Quantitative - Number Relationship Reasoning
The Quantitative battery measures reasoning with number relationships rather than computation speed. Its three item types are Number Analogies, Number Puzzles, and Number Series. You are expected to find a rule, test it, and apply it accurately; arithmetic is a tool, not the goal.
Number Analogies
A pair of numbers establishes a rule; a second pair has one missing number. Find an operation or short sequence that turns the first number into the second, then apply it to the third. Check the rule against the answer choices, because more than one rule may fit the first pair. For example, in 4 → 10, 7 → ?, a consistent rule is “multiply by 2, then add 2.” Applying it to 7 gives 16. Confirm that no simpler rule, such as “add 6,” also fits both pairs and produces a listed answer.
Number Puzzles
An equation contains a missing quantity, often shown as a box. Undo operations in reverse order, preserving balance. For 36 = 4 × □ + 8, subtract 8 from both sides to get 28 = 4 × □, then divide by 4 to get □ = 7. Parentheses change the order: solve the grouped expression first.
Number Series
A sequence follows one or more rules. Check differences first, then ratios, then alternating or two-step patterns. For 2, 5, 10, 17, 26, ?, the differences are 3, 5, 7, 9-odd numbers increasing by 2-so the next difference is 11 and the next term is 37.
Traps
Do not assume a rule from the first pair alone; verify it on the whole analogy. Do not confuse an arithmetic sequence with a geometric one. In puzzles, ignoring order of operations or forgetting to undo the last operation first costs marks. In series, watch for two interleaved patterns or a rule that changes after several terms, and do not stop at the first plausible answer.