Practice bank · Quant

Solve a one-step linear equation cleanly

QuantAlgebraEasy

By Devin Marsh, editorPublished 1 March 2026Last checked 31 July 2026

This item was written for this site and solved a second time from scratch before it went up, so that exactly one answer survives. The byline is a masthead name, explained in full on who writes this, and the sourcing rules are set out on the standards page.

If 3x + 7 = 25, what is the value of 6x + 4?

  • A36
  • B38
  • C40
  • D42
  • E46

Try it before you scroll. Two minutes on the clock, then commit to an answer.

Correct answer: C

Solve for x first. Subtract 7 from both sides: 3x = 18, so x = 6.

Now evaluate what was actually asked: 6x + 4 = 6(6) + 4 = 36 + 4 = 40.

Notice the question does not ask for x. Answer (B) is 3x + 7 evaluated at the wrong step, and 6 itself is not among the traps by accident: many test-takers solve for x, see 6, and grab whatever choice matches their scratch work. On both the GMAT and the GRE, the final line of your work should restate the question: “they want 6x + 4.”

A faster variant: once you know 3x = 18, double it to get 6x = 36, then add 4. You never need x explicitly.