BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Target Test Prep · GMAT

Choose how you want to prepare

Learn live with an expert or move at your own pace. Every option includes the complete TTP study system.

★★★★★5.0559 reviews
GMATLiveTeach Starts Oct 17
Chris Peckover, Target Test Prep GMAT expert
LIVE ONLINE CLASSES

Get Ready for GMAT Test Day Faster with Live Online Classes

with Chris Peckover, 100th-Percentile GMAT Scorer

Oct 17 · Chris Peckover
Sat · 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM ET
Oct 20 · Chris Peckover
Tue, Thu · 8:00 to 10:00 PM ET
Oct 25 · Josh Braslow
Sun · 1:00 to 4:00 PM ET
Included
40 hours of live online classes + 6 months of TTP OnDemand
  • Attend the first class for free
  • Every class is recorded, so you never fall behind
View classes & enroll
Limited seats availableTarget Test Prep
EALiveTeachOnDemand 5 seats left Start anytime
EXECUTIVE ASSESSMENT

Target Test Prep EA OnDemand

Self-paced EA prep. Study on your schedule.

Logan Thompson
EXECUTIVE ASSESSMENT

Sep 6 to Dec 6, 2026

with Logan Thompson

165+ EA score guarantee
$05-day trial no automatic billing
Schedule
Sun · 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM ET
Included
40 hours of live online classes plus six months of access to the complete TTP EA OnDemand course.
  • 165+ EA Score Guarantee
  • 4,100+ Quant, Verbal, and Integrated Reasoning practice questions
  • 400+ hours of in-depth video lessons
  • 3,000+ step-by-step video solutions
View EA class & enroll Start free 5-day trial
Limited cohort · enrollment openTrial includes full course accessTarget Test Prep
GMATOnDemand Start anytime
SELF-PACED MASTERCLASS

Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand

Complete access from day one. Study on your schedule.

715+ score guarantee
$0to start then $127/mo
  • Personalized study plan and analytics
  • Thousands of lessons and practice questions

Compare the format, schedule, and included access before enrolling. Prices and seat counts shown reflect the supplied offer details.

Absolute value and inequality

Problem Solving — algebra and arithmetic (GMAT Focus Edition)
Expert replies
by sakshi7591 » Tue Sep 13, 2016 6:34 am
Hi,

I came across this question. Can you please answer it?

Suppose that |x|<|y+2|<|z|. Suppose further that y>0 and xz>0. Which of the following could be true?

Indicate all statements that apply.

a) 0<y<x<z

b) 0<x<y<z

c) x<z<0<y

d) 0<y+1.5<x<z

e) z<x<0<y
Join the discussion
Source: — Quantitative Reasoning |

by [email protected] » Tue Sep 13, 2016 9:20 am
Hi sakshi7591,

What is the source of this question? I ask because it appears to be a GRE prompt (so it really shouldn't be posted on this site - as this type of prompt won't appear on the GMAT). That having been said, you can solve it by TESTing VALUES, but you'll have to consider a number of different possibilities.

Here's an example to get you started...

We're told that |X| < |Y+2| < |Z| AND that Y>0 and XZ> 0. We're clearly meant to consider NEGATIVE values for X and Z at some point, but I'm going to start with an obvious example first.

IF....
X=1, Y=2, Z=5
then Answer B is true.

Staying with this example, and looking at the other answer choices, does Y have to be greater than X? Do they have to be integers? Can you come up with another example using all positive numbers that would confirm one (or more) of the remaining answers? Now how about if X and Z are NEGATIVE?

With a little bit of 'playing around' and some basic arithmetic, you should be able to find all of the answers that COULD be true.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Contact Rich at [email protected]
Image
Join the discussion

by sakshi7591 » Wed Sep 14, 2016 12:16 am
Thanks for your response Rich.C

Source of the question is Manhattan GRE

I understood that Answer "B" must be true. But the answer says "A,B,D and E".
I can't seem to figure out how "E" can be the answer.
Join the discussion

by [email protected] » Wed Sep 14, 2016 9:38 am
Hi sakshi7591,

To start, you have to recognize that XZ > 0 means that X and Z could both be NEGATIVE. Once you realize that, and you prove that Answer B could be true, then you can just turn the X and Z into negatives...

IF....
X= -1, Y=2, Z= -5
then Answer E is true.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Contact Rich at [email protected]
Image
Join the discussion

by Matt@VeritasPrep » Thu May 11, 2017 7:58 pm
For E, try a few values:

x = -1
z = -10
y = 3

The trick is that |x| < |z| means that z is further from 0 than x is from 0. So in the positive world, this would give us something like z = 10, x = 1, and in the negative world, this would give us something like z = -10, x = -1. In both cases, |x| < |z|, so we can try either one where appropriate.

The problem does seem really time consuming, but one shortcut I'd use is the relationship between x and z. A, B, C, and D all have x < z, so those are nice to start: with A, B, and D we make both numbers positive, and with C we make them both negative. From there, finding y values to try isn't TOO bad ... but the problem is still a time drain!
Join the discussion