card 136
Question
What should you build before analyzing Multi-Source Reasoning material?
Answer
A quick source map. Note what each tab or document contains, who produced it, and the relevant date or scope.
Card 137
Question
How do you separate background from evidence?
Answer
Ask whether the statement supports a claim. Background sets context; evidence does logical work in moving the argument toward a conclusion.
Card 138
Question
Which algebraic terms can be combined?
Answer
Terms with the same variable part and exponents. For example, 3x² and −5x² combine, but 3x² and 3x do not.
Card 139
Question
When should you read the Multi-Source Reasoning question?
Answer
Before a deep read of every source. The question tells you which details deserve attention.
Card 140
Question
What is a reliable first step for an equation containing several fractions?
Answer
Multiply every term by the least common denominator, then solve the simpler equation.
Card 141
Question
Why does source provenance matter?
Answer
It defines what a claim can support. An internal forecast and an audited result do not carry the same evidentiary weight.
Card 142
Question
What should you test when evidence comes from a different setting?
Answer
Whether the settings differ in a way that affects the result. A finding from one market, school, or climate may not carry over unchanged.
Card 143
Question
What does an “and” compound inequality require?
Answer
The overlap of both solution sets. A value must satisfy both conditions.
Card 144
Question
What should you compare before combining claims from two sources?
Answer
Their population, period, units, and definitions. Matching labels can hide different scopes.
Card 145
Question
How can a third factor undermine a causal claim?
Answer
It may explain both events, so their correlation no longer establishes a direct causal link by itself. Hot weather can raise both cold-drink sales and pool attendance.
Card 146
Question
What do one, zero, or infinitely many solutions mean for two linear equations in two variables?
Answer
The lines intersect once, are parallel and distinct, or are the same line, respectively.
Card 147
Question
How should records from separate sources be linked?
Answer
Use a shared key with the same meaning in both sources, such as product code and month. Do not join on a vague label alone.
Card 148
Question
How do you factor 6x + 9?
Answer
3(2x + 3). Pull out the greatest common factor.
Card 149
Question
When does nonresponse threaten a survey result?
Answer
When nonrespondents may answer differently from respondents. A high response count doesn't fix a systematic missing group.
Card 150
Question
What is the first step when two sources seem inconsistent?
Answer
Compare definitions, dates, units, and aggregation levels. Many apparent conflicts come from mismatched frames.
300 cards
GMAT Flashcards: Quant, Verbal & Data Insights Decisions
Study this deck for freeFlashcards opens so you can start studying.
Card 151
Question
When can you use the zero-product property?
Answer
After rewriting a product equal to zero. If (x − 2)(x + 5) = 0, then x = 2 or x = −5.
Card 152
Question
How does an inference differ from a stated fact?
Answer
A fact appears directly in a source; an inference must follow from the sources without an extra assumption.
Card 153
Question
Does a higher percentage by itself prove a higher count?
Answer
No. The underlying totals matter. Twenty percent of 1,000 is more than fifty percent of 100.
Card 154
Question
What does an “or” compound inequality require?
Answer
The union of the solution sets. A value may satisfy either condition or both.
Card 155
Question
What does a blank or omitted value establish?
Answer
Only that the value is not provided. It does not establish zero, no change, or failure.
Card 156
Question
How do you recognize an intermediate conclusion?
Answer
It is supported by one claim and supports another. It acts as both a conclusion and a premise in the same argument.
Card 157
Question
What should you do before writing equations for a two-quantity word problem?
Answer
Define each variable with its unit, then translate one independent relationship per equation.
Card 158
Question
Why should cross-source events be placed in time order?
Answer
Sequence separates prior conditions from later outcomes and prevents using future information as an earlier cause.
Card 159
Question
When should candidate solutions be checked in the original equation?
Answer
Always after a step that may introduce solutions, especially squaring both sides or clearing variable denominators.
Card 160
Question
How can switching from one measured outcome to another create a gap?
Answer
Evidence about one metric may not support a conclusion about another. More website visits, for example, don't by themselves mean more sales.
Card 161
Question
What makes a source relevant to a claim?
Answer
It supplies evidence for a required link in the claim. Related background alone is not enough.
Card 162
Question
How do you solve a factored polynomial inequality reliably?
Answer
Find the zeros, split the number line into intervals, and test each interval's sign. Include a zero only when equality is allowed.
Card 163
Question
Does happening first prove causation?
Answer
No. The timing may fit a causal story, but coincidence or another cause can still explain the later event.
