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

Redeem
TTP OnDemand GMAT Video Course
Featured Course

Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand

Scott Woodbury-Stewart’s private virtual classroom — 400 hours of master-class video lessons for the GMAT Focus Edition.

  • 715+ score guarantee — highest in the industry (99th percentile)
  • 52 chapters · 1,500+ lessons · 4,000+ practice questions
  • 400 hours of video · 1,500+ instructor-led HD smartboard lessons
  • 300,000+ students accepted to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth & Sloan & more
  • 24/7 live support + weekly Zoom office hours with GMAT instructors
  • TTP AI Assist — 24/7 AI-powered virtual tutor for instant help
  • 1,200+ flashcards + AI-powered study assistant & daily calendar
  • OnDemand, LiveTeach & GMAT Bootcamp formats available
  • Also: GRE, SAT Math & Executive Assessment courses
  • MBA Admissions Consulting now available
  • 🏆 2025 EdTech Breakthrough Award: Test Prep Solution Provider of the Year
  • 200,000+ students served
  • 5-day free trial — $0 to start, no auto-billing, cancel anytime
★★★★★ 5.0 (559 reviews)
130-pt guarantee
$0 to start then $127/mo
Start Free 5-Day Trial Read 559 Reviews →

Smallest Common Multiple

Expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Source: — Problem Solving |
Legendary Member
Posts: 809
Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2010 10:10 pmFollowed by: 4 members
Thanked: 50 times

by akhpad » Sun Apr 25, 2010 7:45 am
250 = 5*5*5*2

Smallest common multiple = 250*2, 250*3, 250*4 so on

Answer: 4
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 3225
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 2:40 pmFollowed by: 614 members
Location: Toronto
Thanked: 1710 times
GMAT Score:800

by Stuart@KaplanGMAT » Sun Apr 25, 2010 1:56 pm
deepesh.gupta wrote:What is the smallest common multiple of two integers which are both greater than 250?
1) 251
2) 252
3) 502
4) 750
5) 884
Hi,

we have to be very careful about not making assumptions on the GMAT; the GMAT uses very precise language and we should never "read in" a word that isn't actually there.

One commonly tested case involves the word "distinct", which simply means "different" - you have to be very careful not to add that word to a question.

This question is a perfect example - nowhere does it say that the two integers have to be distinct integers.

Accordingly, we can pick 251 and 251 as our two integers, which have a lowest common multiple of 251: choose (1).
Image

Stuart Kovinsky | Kaplan GMAT Faculty | Toronto

Kaplan Exclusive: The Official Test Day Experience | Ready to Take a Free Practice Test? | Kaplan/Beat the GMAT Member Discount
BTG100 for $100 off a full course
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 3225
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 2:40 pmFollowed by: 614 members
Location: Toronto
Thanked: 1710 times
GMAT Score:800

by Stuart@KaplanGMAT » Sun Apr 25, 2010 1:57 pm
akhp77 wrote:250 = 5*5*5*2

Smallest common multiple = 250*2, 250*3, 250*4 so on

Answer: 4
The question doesn't ask which number is the smallest common multiple of 250 - it asks for the SCM of two integers, both greater than 250.
Image

Stuart Kovinsky | Kaplan GMAT Faculty | Toronto

Kaplan Exclusive: The Official Test Day Experience | Ready to Take a Free Practice Test? | Kaplan/Beat the GMAT Member Discount
BTG100 for $100 off a full course
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2010 7:27 pm

by niksdoon » Mon Apr 26, 2010 10:52 am
Hi Stuart,

What if question would've included "distinct" in the question. What would have been our answer in that case?

I couldn't understand solution provided by akhp77.

Please advise !!

Thanks,
Niks
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 3225
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 2:40 pmFollowed by: 614 members
Location: Toronto
Thanked: 1710 times
GMAT Score:800

by Stuart@KaplanGMAT » Mon Apr 26, 2010 3:04 pm
niksdoon wrote:Hi Stuart,

What if question would've included "distinct" in the question. What would have been our answer in that case?

I couldn't understand solution provided by akhp77.

Please advise !!

Thanks,
Niks
With "distinct" the answer would have been 502; to generate the smallest common multiple of two distinct numbers, both greater than 250, we take the smallest number we can (251) and then double it (502) - the SCM of 251 and 502 is 502.
Image

Stuart Kovinsky | Kaplan GMAT Faculty | Toronto

Kaplan Exclusive: The Official Test Day Experience | Ready to Take a Free Practice Test? | Kaplan/Beat the GMAT Member Discount
BTG100 for $100 off a full course
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Legendary Member
Posts: 809
Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2010 10:10 pmFollowed by: 4 members
Thanked: 50 times

by akhpad » Mon Apr 26, 2010 6:20 pm
I have understood what mistake I did.

What is the smallest common multiple of two integers which are both greater than 250?

