1. ‘Saraswati before Lakshmi’ 1
Cracking GMAT's most difficult Quant
Word Problems

2. ‘Saraswati before Lakshmi’
GMAT Exam format & Timing
2
GMAT Test Section # of Questions Question Types Duration
Analytical Writing
Assessment
1 Topic Analysis of an Argument 30 Minutes
Integrated Reasoning 12 Questions Multi-Source Reasoning
Graphics Interpretation
Two-Part Analysis
Table Analysis
30 Minutes
Quantitative 31 Questions Data Sufficiency
Problem Solving
62 Minutes
Verbal 36 Questions Reading Comprehension
Critical Reasoning
Sentence Correction
65 Minutes
Total Exam Time,
not including breaks or
tutorials
3 hours 7 minutes

3. ‘Saraswati before Lakshmi’
GMAT Scoring
3
Section Type Score Composite Score
AWA – Argument based
topic 0-6
N.A.
Integrated Reasoning
Section 1-8
Quantitave (Math) 0 – 60
(8-51) 200 - 800
Verbal
0 – 60
(9 – 51)

4. ‘Saraswati before Lakshmi’ 4
GMAT-Quant Topics
Arithmetic
1. Property of Integers
2. Fractions
3. Decimals
4. Real Numbers
5. Ratio & Proportion
6. Percents
7. Power & Roots of Numbers
8. Descriptive Statistics
9. Sets
10. Counting Methods
11. Discrete Probability.
Algebra
1. Simplifying Algebraic Expressions
2. Equations
3. Solving Linear Equations
4. Quadratic Equations
5. Exponents
6. Inequalities & Modulus
7. Functions.
Geometry
1. Lines and Angles
2. Triangles
3. Quadrilaterals
4. Polygons(Convex)
5. Circles
6. Rectangular Solids and Cylinders
7. Co-ordinate Geometry.
Word Problems
1. Work & Rate problems
2. Mixture Problems
3. Interest Problems
4. Profit & Discount
5. Geometry word problems
6. Measurement Problems
7. Data Interpretation.

5. ‘Saraswati before Lakshmi’
GMAT Quant Questions Format
5
There can be two types of difficult word based
questions : PS & DS
Let’s start with PS questions first :

6. ‘Saraswati before Lakshmi’
Work on a miniature version
6
List T consist of 30 positive decimals, none of which is an integer, and the sum of the 30
decimals is S. The estimated sum of the 30 decimals, E, is defined as follows. Each decimal in T
whose tenths digit is even is rounded up to the nearest integer, and each decimal in T whose
tenths digits is odd is rounded down to the nearest integer. If 1/3 of the decimals in T have a
tenths digit that is even, which of the following is a possible value of (E – S)? [Q. 225 (O.G.-
19)]
I. -16
II. 6
III. 10
A. I only
B. I and II only
C. I and III only
D. II and III only
E. I, II, and III
Say, there are 3 decimals (i.e. 1/10th)
So, the tenth digit is even in 1 decimal & odd in 2
decimals.
Min values are : 0.2, 0.1, 0.1
So, S = 0.4 ; E = 1+0+0 = 1
E – S = 1 -0.4 = 0.6
So, for 30 decimals = E – S = 0.6 * 10
= 6
Max. values are : 0.8, 0.9, 0.9
So, S = 2.6 ; E = 1+ 0 + 0 =
1
E – S = 1 – 2.6 = -1.6
So, for 30 decimals = E – S = -1.6 * 10 =
-16

7. ‘Saraswati before Lakshmi’
See Variables? Use Numbers!
77
Last Sunday a certain store sold copies of Newspaper A for $1.00 each and copies of
Newspaper B for $1.25 each, and the sold no other newspaper that day. If r percent of the
store’s revenue from Newspaper sales was from Newspaper A and p percent of the
newspapers that the store sold were copies of Newspaper A, which of the following expresses
r in terms of p ? [Q.215 -O.G.- 19]
A)(100p)/(125-p)
B) (150p)/(250-p)
C) (300p)/(375-p)
D) (400p)/(500-p)
E) (500p)/(625-p)
Say, total copies of Newspapers = 100.
And # of copies of A= p = 20
Now, r = %age of revenue
from A = (20/120) × 100
= (100/6) %.
Now, putting p = 20 in the options :
A) (100× 20)/105
B) (150× 20)/230
C) (300 × 20)/355
D) (400 × 20)/480) = (100/6)%
E) (500 × 20)/ 605
A B Total
Cost/unit $1.00 $1.25
# of Units
Revenue
20 80 100
$20 $100 $120