Card 164
Question
How can you spot an unsupported cross-source conclusion?
Answer
Identify the bridge between evidence and conclusion. If the sources never establish that bridge, the conclusion needs an assumption.
Card 165
Question
What do 0 = 0 and 0 = 5 mean after simplifying an equation?
Answer
0 = 0 means every allowed value is a solution; 0 = 5 means there is no solution.
Card 166
Question
What should you verify before comparing figures from different sources?
Answer
Common units and denominators. Convert first, then compare the same quantity on the same basis.
Card 167
Question
How do you interpret |x − a| < r when r is positive?
Answer
x is within r units of a: a − r < x < a + r.
Card 168
Question
What can a larger sample improve?
Answer
Precision, if the sampling method is sound. A huge biased sample can still give a confidently wrong picture of the population.
Card 169
Question
How should a cross-source recommendation be evaluated?
Answer
Apply the stated decision rule to the combined evidence. Do not substitute a personal preference for the rule.
Card 170
Question
If a worker finishes one job in t hours, what is the worker's hourly rate?
Answer
1/t of the job per hour.
Card 171
Question
What can an average hide?
Answer
The distribution. Two groups can share an average while differing sharply in range, concentration, or the number of extreme values.
Card 172
Question
What should you confirm before submitting a Multi-Source Reasoning answer?
Answer
That every required part is supported by the correct source and scope. One unsupported component can invalidate the whole decision.
Card 173
Question
How do you find the amount of a pure component in a mixture?
Answer
Concentration × total mixture amount. A 30% solution with volume 20 contains 0.30 × 20 = 6 units of the component.
Card 174
Question
What role does a concession usually play?
Answer
It acknowledges a point that weighs against the conclusion, then answers that point or limits its relevance. Don't mistake the conceded claim for the argument's main conclusion.
Card 175
Question
When can an apparent cross-source discrepancy be resolved?
Answer
When a stated difference in scope or method explains both figures. If no bridge is given, keep the conflict open.
Card 176
Question
What is the two-set overlap formula?
Answer
In A or B = in A + in B − in both. Subtract the overlap because it was counted twice.
Card 177
Question
What should you identify first in Table Analysis?
Answer
The row unit, column definitions, and any notes. This establishes what one record and each value represent.
Card 178
Question
What is the fundamental counting principle?
Answer
Multiply the choices at successive stages when each stage has a fixed number of available choices.
Card 179
Question
Why distinguish relative change from absolute change?
Answer
Relative change is the percentage change; absolute change is the amount added or lost. A 50% rise from 2 adds 1, while a 10% rise from 1,000 adds 100.
Card 180
Question
How should a table filter be translated?
Answer
Turn it into an exact inclusion rule. Apply every condition before counting or comparing rows.
Card 181
Question
For equally likely outcomes, what is the basic probability formula?
Answer
Favorable outcomes divided by total possible outcomes.
Card 182
Question
What makes a proposed causal mechanism useful?
Answer
It explains how the cause could produce the effect. A plausible, evidence-backed mechanism strengthens the causal link.
Card 183
Question
How do you find the median?
Answer
Order the values and take the middle value; for an even count, average the two middle values.
Card 184
Question
How should numeric values be sorted?
Answer
By numerical value, not digit order. For example, 12 comes after 9 in ascending order.
Card 185
Question
What is missed when evidence includes only successful cases?
Answer
The failures. Studying only surviving firms can make a strategy look safer or more effective than it is.
Card 186
Question
Two machines have stated constant rates of 1/3 and 1/5 job per hour and operate simultaneously without interference. May their rates be added?
Answer
Yes. The stated rates are constant and the machines do not interfere, so their combined rate is 1/3 + 1/5 = 8/15 job per hour.
Card 187
Question
How should a table ratio be built when filters are involved?
Answer
Derive the numerator and denominator separately from the question, then apply each filter only where it is relevant. Do not automatically filter both quantities or default to all rows.
Card 188
Question
What quantity is conserved when two solutions are mixed without loss?
Answer
The amount of the pure component. Set the sum of the starting component amounts equal to the final component amount.
Card 189
Question
When may table rows be added directly?
Answer
Only when they are disjoint parts of the same measure and use compatible units. Overlapping groups would be double-counted.
Card 190
Question
What does n! mean for a positive integer n?
Answer
The product of the positive integers from 1 through n.
Card 191
Question
Where is the argument's logical gap?