1st integer 251, 2nd integer 251
smallest common multiple = 251


What is the smallest common multiple of two distinct integers which are both greater than 250?

1st integer 251, 2nd integer 502
smallest common multiple = 502

Thanks Staurt
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 43
Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2010 4:32 am
Thanked: 1 times

by deepesh.gupta » Wed Apr 28, 2010 6:25 pm
Thanks Stuart.

I made the mistake of 'distinct' and arrived at 502. But not that we need to be really careful with such details.

OA is 1
Stuart Kovinsky wrote:
akhp77 wrote:250 = 5*5*5*2

Smallest common multiple = 250*2, 250*3, 250*4 so on

Answer: 4
The question doesn't ask which number is the smallest common multiple of 250 - it asks for the SCM of two integers, both greater than 250.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Dec 15, 2010 3:51 am

by barracuda939 » Sat Jan 08, 2011 6:10 am
Can you help me over here Stuart?

The question states that what is the smallest common multiple of two numbers greater than 250.

In this case,
the two numbers = 251 and 251.

Multples of 251 : 251,502.....
Thus smallest = 251.

But if the question were to ask DISTINCT numbers, how could the answer be 502?
251: 251,502
252: 252, 504...
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 261
Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 8:37 pmFollowed by: 3 members
Location: Varanasi
Thanked: 11 times

by ankur.agrawal » Sat Jan 08, 2011 7:19 am
barracuda939 wrote:Can you help me over here Stuart?

The question states that what is the smallest common multiple of two numbers greater than 250.

In this case,
the two numbers = 251 and 251.

Multples of 251 : 251,502.....
Thus smallest = 251.

But if the question were to ask DISTINCT numbers, how could the answer be 502?
251: 251,502
252: 252, 504...
I think u r still getting the language wrong.

Question is asking LCM of two numbers greater than 250.

So lets start with 251. now we have to select another integer. How do we do that?

Lets try : try 252,253, 300. Lets take LCM of 251 & 300. Cant. Lets go further. 251 & 400. still doesnt work. Now we can think of 502. LCM of 251 & 502. Dat will be 502 ( hope u r clear on this).

I think looking at the options gives us a direction to solve this problem.

Hope its clear now.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2011 5:45 am

by sangya » Mon Feb 21, 2011 5:38 am
Stuart Kovinsky wrote:
deepesh.gupta wrote:What is the smallest common multiple of two integers which are both greater than 250?
1) 251
2) 252
3) 502
4) 750
5) 884
Hi,

we have to be very careful about not making assumptions on the GMAT; the GMAT uses very precise language and we should never "read in" a word that isn't actually there.

One commonly tested case involves the word "distinct", which simply means "different" - you have to be very careful not to add that word to a question.

This question is a perfect example - nowhere does it say that the two integers have to be distinct integers.

Accordingly, we can pick 251 and 251 as our two integers, which have a lowest common multiple of 251: choose (1).

Thanks Stuart...... never realized... came across this question few times but always chose 502
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2011 1:51 am

by cuty » Mon Mar 21, 2011 9:43 pm
Thanks stuart ........actually last week i came across the same question in my Kap test and i didn't satisfied with explanation n totally confused.

Now cleared my doubt :)
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2011 6:40 am

by Yolanda Gallipoli » Thu Aug 11, 2011 9:13 am
The smallest Common Multiple between 502 and 251 is 502 "C"
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Legendary Member
Posts: 608
Joined: Sun Jun 19, 2011 11:16 amFollowed by: 8 members
Thanked: 37 times

by saketk » Mon Sep 05, 2011 10:14 pm
Yolanda Gallipoli wrote:The smallest Common Multiple between 502 and 251 is 502 "C"
Hi - read the post by Stuart. The answer is option A
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 40
Joined: Tue Mar 29, 2011 8:08 pmFollowed by: 1 member
Thanked: 1 times

by zander21 » Fri Sep 09, 2011 2:52 pm
Stuart Kovinsky wrote:
deepesh.gupta wrote:What is the smallest common multiple of two integers which are both greater than 250?
1) 251
2) 252
3) 502
4) 750
5) 884
Hi,

we have to be very careful about not making assumptions on the GMAT; the GMAT uses very precise language and we should never "read in" a word that isn't actually there.

One commonly tested case involves the word "distinct", which simply means "different" - you have to be very careful not to add that word to a question.

This question is a perfect example - nowhere does it say that the two integers have to be distinct integers.

Accordingly, we can pick 251 and 251 as our two integers, which have a lowest common multiple of 251: choose (1).
That's the first thing i thought of, but I made the mistake of thinking GMAT wanted them to be two distinct integers, so I went for 502 (251 & 502). Thanks for the reminder not to "assume." i guess I assumed GMAT was being tricky (which they are!) but it hurt me there.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Post new topic Post Reply