8. ‘Saraswati before Lakshmi’
Organize the data systematically.
8
A photography dealer ordered 60 Model X cameras to be sold
for $250 each, which represents a 20 percent markup over the
dealer’s initial cost for each camera. Of the cameras ordered, 6
were never sold and were returned to the manufacturer for a
refund of 50 percent of the dealer's initial cost. What was the
dealer's approximate profit or loss as a percent of the dealer’s
initial cost for the 60 cameras? [Q.210 – O.G.-19]
A. 7% loss
B. 13% loss
C. 7% profit
D. 13% profit
E. 15% profit

9. ‘Saraswati before Lakshmi’
Organize the data systematically.
9
A photography dealer ordered 60 Model X
cameras to be sold for $250 each,
which represents a 20 percent markup over
the dealer’s initial cost for each camera.
#
60
SP
250
Profit
20%
CP
250/1.2
Of the cameras ordered, 6 were never sold and
were returned to the manufacturer for a
refund of 50 percent of the dealer’s initial cost. 6 - 50%
50% of
(250/1.2)What was the dealer’s approximate profit or
loss as a percent of the dealer’s initial cost for
the 60 cameras? 54 + 20% 250
?
Solution
6x(-50) + 54x20
(6+54)
= 13
6 20 - m
-- = -----------
54 m - (-50)
-50 20
6 54
m54 x 250 + 6 x (250/1.2)x 0.5 – 60 x (250/1.2)
----------------------------------------------------------- x 100
60 x 250
1.2

10. ‘Saraswati before Lakshmi’
Use numbers in the Options:
10
At his regular hourly rate, Don had estimated the labor cost of a
repair job as $336 and he was paid that amount. However, the
job took 4 hours longer than he had estimated and,
consequently, he earned $2 per hour less than his regular early
rate. What was the time Don had estimated for the job, in hours
? [Q.188; O.G. – 2019]
A) 28
B) 24
C) 16
D) 14
E) 12
Time Rate/hr New time
21 20
NR/hr
16.8
Difference
4.2
14 28 12 2.0

11. ‘Saraswati before Lakshmi’ 11
Running at their respective constant rates, Machine A takes 4 days longer to produce x
widgets than Machine B. At these rates, if the two machines work together to produce 2x
widgets in 3 days, how many days would it take Machine A alone to produce (5/2)x
widgets?
A) 1
B) 3
C) 5
D) 7
E) 15
A[5/2x] A(x)
2
B(x)
-2
6 2
A & B
together(2x)
3

12. At a loading dock, each worker on the night crew loaded (3/4)th as many boxes as each worker on the
day crew. If the night crew has (4/5)th as many workers as the day crew, what fraction of all the
boxes loaded by the two crews did the day crew load ?
[O.G.- 2018]
A) 1/2
B) 2/5
C) 3/5
D) 4/5
E) 5/8
Day Crew Night Crew Total
# of boxes by
each worker
# of workers
Total boxes
4 3
5 4
20 12 32
# of boxes unloaded by day crew
Total # of boxes = (20) ÷ (32) = 5/8
Use your own number

13. ‘Saraswati before Lakshmi’
Use the Grid
13
Of the 645 speckled trout in a certain fishery that contains only speckled and rainbow
trout, the number of males is 45 more than twice the number of females. If the ratio of
female speckled trout to male rainbow trout is 4:3 and the ratio of male rainbow trout to
all trout is 3:20, how many female rainbow trout are there?
A)192
B)195
C)200
D)205
E)208
Speckled Rainbow Total
Males
Females
Total 645
x
2x+45
So, (2x+45) + x = 645
x = 200
200
445
FS : MR = 4:3
=> 200/MR = 4:3
=> MR = 150
150
MR : Total = 3: 20
 150/Total = 3/20
 Total = 1000
1000355
205

