Data Sufficiency Format Question

Expert replies

sk1698: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 1; Joined: Sat May 16, 2009 8:03 am

by sk1698 » Sat May 16, 2009 8:07 am

Hi, i have a technical question (i'm sorry if this has already been asked previously, i'm new here):

In some third party Gmat practice exams (i.e. Barron's, 800score.com, etc) Data Sufficiency questions ask whether something is true, such as "...is p a prime number?" And then based on the two choices it helps you to conclude "NO" (choice A,B,or D). However, i have noticed that in the official Gmat practice material (downloadable and Official Guide) it never leads you to answer "NO" but always "YES" (choice A, B, or D) or not enough info (choice E).

My Question is, are the third party practices misleading in that sense? and should i just go with the what the Official Guide method?

Thank you for your time.

Source: Beat The GMAT — Data Sufficiency | Sat May 16, 2009 8:07 am

GMAT/MBA Expert

Ian Stewart: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 2623; Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2008 3:17 amFollowed by: 355 members; Location: Montreal; Thanked: 1090 times; GMAT Score:780

Re: Data Sufficiency Format Question

by Ian Stewart » Sat May 16, 2009 10:37 am

sk1698 wrote:Hi, i have a technical question (i'm sorry if this has already been asked previously, i'm new here):

In some third party Gmat practice exams (i.e. Barron's, 800score.com, etc) Data Sufficiency questions ask whether something is true, such as "...is p a prime number?" And then based on the two choices it helps you to conclude "NO" (choice A,B,or D). However, i have noticed that in the official Gmat practice material (downloadable and Official Guide) it never leads you to answer "NO" but always "YES" (choice A, B, or D) or not enough info (choice E).

My Question is, are the third party practices misleading in that sense? and should i just go with the what the Official Guide method?

Thank you for your time.

Many third party materials overemphasize this aspect of DS. It's very rare that you find an official DS question where one or both statements are sufficient to give a 'no' answer. There is exactly one such question in the Official Guide (at least in the 11th edition) out of about 50 yes/no DS questions, which should give you some idea of how infrequently they appear. I've seen a couple in GMATFocus as well. Still, in the vast majority of yes/no DS questions, if you do indeed have sufficient information, the answer to the question will turn out to be 'yes', not 'no'.

For online GMAT math tutoring, or to buy my higher-level Quant books and problem sets, contact me at ianstewartgmat at gmail.com

ianstewartgmat.com

Featured schoolRound 2 closes Jan 7, 2027 58 days left

Chicago Booth

Since 1982, 10 Booth faculty members have received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, more than any other business school.

#3
U.S. News rank: $175,000
Median base salary: 670
Average GMAT Focus: 635
Students in the class

Apply to Booth Visit chicagobooth.edu See the full profile

Photo: Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0

GMAT Course Reviews

563 reviews

1168 reviews

431 reviews

359 reviews

147 reviews

5/5

5 Star (563 Reviews)

"Target Test Prep is the closest to the official version of the GMAT exam, about 99% accuracy in terms of the quality and quantity of information. The course has excellently created singular sets of focused lessons and tests for every possible topic that one could come across in the official GMAT exam."

"The TTP course maximizes the efficiency of the time you spend studying. It will take time and effort but I could almost guarantee that if you complete the course exactly as it is laid out you will get an amazing score. They also have a very responsive team willing to help with any questions you might have."

"TTP has two things that I think no other test prep company offers: A teaching approach that reinforces understanding and an attitude that will give you the mental preparedness needed to succeed on the test. TTP gives you a deep understanding of the concept you need to know while teaching you how to think."

Write a Review