Answer
Between the evidence and the conclusion. State what must connect them without merely repeating either side.
Card 192
Question
How do you find the number in neither of two sets?
Answer
Subtract the number in the union from the total population.
Card 193
Question
How should rates from table groups be combined?
Answer
Divide the total numerator by the total denominator. Weight a group rate by its group size only when that size is the rate's denominator.
Card 194
Question
What is wrong with moving from some cases to all cases?
Answer
The conclusion is broader than the evidence. Evidence that some members have a trait doesn't show that every member does.
Card 195
Question
When should you use a permutation?
Answer
When selecting and arranging items and order matters. The number of ordered selections of r from n distinct items is n!/(n − r)!.
Card 196
Question
Why does table granularity matter?
Answer
A row-level fact may disappear or change after aggregation. Match the claim to the table’s level of detail.
Card 197
Question
How do you find the probability that an event does not occur?
Answer
1 − P(event). This is often the quickest route for “at least one” questions.
Card 198
Question
Why does a comparable control group help test causation?
Answer
It shows what happened without the suspected cause. If the groups differ mainly in that factor, the result is harder to explain another way.
Card 199
Question
How should missing table entries be treated?
Answer
As unknown unless the notes define another meaning. Exclude or include them only as the question directs.
Card 200
Question
What is the mode of a data set?
Answer
A mode is any value with the greatest frequency. Under the no-mode convention, there is no mode only when at least two distinct values all have equal frequency.
Card 201
Question
What makes a table comparison valid?
Answer
The values must have compatible measures, units, periods, populations, and definitions. Normalize only validly convertible differences; reject differences in population, period, or definition that cannot be reconciled.
Card 202
Question
What should you check when a prediction extends a past pattern?
Answer
Whether the conditions behind the past pattern will continue. A trend alone doesn't show that its causes will remain in place.
Card 203
Question
How should a drain or other undoing process enter a work-rate equation?
Answer
As a negative rate. Add productive rates and subtract rates that reverse the work.
Card 204
Question
How can you avoid losing your place while scanning a table?
Answer
Evaluate one condition at a time and mark qualifying rows mentally or on the scratchpad. Count only after the final filter.
Card 205
Question
Can evidence that an outcome is possible show it is likely?
Answer
No. Possibility only shows that an outcome can occur; probability requires evidence about how likely it is.
Card 206
Question
What correction is needed when counting the union of three sets?
Answer
Add the three individual counts, subtract all three pairwise overlaps, then add the triple overlap back once.
Card 207
Question
When does a filtered table support a decision?
Answer
When the qualifying rows satisfy the stated rule. Keep filtering, calculation, and decision as separate steps.
Card 208
Question
When should you use a combination?
Answer
When selecting items and order does not matter. The number of selections of r from n distinct items is n!/[r!(n − r)!].
Card 209
Question
What must support a recommendation?
Answer
A link from the proposed action to the stated goal. The argument also needs the action to be feasible and free of costs that defeat the goal.
Card 210
Question
How do AND and OR change a table filter?
Answer
AND requires every condition; OR requires at least one. Parenthesize mixed rules before scanning rows.
Card 211
Question
How do you find the probability that independent events both occur?
Answer
Multiply their probabilities: P(A and B) = P(A) × P(B).
Card 212
Question
What can make an alphabetical sort misleading?
Answer
Labels may contain categories or embedded numbers. Confirm whether the column is text, numeric, or chronological.
Card 213
Question
What kind of fact most directly strengthens an argument?
Answer
A fact that supports the missing link between evidence and conclusion. Merely repeating a premise adds little.
Card 214
Question
What is the range of a data set?
Answer
Maximum value minus minimum value.
Card 215
Question
What should you check at a filter cutoff?
Answer
Whether the boundary is inclusive. “At least 40” includes 40; “more than 40” does not.
Card 216
Question
A train covers 150 miles in 3 hours at a constant rate. What is its rate?
Answer
50 miles per hour. Rearrange distance = rate × time to get rate = 150 ÷ 3.
Card 217
Question
What is the most direct way to weaken an argument?
Answer
Undermine a necessary assumption connecting the evidence to the conclusion. The premises can remain true while the conclusion loses support.
Card 218
Question
What does a tie in the sorted column imply?
Answer
The tied rows share rank on that measure. Their display order does not create a performance difference.
Card 219
Question
How do you identify a useful evaluation question?
