How to Solve GMAT Data Sufficiency Questions

Students might find it difficult to solve data sufficiency questions without having a GMAT Study plan for data sufficiency. There are certain steps which are important to derive out the answer from the question statement. Following steps dictate the correct way to solve GMAT Data sufficiency questions:

• Read the question statement thoroughly and understand the information provided. Solve the question if some calculations are required to answer the question.
• Read all the data sufficiency questions and answers them accordingly.
• Based on the conclusion, determine if statement (1) is sufficient or is dependent on the statement (2).
• Determine if statement (2) is alone sufficient or dependent on statement (1). There might be possibility that both statements are not sufficient alone as well as interdependent.

GMAT Data Sufficiency Syllabus

There are several important topics and concepts which constitute the data sufficiency section of the GMAT Quantitative reasoning. GMAT ds answer choices are based on an understanding of the question statement and doesn't demand full solving of the problem. Following table provide the Data sufficiency GMAT syllabus:

Algebra

Word Problems

Word Problems are another type of question in GMAT Data Sufficiency part. This concept includes various types of topics like Profit and loss, Percentage, Interest, Ratio, Rate, Sets, and Mixture types.

Geometry

Geometry types of questions are an important part of the Data Sufficiency section. GMAT Geometry includes Lines and angles, Circles, Coordinate geometry, Triangles, Volume, Surface, area, Polygons, and other shapes including cubes, cuboids, spheres, cones etc types of topics.

Arithmetic

GMAT Arithmetic type of questions include various types of topics. Real numbers, Probability integer properties, Decimals, Statistics, Number theory, Fractions, Power and root, and Percentage type of topics are included in the Arithmetic section.

GMAT Data Sufficiency Question Format

GMAT DS questions cover 25% to 33% out of total GMAT Quantitative reasoning questions. GMAT Data Sufficiency question contains two statements which might be correlated or not. There are five GMAT data sufficiency options which provide conclusion interpretation for the two question statements. Candidates have to analyze, interpret and select one of the five GMAT data sufficiency options. Following example shows the GMAT Data sufficiency question format along with GMAT data sufficiency answer choices:

• Luna bought a refrigerator and a cupboard at an auction and sold both items at her store. Her gross profit from the purchase and sale of the refrigerator was what percent greater than her gross profit from the purchase and sale of the cupboard?
  Statement (1): Luna paid 10 percent more for the refrigerator than for the cupboard.
  Statement (2): Luna sold the refrigerator for 20 percent more than she sold the cupboard.

1. Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient but Statement (2) alone is not Sufficient.
2. Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient but Statement (1) alone is not sufficient.
3. BOTH statements TOGETHER are Sufficient, but NEITHER statement alone is sufficient.
4. EACH statement ALONE is Sufficient.
5. Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient.

GMAT Data Sufficiency Options

GMAT DS questions always present the same five answer choices. To memorize these answer choices rather than read them each time you face a DS question. A helpful acronym is to memorize the answers is 12TEN.

        (A) Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient.
        (B) Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient.
        (C) BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient.
        (D) EACH statement ALONE is sufficient.
        (E) Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are not sufficient.

Candidates should first consider the data in (1) without taking the data in (2) into consideration when determining whether the assertions provide enough information. Then, while making sure to disregard the data in (1) that you just analysed, think about the information in (2). You should only use (1) and (2) in combination to determine sufficiency if (1) and (2) taken separately are both insufficient. Based on interpretation, select the correct option as depicted in the image following:

GMAT Data Sufficiency Scoring

GMAT Quantitative Reasoning is scored on a scale of 6 to 51 with 6 scores being the minimum and 51 as the maximum. The scores of data sufficiency are included in the quantitative reasoning of GMAT. Following determines and influence the scoring of GMAT data sufficiency answers:

• Total number of questions answered
• Total number of correct answers from overall answer questions.
• The difficult level of the GMAT data sufficiency question.

GMAT Data Sufficiency Tips and Tricks

Students who aim to score high in Quantitative reasoning must be able to solve all the data sufficiency maths questions. There are several tips and tricks which can be followed to effectively solve GMAT Data Sufficiency questions. Following are a few tips for GMAT Data Sufficiency:

• Solve data sufficiency mock test and GMAT data sufficiency practice test as much as possible.
• Understand and memorize data sufficiency options in GMAT.
• Take help from preparation books for GMAT Data sufficiency
• Try to solve as much as possible from the two statements. Avoid solving the whole question, just solve as much as needed.
• Do not use mathematical approaches rather try rational and reasoning.
• Increase solving speed through practice.
• Interpret what the question statement asks, says and provides.