A lot of student struggle more with Data Sufficiency than with Problem Solving. This is often because they don't have a solid DS strategy - they're still trying to solve them in the same way they solve PS.
Here are some helpful articles to help you reframe your thinking and your approach to DS questions:
How DS Works: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/ ... ncy-works/
Rephrasing DS to Answer the RIGHT Question: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... questions/
Common DS Traps: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... ncy-traps/
Why am I better at PS than DS? https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... fficiency/
Test Cases: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... est-cases/
Avoiding the C-Trap: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... fficiency/
Why Geometry DS is Harder: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... ncy-wrong/
Draw It Out: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... aw-it-out/
Giveaway DS Statements: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... tatements/
The Importance of Getting "No": https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... at-part-1/
Here's Why You're Missing DS Problems: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... ms-part-1/
Avoiding Calculations on DS: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... fficiency/
Yes/No DS Questions: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... questions/
Follow Your Process: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... ss-part-1/
The Goldilocks Method: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... ust-right/
Data Sufficiency Strategy
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- ceilidh.erickson
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Ceilidh Erickson
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
GMAT/MBA Expert
- ceilidh.erickson
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 2095
- Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 3:22 pm
- Thanked: 1443 times
- Followed by:247 members
And here are some BTG threads that reveal some common DS mistakes / good DS strategy:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/how-do-i-ma ... tml#737862
Mistaking the Question as a Given:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/are-we-real ... tml#555696
https://www.beatthegmat.com/ds-query-t2 ... tml#719495
Statements are Always True:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/can-vs-yes- ... tml#571897
Statement Carryover (aka accidentally applying what you knew from statement 1 to statement 2):
https://www.beatthegmat.com/gmat-og-13- ... tml#653748
https://www.beatthegmat.com/need-help-s ... tml#719496
Testing Cases / Proving Insufficiency:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/manhattan-a ... tml#563825
https://www.beatthegmat.com/questions-t ... tml#561400
https://www.beatthegmat.com/is-z-betwee ... tml#792014
https://www.beatthegmat.com/is-the-prod ... tml#796047
https://www.beatthegmat.com/tricky-1-fr ... tml#717206
A Definitive "No" Answer = Sufficient
https://www.beatthegmat.com/ds-first-ti ... tml#653772
https://www.beatthegmat.com/data-suffic ... tml#714088
Unpack / Rephrase the Question:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/is-x-x-2-x- ... tml#718647
https://www.beatthegmat.com/if-x-y-is-x ... tml#793303
Pay Attention to Constraints:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/a-of-b-of-c ... tml#747062
Avoid C-Traps:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/og-13-156-t ... tml#766502
https://www.beatthegmat.com/how-do-i-ma ... tml#737862
Mistaking the Question as a Given:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/are-we-real ... tml#555696
https://www.beatthegmat.com/ds-query-t2 ... tml#719495
Statements are Always True:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/can-vs-yes- ... tml#571897
Statement Carryover (aka accidentally applying what you knew from statement 1 to statement 2):
https://www.beatthegmat.com/gmat-og-13- ... tml#653748
https://www.beatthegmat.com/need-help-s ... tml#719496
Testing Cases / Proving Insufficiency:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/manhattan-a ... tml#563825
https://www.beatthegmat.com/questions-t ... tml#561400
https://www.beatthegmat.com/is-z-betwee ... tml#792014
https://www.beatthegmat.com/is-the-prod ... tml#796047
https://www.beatthegmat.com/tricky-1-fr ... tml#717206
A Definitive "No" Answer = Sufficient
https://www.beatthegmat.com/ds-first-ti ... tml#653772
https://www.beatthegmat.com/data-suffic ... tml#714088
Unpack / Rephrase the Question:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/is-x-x-2-x- ... tml#718647
https://www.beatthegmat.com/if-x-y-is-x ... tml#793303
Pay Attention to Constraints:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/a-of-b-of-c ... tml#747062
Avoid C-Traps:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/og-13-156-t ... tml#766502
Ceilidh Erickson
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education