Answer
Test whether opposite answers would push the argument in opposite directions. If both answers leave the conclusion unchanged, the question isn't useful.
Card 220
Question
What should you identify first in Graphics Interpretation?
Answer
The chart type and what each visual encoding represents. Bars, lines, areas, and points support different readings.
Card 221
Question
How do repeated identical items affect arrangement counts?
Answer
For n total items, divide n! by the factorial of each repeated count. Identical items do not create new arrangements when swapped.
Card 222
Question
What should you read before estimating a plotted value?
Answer
Both axis labels, units, and category order. Position has meaning only after the axes are understood.
Card 223
Question
How do you test whether a statement is a necessary assumption?
Answer
Negate it. If that negation seriously damages the argument, the original statement was necessary.
Card 224
Question
How do you find the probability that one of two mutually exclusive events occurs?
Answer
Add their probabilities: P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B). Their overlap is zero.
Card 225
Question
What should you verify in a chart legend?
Answer
Which color, shape, or line maps to each series. Similar styling can otherwise swap the groups in your interpretation.
Card 226
Question
What does standard deviation measure?
Answer
How spread out values are around the mean. Greater dispersion means a larger standard deviation.
Card 227
Question
What standard should an inference meet?
Answer
It must follow from the given statements, without extra assumptions. Choose the modest claim the evidence guarantees.
Card 228
Question
What does a segment’s share depend on?
Answer
The correct whole. A category’s share of one region may differ from its share of the full dataset.
Card 229
Question
For motion along the same line, when do you add or subtract two speeds to get relative speed?
Answer
Add the speeds for opposite directions; subtract the smaller speed from the larger for the same direction.
Card 230
Question
What must a paradox explanation accomplish?
Answer
Make both surprising facts plausible at the same time. Rejecting either stated fact doesn't resolve the tension.
Card 231
Question
How is a segment in a stacked bar measured?
Answer
Subtract its lower boundary from its upper boundary. The upper endpoint alone is cumulative, not the segment value.
Card 232
Question
Eight students average 70 and twelve students average 80. What is the combined mean?
Answer
- The group sizes are the weights: (8 × 70 + 12 × 80) ÷ 20 = 76.
Card 233
Question
What is the difference between a graph’s level and its rate of change?
Answer
Level is the plotted value; rate of change is the slope. A high line can still be falling.
Card 234
Question
How should you describe a statement's role in an argument?
Answer
Describe what it does, not just what it says. It may support the conclusion, present an objection, answer that objection, or illustrate a principle.
Card 235
Question
What is P(A given B)?
Answer
P(A and B) / P(B), provided P(B) > 0. Restrict the sample space to outcomes in B.
Card 236
Question
How should slope be compared across a graph?
Answer
Use change in vertical value divided by change in horizontal value. Visual steepness is reliable only on the same scales.
Card 237
Question
A driver covers equal distances at 30 mph and 60 mph. Is the average speed 45 mph?
Answer
No. Using 60 miles for each leg gives 120 miles in 3 hours, so the average speed is 40 mph.
Card 238
Question
What should you identify first when evaluating a plan?
Answer
The plan's exact goal and success measure. A proposal can produce benefits yet still fail its stated objective.
Card 239
Question
What does a trend in a scatterplot establish?
Answer
An association in the displayed data. It does not by itself establish causation or predict every individual point.
Card 240
Question
How can you strengthen a causal explanation?
Answer
Rule out a credible alternative cause, support the proposed mechanism, or show the effect changes when the proposed cause changes.
Card 241
Question
How can an outlier affect a graphical trend?
Answer
It can pull a summary line or average away from the main cluster. Check whether the claim concerns all points or the typical pattern.
Card 242
Question
Why do probabilities usually change when sampling without replacement?
Answer
The sample space changes after each draw. Update both the favorable count and the total before multiplying conditional probabilities.
Card 243
Question
One value in an n-value set increases by d. How does the mean change?
Answer
It increases by d/n because the total rises by d while the count stays fixed.
Card 244
Question
When does a counterexample weaken a claim?
Answer
When the claim requires the counterexample not to exist. One genuine exception can defeat an absolute claim, but may barely affect a modest one.
Card 245
Question
What is the parity of the sum of two odd integers?
Answer
Even. Each odd integer is one more than an even integer, so the two extra ones add to 2.
Card 246
Question
What can an aggregate graph hide?
Answer
Differences among subgroups or periods. A stable total can coexist with large offsetting changes inside it.
