GRE Quantitative study guide
GRE Quantitative · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Quantitative Reasoning measure is one of the sections of the GRE General Test, the admissions exam that ETS describes as "one test for graduate, business and law school." This page is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by ETS or the GRE program. The measure assesses three things: basic mathematical skills, understanding of elementary mathematical concepts, and the ability to reason quantitatively and to model and solve problems with quantitative methods. The GRE Quantitative study guide has 4 sections and about 1,176 words.
01Arithmetic: Number Properties, Percents, Ratios, and Exponents
Arithmetic on the GRE is number-property reasoning more than long computation. Be fluent with divisibility rules (3 and 9 by digit sum, 4 by the last two digits, 8 by the last three), prime factorization, greatest common factor and least common multiple, remainders, even/odd and sign rules, fraction–decimal–percent conversions, ratios and proportions, exponent laws, roots, absolute value, and order of operations.
291 words, about 1 min02Algebra: Equations, Inequalities, Quadratics, and Translation
Algebra questions reward translation and structure over brute force. You need: solving linear equations and inequalities; systems of two equations (substitution and elimination); quadratic techniques including factoring, the quadratic formula, the discriminant b² − 4ac, and vertex form; function notation and composition such as f(g(x)); exponent and radical laws; rational expressions; absolute value equations; and modeling word problems - distance/rate/time, combined work rates, mixture and weighted-average setups, and simple sequences.
302 words, about 2 min03Geometry: Figures, Special Triangles, Circles, and Scaling
Geometry on the GRE tests relationships rather than measurement. Master: angle rules for parallel lines cut by a transversal; triangle properties (angle sum, isosceles base angles, exterior angle, triangle inequality); the Pythagorean theorem and special right triangles 45–45–90 (sides x, x, x√2) and 30–60–90 (x, x√3, 2x); area and perimeter of standard figures; circles (circumference, area, arcs, sectors, with an inscribed angle equal to half the central angle subtending the same arc); coordinate geometry (slope, distance, midpoint, parallel and perpendicular slopes); and volumes of rectangular solids, cylinders, and spheres.
293 words, about 1 min04Data Analysis: Statistics, Counting, Probability, and Graphs
Data analysis covers descriptive statistics (mean, median, mode, range, standard deviation, quartiles, interquartile range); interpreting bar, line, and circle graphs, scatterplots, and tables - often two or three linked questions per set; the normal distribution's 68–95–99.7 rule; counting via the fundamental counting principle, permutations, and combinations; probability including complements and independent events; and overlapping sets through Total = A + B − Both + Neither. With an even number of data values, the median is the average of the two middle values, not one of them.
290 words, about 1 min