GRE Quant Formulas - Cheat sheet

for GRE Preparation

What are the components of the GRE Quants section?

The GRE General Test has three main divisions: Analytical

Writing; Verbal Reasoning; and Quantitative Reasoning.

The quantitative reasoning section has two kinds of

multiple choice questions: Quantitative comparisons and
problem solving. The test also contains questions where
students have to provide their own answers. There are
approximately 20 questions to be completed in 35 minutes.
The math that will be tested is around the basic math
formula and should be within the level of a 10th grade
student. Some of the questions involve data interpretation.
For the computer based test a calculator that is available
onscreen is provided to students. Students taking the paper
based test are provided with a calculator at the test center
on test day.
 Prepping for the GRE quantitative Section:
The best way to prepare for the GRE Quant section is to
seek out the right GRE Quant materials, mainly the Quant
formulas. These can be found for free on the internet which
has a wealth of online GRE prep aids, ranging from iPhone
apps to practice tests.

What are some of the basic GRE Quant formulas?

Below you will find some of the most important and basic
math formulas that will be helpful in your GRE quantitative
section. They can also be called GRE Quant formulas or
GRE math formulas.

1. Square

a. Perimeter
P = 4S
o Multiply any one side (s) by four.

b. Area
A = (side)^2
o Multiply any two sides together (i.e., square one side).
 2. Rectangle

Perimeter
P = 2(l+w)
o Multiply the length (l) by 2 and the width (w) by 2, and then
add the products together.
b. Area
A = l*w
o Multiply the length by the width.

3. Circle

Perimeter
P = 2πr or πd
o Multiply 2, π (pi), and the radius (r) (the length of a line
connecting the center of the circle to the edge).
o Alternatively, multiply π by the diameter (d) (the length of a

line cutting the circle in half).

o Two radii (the plural of radius) equal the diameter, so 2r=d.

o π can be rounded to 3.14 (or 3.14159).

b. Area
A =πr^2
o Square the radius and multiply it by π.

o Note: all circles equal 360 degrees.

4. Triangle

Pythagorean Theorem
(a)^2 + (b)^2 = c^2
o This theorem can only be used for right triangles
(triangles with a 90-degree angle).
o a and b are the two shorter sides, or “legs,” and c is the
hypotenuse (the longest side of a right triangle).
o Certain triangle-side combinations (a:b:c), called
Pythagorean triples, are easy to memorize. Common ones
you may come across on the GRE are:
 3:4:5
 5:12:13
 8:15:17

Area
A =1/2 bh
o Multiply the base (b) by the height (h) and divide by 2.
o Note: angles in a triangle always add up to 180 degrees.

5. Trapezoid

Area
A = a+b2h
o a and b are parallel sides.
o Add a and b, divide by 2, and then multiply by the height (h).

6. Laws of Exponents
x 0 = 1x -1 =1x, x-2 =1x2, etc
xa xb = xa + bx axb = x(a-b)=1xb-
axaya=(xy)a(xy)a=xaya(xa)b=xab

7. Laws of Square Roots

a square =aab=abab=ab

8. Laws of Even and Odd Numbers

even + even = even
odd + odd = even
even + odd = odd
even * even = even
odd * odd = odd
even * odd = even

9. Distance
D =rt

 Multiply the rate (r) by the time (t) to find the distance (D).
 You can also solve for the time or rate by rearranging this
formula to equal either r or t: R =Dt or t=Dr

10. Slope of a Line

Using the Equation of a Line

y=mx+b

 A slope is the steepness of a line in a coordinate system.

 m is the slope.
 x and y are a pair of coordinates.
 b is the y-intercept, or where the line passes through the y-
axis.
 You may occasionally see this equation written in a different
way. Always convert it to the format above to ease
calculations and avoid confusion.
 A line increasing as it moves left to right has a positive
slope, whereas a decreasing line has a negative slope. A
completely horizontal line has a slope of 0.
 If the y-intercept of a line is 0, the formula for it is y=mx+0
or y=mx. Here is an example:

Using Two Sets of Coordinates

m = (y2 – y1)/(x2- x1)

or
slope=rise/run

 x1 and y1 are a corresponding pair of coordinates on a line.

(x2 and y2 are a separate pair of coordinates on the same
line).
 This equation is known as rise over run (the change in
vertical distance over the change in horizontal distance).

11. Average
average = sum of n numbers/n
average speed = total distance/total time
 The average is also called the mean.
 Don’t confuse the average for other statistical terms.
Common terms you may see on the GRE test are:
o Mode: the most common number of a data set
o Range: the difference between the highest number and the
lowest number of a data set.
o Median: the middle number of a data set.

12. Probability
Probability of an event occurring = number of successful
outcomes/ total number of possible outcomes.

Probability of two independent events occurring =

probability of event A * probability of event B

 Probabilities are usually written as fractions, though you

may see them written as decimals or ratios (e.g., 3:4).

