Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning
Core concepts
Expect arithmetic and number properties (divisibility, primes, GCD/LCM), fractions, percentages, and proportions, algebra (linear equations, systems, inequalities), geometry (areas, perimeters, Pythagoras, angles), statistics (mean, median, mode) and probability basics, plus logical/sequence reasoning. Word problems on mixtures, rates, and simple/compound interest are common.
Traps
Distractors target unit mismatches (hours vs minutes), percentage of a percentage, and average vs median confusion. In geometry, figures are not to scale; trust the stated measurements. In sequences, candidates often assume arithmetic when the pattern is geometric or alternating.
Worked example / rule of thumb
Problem: A price rises 20% then falls 20%. Net change? Rule of thumb: successive percentage changes multiply, they do not add.
- After +20%: factor 1.20
- After −20%: factor 0.80
- Net: 1.20 × 0.80 = 0.96 → a 4% decrease, not zero.
Strategy
Write the given quantities with units, translate the question into an equation, solve, then sanity-check magnitude. For statistics, sort data before finding the median. For probability, count favorable over total outcomes and confirm events are equally likely.