Bob Miller's Math for the GMAT

by Miller, Bob

• ISBN13: 9780738603889
• ISBN10: 0738603880
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-08-01
• Publisher: Research & Education Assn

Summary

Maximize Your Math Score on the GMAT with Bob Miller! Bob Miller has taught math to thousands of students at all educational levels for 30 years. His proven teaching methods will help you master the math section of theGMAT and boost your score! Written in a lively and unique format that students embrace, Bob Miller's Math for the GMAT prepares GMAT test-takers with everything they need to know to solve the math problems that typify the exam. Unlike some dull test preps that merely present the material, Bob actually teaches and explains math concepts and ideas. His no-nonsense, no-stress style and decades of experience as a math teacher help students boost their GMAT score. Bob breaks down math and puts it back together in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step format. Each chapter is devoted to a specific topic and is packed with examples and exercises that reinforce math skills. Concepts covered include: Decimals, Fractions, and Percentages Exponents Square Roots Algebraic Manipulations Quadratic Equations Points and Lines Circles Triangles Quadrilaterals and more! The book includesseven focusedpractice sets with detailed explanations of answers, plus test-taking tips and advice. Remember, if you're taking the GMAT and need help with math, Bob Miller's got your number!

Author Biography

Bob Miller — Author, Teacher, and Renowned Mathematician  Bob Miller received his B.S. in the Unified Honors Program sponsored by the Ford Foundation and his M.S. in math from Polytechnic University. After the first class he taught (as a substitute for a full-time professor), he overheard one student say to another, “At least we have someone who can teach the stuff.” From that moment on, he was hooked on teaching.  Since then, Bob has taught at virtually every educational level, and has brought his math skills to classrooms at C.U.N.Y., Westfield State College, Rutgers, and Poly. Bob says, “I always feel great when students tell me they used to hate math or couldn’t do math and now they like it more and can do it better.”  Bob considers teaching to be exceptionally rewarding, and he has broadened his teaching horizons to include math students beyond the classroom. His math test preps are specifically written in a fun and easy-to-follow style that students embrace.  Bob says his goal as an author, teacher, and mathematician is to help students understand math so they can get the scores they need to excel on the GMAT exam. With his numerous success stories, best-selling test preps, and over 30 years of experience, Bob has proven that his teaching methods get results! 

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Biography
Other Books
About REA
REA Acknowledgments
About This Book
The Basics
Decimals, Fractions, and Percentages
Exponents
Square Roots
Algebraic Manipulations
First-Degree and Quadratic Equations and Inequalities
Word Problems in One Unknown
Working with Two or More Unknowns
Points and Lines
About Angles and Triangles
Quadrilaterals and Other Polygons
Circles
Three-Dimensional Figures
Miscellaneous Miscellany
Data Suffi ciency Questions
Problem Solving
Epilogue
Answer Sheets: Data Sufficiency
Answer Sheets: Problem Solving
Index	p. 258
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

INTRODUCTION Congratulations to you who have graduated or are about to graduate college! You are about to begin another great adventure. Before the journey starts, you must take the GMAT. This book is designed for you to maximize your score on the quantitative section, the math. This book teaches you the skills you need for the GMAT, some of which you may have forgotten. It then gives numerous problems that are typical of this test. I wrote this book in a way so that you will enjoy it and to help relieve some of your anxiety about the test. The propaganda about the GMAT says that the test attempts to find out your knowledge of business, your job and interpersonal skills at the beginning of your undergraduate work, and subjective skills such as motivation and creativity. This, of course, refers to the English sections as well as the math sections. The math skills that are required are no more than those learned in Algebra II. An interesting twist is that you cannot use scratch paper to work out answers. The following items are not permitted: notes, scratch paper (again), calculators or watch calculators, stop watches or watch alarms, personal data assistants (PDAs), telephones or cells, beepers or pages, photographic devices, stereos, radios or TVs, any other electronic aid that could help you, books or pamphlets, dictionaries, translators or thesauri, pens or any other writing devices, rulers or any other measuring devices. It other words, you are taking the test on computer by yourself. Because of these conditions, you must memorize the formulas that you will use for this test. In addition, you must do all the arithmetic in your head. This isn't quite as scary as it sounds. Because you have to do everything in your head, the algebraic manipulations are not too complicated. Complicated arithmetic is not on this test. This book will show you ways to minimize how much arithmetic you need or, in some cases, eliminate it completely. However the test will require that you understand the material. You do have to be creative in coming up with some of the solutionsthinking "outside the box." This test really appeals to me because I love puzzles. There are two kinds of questions on the GMAT. The first is the same kind of questions you took on the SAT. There is a problem to solve with five answer choices. The second kind of question is new: data sufficiency. Chapter 15 discusses this kind of question in detail (you can peek if you want to see more now). Briefly, the problems ask whether there is sufficient information given to solve a problem. In virtually all of the examples, you solve nothing; but you do have to know the facts of the question. This is a very important skill in the real world. It is tremendously important to know when you have enough information to solve a problem or whether you need more. The GMAT is now a computer-adaptive test (CAT), given in English. The math section gives 75 minutes for 37 questions, approximately two minutes a question. You are given a question of moderate difficulty. When you know the answer, enter it. If your answer is correct, you will be given a harder question. Otherwise, you will be given an easier one. BE CAREFUL TO CHOOSE THE ANSWER YOU THINK IS CORRECT. It would be awful to get a lower score than you deserve only because you hit the wrong key! You must pace yourself, since failure to finish the 37 questions will result in a significantly lower score. If there is a question you absolutely don't know, you must guess. If wrong, the next question will be easier. If you answer it correctly, you will return to a similar level of difficulty. Getting those correct will result it harder questions. By the end of the test,