13. Percentages
Percent Basics

Solve for x percent of number n

N x 100
 Alternatively, a faster way to solve this is by moving the
decimal point of the percent to the left two places and
multiplying it by n. For example, what is 12 percent of 50?
Answer: 50*(12/100) = 6.
Solve for what number n is x percent of:

100 nx

Solve for what percent is number n of number m:

100 nm

Percent Change

Percent Increase

Final amount – original amount/original amount *100.

The numerator is equivalent to the actual increase in the

amount.

Percent Decrease

((Original amount –final amount)/(original amount)) *100

The numerator is equivalent to the actual decrease in the

amount.
Do you need to memorize GRE Quant formulas?

While the GRE is not a test of knowledge, you will need to

show up on the test day with some basic math formula
memorized. Though memorizing Quant formulas isn't the
only way to study for the GRE Quant, memorizing certain
frequently-tested math formulas will help you improve
your speed on test day. Once you learn these GRE math
formulas, be sure to practice using them! Timed practice
will ensure you can answer all the questions giving you a
higher chance to ace your test.

Time allocated for the GRE Quant section and knowing

your GRE Quant formulas.

The Quant section has 40 questions in total which are

divided into 2 sections each containing 20 questions and
the time allocated for each part is 35 minutes. In total, the
GRE Quant sections take 1 hour 10 minutes. Therefore,
knowing your quant formulas and keeping a handy math
formula chart for your practice sessions is key.

Acing your GRE Quant Section:

GRE Quant study guide and Quant score range:
Prepping towards acing your GRE Quant section begins by
understanding and breaking it down. You can't truly
prepare overnight. It requires discipline, hard work, and
 focusing on concepts around the GRE Quant formulas. It is
recommended to spend at least two months preparing for
your exam.

1. Quantitative Reasoning: The quantitative reasoning section

of the GRE takes into account the students basic
mathematical reasoning skills, their understanding of simple
math formula concepts, and their ability to apply those skills
and GRE Quant formulas to get to real world solutions.
2. Composition: The quantitative reasoning section comprises
four types of questions:
a. Quantitative comparison questions.
b. Multiple-choice questions with one answer.
c. Multiple-choice questions with one or more answers.
d. Numeric entry questions.
The quantitative reasoning section addresses math, with
topics including prime numbers, percentages, and absolute
value. The section also includes algebraic concepts, along
with graphs of functions, quadratic equations, and word
problems that must be translated to mathematical equations.
The test also includes geometry, with subjects like the
Pythagoras theorem, multi-dimensional figures, and parallel
and perpendicular lines. Additionally questions on data
analysis, ranging from basic descriptive statistics to scatter
plots make up part of the GRE Quants. Each of the two
quantitative reasoning sections contain 20 questions. In a
nutshell, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and "data analysis",
 which means statistics and probability are all being tested in
the GRE Quants.
1. Master the math concepts first through an in depth math
review.
2. Take lots of real GRE practice tests-The more questions you
successfully solve on your own, the better you get.
3. Keep a mistake journal and continue to do actual past GRE
test questions.
4. Memorize the required GRE math formulas or GRE Quant
formulas.
5. Download a GRE calculator app on your phone during
practice sessions. An on-screen calculator is available for use
at any time during the GRE quantitative section. Your GRE
calculator can add, subtract, multiply, divide, and square
root.
The GRE Quant section is scored between 130–170, and an
average score falls somewhere around 150-152.

Tips and Strategies on acing your GRE Quant Section:

It is best advised to take your GRE at least one year ahead
of time. This allows you enough time to retake the exam if
required. Listed below are a few tried and tested tips and
strategies on how you can plan and study so as to have the
best possible chances of acing your GRE Quant section.

1. Know exactly what to expect: memorize the structure of the

exam and the subjects being examined.
2. Relearn any high school knowledge you forgot: Many
GRE questions are based on simple concepts you have
learned through in high school. By now, you're probably
rusty on the basic math formulas and those need to be
revised and relearned.
3. Take practice tests: It may be hard work and time
consuming, but taking practice tests is one of the best ways
to prepare you for the test day. It will help you familiarize
yourself with the exam format, keeping you more focused on
the test questions.
4. Stay consistent with your preparation: Make a study plan
and stick to it, even if it means simply carving out small
chunks of time each day. If you're not taking GRE study
classes, being disciplined about your study routine and
knowing your Quant formulas is especially important. Being
able to think out of the box and critically is a learned skill,
and practice makes perfect.
5. Prepare for time restraints and learn to manage time: It
will be easier to ace the exam if you can learn to time
manage your time and successfully complete the practice
tests within the time frame, keeping a few extra minutes to
recheck answers or spend more time on tricky questions on
the actual test day. Having your GRE Quant formulas
memorized cannot be overemphasized here.