In this article on GMAT mental math, we provide an overview of which sections of the GMAT exam require calculation, how to improve your GMAT mental math skills, and which drills are going to be most helpful in acquiring mental math mastery.
When it comes to solving math problems on the GMAT, there are two sections to be aware of: quantitative and integrated reasoning. There is no calculator provided or allowed throughout the quantitative section, as GMAC doesn’t value manual math calculation as a critical skill. So, calculations should produce clean results or be approximated.
An interface calculator is provided for the integrated reasoning section, so you may use it as a resource. However, it should only be utilized for clumsy or convoluted calculations.
Strategically, mental math should be the first ability you develop in order to achieve your GMAT goals. It should be prioritized. Beyond using mental math as much as possible on GMAT problems and GMAT practice tests, you can also work on this skill more directly. For example, in order to strengthen this skill, practice with free math-aids.com drills to improve speed and accuracy.
There are strategies you can use to more effectively use mental math when taking the GMAT as well.
Here are a few tips to quickly improve your mental math skills by using easy factors or multiples and employing long division:
We always recommend using math-aids.com as an initial step to elevate your skills. It is a free online resource with dynamically produced worksheets that covers all GMAT calculations topics. A few tips on how to utilize the site for efficient studying:
Multiplication
Division
Exponents and Radicals
Fractions
Decimals
Percent
GMAT mental math tip – memorize times tables and exponents up to 15^2 and 10^3
In order to reach your GMAT goals, it will be necessary to solve calculations without a calculator, especially throughout the quantitative and integrated reasoning sections. You will need to integrate mental math practice into your studying, employing tools such as factors, multiples, and long division. A good place to start with mental math drills is math-aids.com, a free resource that covers all GMAT topics. Good luck!