Card 247
Question
When is interpolation reasonable on a graph?
Answer
When the graph implies continuity between nearby points. Do not interpolate across separate categories.
Card 248
Question
What makes information relevant to evaluating an argument?
Answer
It bears on the uncertain link the conclusion depends on. Interesting facts about the topic may still be logically irrelevant.
Card 249
Question
How precise should a value read from a graph be?
Answer
Only as precise as the scale supports. Use a defensible interval when the mark falls between ticks.
Card 250
Question
Must a necessary assumption prove the conclusion?
Answer
No. It only has to be required for the argument to work; it need not be enough to establish the conclusion on its own.
Card 251
Question
How do you multiply positive numbers written in scientific notation?
Answer
Multiply the coefficients, add the powers of 10, then adjust the coefficient to be at least 1 and less than 10.
Card 252
Question
How should a graph-based decision be made?
Answer
Translate the visual into values or bounds, then apply the stated rule. Do not decide from appearance alone.
Card 253
Question
When is backsolving from answer choices especially useful?
Answer
When the choices are concrete values and direct algebra is slower than testing them in the original conditions.
Card 254
Question
How can axis scale distort a visual impression?
Answer
Unequal intervals or a truncated baseline can magnify or compress differences. Use tick values, not apparent distance alone.
Card 255
Question
When should you combine two statements for an inference?
Answer
When they share a term or relationship that creates a guaranteed consequence. Don't combine them through an unstated causal or statistical link.
Card 256
Question
When is a product of integers odd?
Answer
Only when every factor is odd. One even factor makes the entire product even.
Card 257
Question
What often resolves two apparently conflicting results?
Answer
A hidden difference in group, time, measurement, or conditions. The results may describe different slices of the situation.
Card 258
Question
How should equal distances on a logarithmic axis be interpreted?
Answer
As equal multiplicative changes, not equal absolute changes. Read the labeled values before comparing gaps.
Card 259
Question
Why start with a middle answer choice when backsolving ordered options?
Answer
Its result often eliminates half the choices at once when the relationship is monotonic.
Card 260
Question
What makes a Two-Part Analysis response complete?
Answer
Both selections must satisfy their own column prompts under the same stem. Treat the pair as one submitted response.
Card 261
Question
What is an analogy doing when it supports a claim?
Answer
It argues that because two cases share relevant features, a result or principle from one likely applies to the other.
Card 262
Question
How do you represent three consecutive odd integers?
Answer
n, n + 2, and n + 4, where n is an odd integer.
Card 263
Question
What should you identify before solving Two-Part Analysis?
Answer
The role of each column. One may ask for a condition while the other asks for a consequence or decision.
Card 264
Question
What values should you test first in a claim about an unspecified number?
Answer
Test allowed categories that may behave differently: positive, negative, zero, fractional, and boundary values.
Card 265
Question
How can an unchanged bottleneck defeat a plan?
Answer
Improving a nonlimiting step won't improve the final outcome if another constraint still controls it. Faster ordering doesn't help when production is already full.
Card 266
Question
How does the shared stem affect the two parts?
Answer
Its definitions and constraints apply to both. Keep them fixed while testing each column’s requirement.
Card 267
Question
How do you count the positive divisors of an integer greater than 1 from its prime factorization?
Answer
Add 1 to each prime exponent, then multiply those results.
Card 268
Question
In Two-Part Analysis, must the two selected entries be the same?
Answer
In the current format, the two selected entries may be the same or different. A linkage in the stem determines whether you must reason through them jointly, not whether their values match.
Card 269
Question
What makes evidence for a general claim strong?
Answer
It should be relevant and reliable and, if case-based, come from representative cases. More evidence isn't automatically better evidence.
Card 270
Question
How do you factor a difference of squares?
Answer
Use x² − y² = (x − y)(x + y).
Card 271
Question
When should the two Two-Part Analysis selections be solved together?
Answer
When one shared relationship constrains both. Test candidate pairs against that relationship instead of solving isolated fragments.
Card 272
Question
How can one counterexample evaluate a universal claim?
Answer
One valid counterexample disproves a claim that is supposed to hold for every allowed value.
Card 273
Question
How does an alternative explanation weaken a conclusion?
Answer
It shows that the evidence can be true without the proposed explanation being true. The alternative must account for the same result.
Card 274
Question
In Two-Part Analysis, how can one column help solve the other?
Answer
A valid selection can narrow the remaining candidates when the parts share a constraint. Recheck the final pair in both columns.
