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GRE 2014: The 10 questions you need to master

January 08, 2014 19:11 IST

GRE 2014: The 10 questions you need to master


GRE 2014 is your gateway to your overseas post-graduate dreams.

If you are among the many aspirants who are looking to crack the GRE, here is the key to answer these seemingly simple questions

In the last post, we told you how you can strategise your preparation time for the Graduate Record Examination. 

This time around, we'll help you identify and analyse the different type of questions that appear in the exam.

As is the case in any competitive examination, for GRE too, you need to take a spiral look at the contents, possibly identifying two to three questions on each theme.

These are obviously simple questions, but the idea is you need to crack them in the least possible time, say 30 to 45 seconds each.

To make your task easier, we present you a selection of 10 such questions you need to identify at the start of the exam and tell you how to approach them.

1. What prime numbers lie between 80 and 100?

(The idea is you get to know what a prime number is, and also memorise all prime numbers upto 120)

2. What is the sum of factors of 24?

(See, this is a speed question -- you should be able to correctly list all factors and add them up, in flat 20 seconds...Keep on practising, maybe factors of 36, of 60, of 25, of 100)

3. What is the remainder when 2000 is divided by 17?

(The idea is all tables 12 to 19 are learnt thoroughly, and you can manage divisions comfortably)

4. A does a job in 10 days, B in 15 days and C in 24 days. Together they shall do it in how many days?

5. I buy something of for $35. I incur $3 on packaging costs. What should be my selling price if I wish to make a profit of 15 per cent?

(Again, the idea is you can compute 20 per cent, 25 per cent, 5 per cent, etc profits/ losses on cost price...all in 20 seconds)

6. To 18 ml portion of 32 per cent pure alcohol, how much water shall I add to get 12 per cent pure alcohol?

7. What should be added to 650 to get a perfect square?

(All squares of numbers 1 to 30 and cubes of numbers 1 to 12 should be learned by rote)

8. What is the average of 240, 320 and 560?

(You think this should happen in how much time? 15 seconds?)

9. I go at 24 kmph and return at 36 kmph. What is my average speed for the whole journey?

10. On a clock, I connect 4 O' Clock point with the 9 O' Clock one. I also connect the 6 O' Clock point with 3 O' Clock. What is the angle of intersection of the two chords?

(You need to grasp what a chord is, interpret the basic geometry of a circle, and crack such a problem within 45 seconds)

Image: The Graduate Record Examination is a computer-based multiple-choice entrance test to determine student's skills for graduate schools in English speaking countries.
Photographs: Rohit Gautam/