The quantitative section of the GRE includes a wide variety of question types and math topics. In each quantitative section, you’ll have either 21 minutes to answer 12 questions or 26 minutes to answer 15 questions. That can feel daunting at first, but with the right tools - and plenty of practice - GRE quant problems are usually very systematic.
This course teaches the math principles you need to solve any GRE quant problem. You’ll also learn strategies and shortcuts that can make test day smoother.
However, there isn’t a perfect template for every possible way a question can be written. Instead, you’ll build a toolkit for solving problems, and you’ll learn how to apply that toolkit flexibly. That flexibility comes from experience and practice.
To help you get that practice, this course includes a review system. As you take chapter quizzes, questions are added to your review queue. Based on how you perform, the adaptive learning engine schedules those quizzes for future review so the techniques become automatic by test day. You should prioritize setting a study schedule and completing all course content. If you have extra study time, visit your dashboard and complete any quizzes that are ready for review by clicking the Review button.
If you miss a practice problem, read the explanation carefully and focus on why your approach didn’t work. The goal is to understand the mistake well enough that you won’t repeat it.
Each GRE quantitative section has either 12 or 15 quiz questions, drawn semi-randomly as shown in the table below.
| Average number of questions | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative comparison | 4-5 | Choose A, B, C, or D |
| Multiple choice | 3-7 | Choose one correct answer |
| Multiple choice (select multiple) | 1-2 | Choose all answers that are correct |
| Number entry | 1 | Type the answer |
| Data interpretation | 0-3 | Examine the charts to find the answer |
These questions always appear at the start of a quant section. They’re a signature GRE quant question type, so it’s important to be very comfortable with them.
You’ll be given two values: Quantity A and Quantity B. Your job is to determine the relationship between the two quantities. Here are the answer choices and what they mean.
A. Quantity A is greater than Quantity B
B. Quantity B is greater than Quantity A
C. The two quantities are the same
D. It is impossible to know the relationship between the two quantities
There are two kinds of multiple-choice questions:
The question will tell you which type it is. The GRE also uses a visual convention to help you recognize the type quickly:
You’ll see this convention in the verbal section as well.
Select the correct choice:
(A.) Only
(B.) One
(C.) Correct
(D.) Choice
Select all correct choices:
[A.] Multiple
[B.] Correct
[C.] Choices
[D.] Possible
Our UX isn’t exactly the same as the official GRE exam (since that wouldn’t be the best study experience). Instead, focus on the prompt: Select the correct choice versus Select all correct choices.
These question types require you to type your answer into a box.
Don’t enter an answer too quickly. These questions often ask you to round to the nearest whole number or to a specific decimal place.
These questions are generally located somewhere in the first half of the 12-question quantitative set, and they often come in groups of three.
You’ll be given graphs, charts, tables, or other data displays. Each question refers to the data shown, and it’s common for extra information to be included as a distraction.
Because it’s easy to misread a chart and make a careless mistake, work carefully. You may even want to flag and skip these at first, then return to them later.