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

Redeem

Number of Multiples

Expert replies
Source: — GMAT Strategy |

by Brian@VeritasPrep » Thu Jul 22, 2010 1:44 pm
I'll let others chime in with their thoughts, but question B is tricky - because both 201 and 501 are multiples of 3, you'd need to indicate whether the set is "inclusive" (the end values, 201 and 501, count) or "exclusive" (they don't).

For a question like A, you'd want to find the first and last multiple of 3 in the set and make sure to include both.

A quick way to remember the rules for inclusive/exclusive sets:

Just use 1, 2, and 3. The range of that set is 2, but you know that there are 3 values if you include them all, and only 1 value in between. So that proves that:

Inclusive set - take the range and add 1
Exclusive set - take the range and subtract 1

If your memory blanks, or you just don't want to memorize in the first place, you can just prove the rule (as long as you know that such a rule exists) with small numbers.
Brian Galvin
GMAT Instructor
Chief Academic Officer
Veritas Prep

Looking for GMAT practice questions? Try out the Veritas Prep Question Bank. Learn More.
Join the discussion