Card 275
Question
How do you test whether x² + bx + c factors into integer binomials?
Answer
Look for integers r and s with r + s = b and rs = c. If they exist, the factorization is (x + r)(x + s).
Card 276
Question
Which unknown should you evaluate first in a plan argument?
Answer
A condition that could make the plan achieve or miss its goal. Focus on feasibility, response, costs, and side effects tied to that goal.
Card 277
Question
How should a trade-off between two measures be evaluated?
Answer
Apply the stated priorities or limits. An option is better only relative to the rule, not because one measure is largest.
Card 278
Question
How can estimation screen answer choices before exact calculation?
Answer
Approximate the expression's magnitude, then eliminate choices that are far too large or too small.
Card 279
Question
In a constrained-decision Two-Part Analysis problem, what should you check before comparing candidates?
Answer
Check every hard constraint first. Discard any option that breaks a required limit, then compare only the feasible candidates.
Card 280
Question
What does a defensive assumption do?
Answer
It rules out a threat that would break the argument. For example, a revenue plan may assume that its added costs won't exceed the new revenue.
Card 281
Question
What restriction applies when a variable appears in a denominator?
Answer
Exclude every value that makes the denominator zero.
Card 282
Question
How does an objective differ from a constraint?
Answer
A constraint determines what is allowed; an objective ranks the allowed options. Apply them in that order.
Card 283
Question
Which quick checks catch many Quant answer errors?
Answer
Check the sign, units, allowed range, and rough size against the question's conditions.
Card 284
Question
What inference is safe from a statement about most members?
Answer
More than half have the stated trait. You can't infer that all do, that any particular member does, or that most have another trait.
Card 285
Question
How should a two-part threshold rule be handled?
Answer
Translate each threshold with the correct inequality, including its boundary. Then test both selected values against it.
Card 286
Question
Where can one negative sign appear in a fraction without changing its value?
Answer
Before the fraction, in the numerator, or in the denominator: −(a/b) = (−a)/b = a/(−b), provided b ≠ 0.
Card 287
Question
How does an argument choose between competing explanations?
Answer
It presents evidence that one explanation handles better than the others, often by ruling out a rival prediction.
Card 288
Question
What is an efficient way to handle two linked algebraic targets?
Answer
Express both in terms of one variable or invariant. Evaluate candidate values only after the relationship is clear.
Card 289
Question
How do you solve x² = c over the real numbers?
Answer
If c > 0, x = ±√c; if c = 0, x = 0; if c < 0, there is no real solution.
Card 290
Question
What should you check when two selected quantities form a ratio?
Answer
Order and scale. The ratio A:B is not interchangeable with B:A, and proportional pairs may all fit.
Card 291
Question
How does a positive proper fraction compare with 1?
Answer
It is less than 1 because its numerator is smaller than its denominator.
Card 292
Question
Which side effects matter when evaluating a plan?
Answer
Effects that change the plan's net result or work against its goal. A small unrelated inconvenience usually doesn't matter.
Card 293
Question
How should a two-part logical claim be tested?
Answer
Separate the condition from the conclusion, then test whether each selected statement performs the requested role.
Card 294
Question
What is the solution pattern for |x| = a over the real numbers?
Answer
If a > 0, x = ±a; if a = 0, x = 0; if a < 0, there is no real solution.
Card 295
Question
What unit check belongs in a two-part quantitative answer?
Answer
Confirm that each selection has the unit requested by its column. Linked values may require different conversions.
Card 296
Question
Why does user response matter to a plan?
Answer
The plan may depend on people adopting, following, or not avoiding it. Availability alone doesn't guarantee the needed behavior.
Card 297
Question
A response rate rises from 40% to 50%. What are the percentage-point change and the relative percent increase?
Answer
The increase is 10 percentage points and 25% relative to the original rate: (50 − 40) ÷ 40 = 0.25.
Card 298
Question
What is the final check for Two-Part Analysis?
Answer
Read each column prompt with its chosen entry, then verify that the pair is jointly consistent with the stem.
Card 299
Question
For real x and y, what two linear cases are equivalent to x² = y²?
Answer
x = y or x = −y.
Card 300
Question
How should benefits and costs be compared in a plan argument?
Answer
By their net effect on the stated goal. A plan can create the intended benefit but still fail if its relevant costs are larger.
300 cards
GMAT Flashcards: Quant, Verbal & Data Insights Decisions
Flashcards opens so you can start studying.