14. ‘Saraswati before Lakshmi’
Data Sufficiency (DS) Questions
14
Now, let’s talk look at a few DS questions

15. ‘Saraswati before Lakshmi’
Data Sufficiency: The format and the approach
15
Mark (A) if Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) is not sufficient.
Mark (B) if Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) is not sufficient.
Mark (C) if BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER statement ALONE
is sufficient.
Mark (D) if EACH statement ALONE is sufficient.
Mark (E) if statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are not sufficient.
What is the value of x?
1) 10% of x is 0.2.
2) x is the only even prime number.
If statement (1) alone is sufficient….Answer could be A/D
If statement (1) alone is not sufficient…Answer could be B/C/E
A D

16. ‘Saraswati before Lakshmi’
Value DS
16
At a certain college, students can major in Science, Math, History or Linguistics. If there
are one-third as many Science majors as there are History major and two-third as many
Math majors as there are History majors, how many of the 2000 students major in
Linguistics ?
1) There are as many Linguistics majors as there are Math majors.
2) There are 250 more Math majors than there are Science majors.
# of majors in Linguistics ?
Know :
1) Only S, M, H, L
2) S = 1/3 (H)
3) M = 2/3 (H)
4) S + M + H + L = 2000
Need:
H =?
1) L = M
=> 1/3(H) + 2/3(H) + H + 2/3(H) = 2000
AD 2) M – S = 250
=> 2/3(H) – 1/3(H) = 250

17. ‘Saraswati before Lakshmi’
Yes-No DS:
17
A school administrator will assign each student in a group of n students to one of m classrooms.
If 3 < m < 13 < n, is it possible to assign each of the n students to one of the m classrooms so that each
classroom has the same number of students assigned to it ? [Q.390-OG-19]
1) It is possible to assign each of 3n students to one of m classrooms so that each classroom has the
same number of students assigned to it.
2) It is possible to assign each of 13n students to one of m classrooms so that each classroom has the
same number of students assigned to it.
Is n divisible by m ?
1) 3n is divisible by m
n = 14 ; m = 7
YES
n = 14 ; m =6
NO
B C E
2) 13n is divisible by m
n = 14 ; m = 7
YES
n = 20 ; m =10
YES
See Variables? Plug in.

18. ‘Saraswati before Lakshmi’
What do we need to figure out?
18
Beginning in January of last month, Carl made deposits of $120 into his account on the 15th of each month for several consecutive months and then made
withdrawals of $50 from the account on the 15th of the each of remaining months of the last year. There were no other transactions in the account last
year. If the closing balance of Carl’s account for May of last year was $2600, what was the range of the monthly closing balances of Carl’s account last
year?
1) Last year the closing balance of Carl’s account for April was less than $2625.
2) Last year the closing balance of Carl’s account for June was less than $2675.
J F M … …
120 +120 |… … - 50 - 50 … …
When
?
(1)
If withdrawal started in May or earlier
Balance in April
2650
Balance in May
$2600
If withdrawal started after May 2480
Therefore, withdrawal started after May
If withdrawal started in June or earlier
Balance in June
2550
Balance in May
$2600
If withdrawal started in July or later 2720
(2)
Therefore, withdrawal started in June or earlier
B C E
Withdrawal started in June
(1) and (2) together

19. ‘Saraswati before Lakshmi’ 19
The GMAT is scored on a scale of 200 to 800 in 10 point increments. (Thus 410 and 760 are real GMAT scores but
412 and 765 are not). A first-year class at a certain business school consists of 478 students. Did any students of
the same gender in the first-year class who were born in the same-named month have the same GMAT score?
(1) The range of GMAT scores in the first-year class is 600 to 780.
(2) 60% of the students in the first-year class are male.
Know:
1) Total # of students = 478
2) Total Genders = 2
3) # of months = 12
1) Score range = 600 to 780
=> 19 possible scores.
Number of different Combinations = 19 * 2 * 12 = 456
Since, 456 < 478 ; We will have at least one repeat of the same
gender and birth month.
A D
2) # of males = 60% of 478 = 287

20. ‘Saraswati before Lakshmi’
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