GRE Quantitative Reasoning Question Types

For students studying for the GRE, knowing the different types of questions you will be asked on the Quantitative Reasoning sections can help you efficiently and accurately answer those questions and achieve a high score. Once you recognize the question type, you can utilize the most effective strategy to solve the question. The GRE contains four types of Quantitative Reasoning questions:

Quantitative Comparison questions
Problem-Solving Multiple-Choice (one answer) questions
Problem-Solving Multiple-Choice (one or more answer) questions
Numeric Entry questions

The test questions are designed to assess basic mathematical skills, an understanding of elementary mathematical concepts, and the ability to reason quantitatively and to model and solve problems with quantitative methods. Test content focuses on four distinct areas:

Arithmetic
Algebra
Geometry
Data Analysis

The content of the Quantitative Reasonign sections is generally at a level that is no higher than a high school or secondary course in algebra and does not include trigonometry, calculus, or other higher-level mathematics. The questions may appear independently as discrete questions or as part of a set of questions called a “Data Interpretation Set”.

Although the Quantitative Reasoning sections of the GRE are generally considered to be less challenging than the comparable sections from the GMAT, it does include some content from a business context, particularly calculating percentage changes over time (such as calculating the percentage of sales growth from one quarter to the next).

Quantitative Comparison

Quantitative Comparison questions may be pure mathematical comparisons, posed in real-life settings, or written up as “word problems” that the test-taker must be able to model or interpret mathematically.

Quantitative Comparison questions have four possible answers: quantity A is greater, quantity B is greater, the two quantities are equal, or their relationship cannot be determined. It is critical to become familiar with the format for answering these questions so that you do not waste time or mark your answers incorrectly on test day. And the best way to become familiar with the format of these questions is take regularly take practice exams.

Problem-Solving Multiple Choice

There are two types of Problem-Solving Multiple-Choice questions:

1) Problem-Solving Multiple-Choice (one answer): These questions have one correct answer from a list of five answer choices.

2) Problem-Solving Multiple Choice (one or more answer): These questions have one or more correct answers in the list of presented choices, and questions may or may not specify how many answers you are to select.

Numeric Entry

Numeric Entry questions request answers as integers or decimals in a single answer box or fractions in two separate boxes (one for the numerator and one for the denominator).

Test Structure

The structure of the Quantitative Reasoning sections is as follows:

Quantitative Reasoning Section	Number of Questions	Time Given
#1	12	21 minutes
#2	15	26 minutes

There are a total of 27 Quantitative Reasoning questions on the GRE. Based on the amount of time test-takers are given for each section, you have less than two minutes to answer each question, which is why you must learn to manage your time by recognizing question types and applying an effective problem-solving strategy to quickly reach the correct answer.

The GRE adapts between test sections, adjusting the difficulty of the second Quantitative Reasoning section based on your performance in the first section. Students who perform well in their first section will “level up” their test and face more difficult questions in their second section. This is substantially different from the GMAT, which adapts the test difficulty after every question. There are several positive aspects to this difference, as you are able to review your answers on the GRE, mark questions you wish to return to, and change the answer to as many questions as you wish before completing the section.

Conclusion

While the Quantitative Reasoning sections of the GRE provoke anxiety in many test-takers, there are several steps you can take to make these sections more manageable, including understanding the question types and knowing which strategies work best to solve the different question types. Working with a professional instructor or tutor can help improve your test-taking skills, as well as your confidence, and Manhattan Review offers courses, private tutoring programs, and guidebooks to strengthen all aspects of your test preparation.