Section guide ยท Quant
Quant: what both exams actually test
Neither exam tests advanced math. The GMAT and GRE Quant sections cover high-school arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and statistics, but they test them in ways designed to punish sloppy reasoning. The content is familiar; the traps are the exam.
This guide is part of the section series at GMAT GRE Prep. Pair it with the formula cheat sheet while you work.
The topic list is short
| Topic | GMAT | GRE | Core skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic | Heavy | Heavy | Percents, ratios, fractions, exponents, number properties |
| Algebra | Heavy | Moderate | Equations, inequalities, absolute value, functions |
| Word problems | Heavy | Moderate | Rates, work, mixtures, overlapping sets |
| Geometry | Light | Moderate | Triangles, circles, coordinate plane, quadrilaterals |
| Statistics & probability | Moderate | Heavy | Mean, median, standard deviation basics, counting, probability |
| Data interpretation | In Data Insights | Heavy | Charts and tables; on the GMAT this lives in Data Insights |
Question formats
GMAT
The Quant section is 21 problem-solving questions in 45 minutes, standard five-choice format, no calculator. Data sufficiency, the format where you judge whether statements are enough to answer a question, moved to Data Insights in the Focus Edition.
GRE
Two sections totaling 27 questions in 47 minutes, with an on-screen calculator. Four formats appear: quantitative comparison (which quantity is bigger), five-choice problem solving, select-all-that-apply, and numeric entry where you type the answer. Quantitative comparison is unique to the GRE and rewards testing numbers rather than solving.
Pacing targets: about 2 minutes per GMAT Quant question, about 1 minute 45 seconds per GRE Quant question. If a question passes 3 minutes, guess and move. A hard question you solve in 4 minutes costs more than it earns.
The traps that cost the most points
- Answering the wrong question. You solve for x, but the question asked for 2x + 3. Circle the actual ask before you compute. Our linear equation practice question is built around exactly this trap.
- Assuming integers. Unless told otherwise, numbers can be negative, fractional, or zero. Most "obvious" answers collapse when x = 0 or x = 1/2.
- Percent of the wrong base. A 20% raise then a 20% cut is not zero change. See the successive discount question for the mechanics.
- Averaging averages. Combined averages must be weighted by group size. Work with sums, as in the missing number question.
- Over-using the GRE calculator. It has no order-of-operations memory to speak of and eats time. Mental math with estimation is faster for most questions.
A practice method that builds speed
- Untimed accuracy first. Work sets of ten with no clock until you hit 80% or better.
- Then add a soft cap. Same sets, but note the time per question without enforcing it.
- Then enforce. Two minutes per question, guess and flag when you hit the cap.
- Review everything. Every question, right or wrong, gets a written one-line takeaway. The practice bank solutions model what a good takeaway looks like.