GMAT Probability per Distribution and Equal Likelihoods A bag contains red and blue balls. Exactly half of the balls are red, and the other half are blue. If four balls are removed from the bag, then replaced, what is the Probability that exactly three blue balls will be among those selected? First, let’s figure out … Read More
GMAT Combinatorics: an Introduction At the risk of blowing all the secrets too early, let’s do this at the beginning. If you can answer three Core Questions, you’ll be able to answer any Combinatorics question that the GMAT decides to throw at you. Here they are: How Many Spaces? How Many Choices? Does Order Matter? … Read More
A GMAT Probability Problem with Too Many Moving Parts — How to Deal With a Complex Problem by Isolating its Constituent Parts This problem is so complicated that it’s unlikely to be seen as an actual GMAT Probability question–that is, something you would see in such a complex form on the exam itself–but bear with … Read More
Collapsing Probabilities: Part Deux — for Part Un, Click Here This one I’m only doing with the “Collapsing Probabilities” technique. You’re welcome to do it by making your choice first, then multiplying by the number of potential choices. It’s just that I won’t. You can e-mail me if you need your hand held. Here’s the … Read More
Collapsing Probabilities in GMAT Probability Unsurprisingly, there’s more than one way to look at this phenomenon. Let’s take a look at this straightforward case… Bag 1 contains forty marbles numbered consecutively from 11 to 50. Bag 2 contains fifty marbles numbered consecutively from 41 to 90. If one marble is selected from each bag, what … Read More
GMAT Probability and Number of Distributions x Probability per Distribution The Independent Probability Case for GMAT Probability Now, let’s go back to the example from the previous page, which we can rephrase as this:If a coin is flipped five times, what is the Probability that it will land on Heads only once?That gives us a … Read More
“At Least” Problems in GMAT Probability Hey, remember how all the Probabilities have to be fractions less than one? I mean, after all, it’s reasonably rare for there to be a greater than 100% chance that something will happen. The other thing to bear in mind is that a full Probability–anything that is forgone conclusion–is … Read More
Here’s the Solution to this Crazy-ass Problem: List T Consists of 30 Positive Decimals… Now I’m not going to lie and tell you this question is easy. It’s actually a total beast. And for that reason, I suggest that you repeat this question and repeat it again and then repeat it again until it makes … Read More
There isn’t really much relationship between GMAT Critical Reasoning and the Real World GMAT Critical Reasoning questions are extremely tightly-constructed little logic bombs that have nothing to do with the Real World. While it’s not pleasant to have to say this, I think it’s … Read More
Advanced GMAT Sentence Correction Secrets IS IT WRITTEN ON THE PAGE? Much of the work of GMAT Sentence Correction or (GMAT Verbal in general) is simply learning to take the statements at absolute face value. Think about how the most pedantic, literal person you know would interpret these sentences. Then turn yourself into the most … Read More