How to get perfect math or quant score on GMAT - Tip 1

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In a previous post, I had shown how important the maths section is for scoring high on GMAT. Scoring a perfect 51 is almost indispensible if you are also short of time and want to prioritize your preparation.

1) Diagnostic test: Before beginning your preparation, I would suggest you to take the OG Diagnostic test. What that will do is tell you where you are, interms of prep, and how much time you need to spend before being able to meet the perfect score target.

2) Manage time: Most questions in the math section are silly, some are moderately silly and the rest are tricky. The tricky ones are which you have to lookout for and have enough time to avoid making silly mistakes. The rest of the questions should be done quite fast - in or under a minute and a half. Using this strategy, you would have ample time to ponder over possible catches in the tricky questions. Overall, you should time yourself so as to finish the math section in 70 minutes. If you are finishing the test too soon, you are surely making silly mistakes in the test and ruining your chance to eat this low-hanging fruit.

It is equally important to aim to finish the test 5 minutes early to keep buffer for the last few questions and avoid missing any questions. The penalty for not answering questions will otherwise null your otherwise confirmed jackpot on the math exam.

3) Beware of choice C in Data Sufficiency: Did you just think that this question was a simple one since you can answer it using the available information. Lets assume that answers to all the DS questions were uniformly (equally) distributed between choice a, b, c, d, and e. In such a scenerio, 60% of the time, you can conclude that the correct answer is C. While you are right that the question can be solved with both the pieces of information, you may not be sufficiently right for the GMAT in the event the answer can be derived from one of the choices. So the trick here is that 60% (whenever you are about to choose c) of the time you should doubt yourself whether the answer can be derived from the information provided, independently.

For example.

Question
i) Info 1
ii) Info 2

a) If the solution can be derived from i) alone
b) If the solution can be derived from ii) alone
c) If the solution can be derived only from i) and ii) together
d) If the solution can be derived from either from i) or ii) alone
e) Info insuffient to derive a solution.

c) is also true, when either a) or b) is true. This is where the catch lies.

On the other hand, to reach the conclusion that a), b) or d) are the correct response, you would need to explicitly prove for yourself that the information in a) or b) or both is sufficient when taken alone.

4) Probability: You have to master this subject for being able to be "sure" of getting a perfect score. This is one sure area where the most difficult questions can come from. Treat it separately, and solve as many practise questions you can on this topic.