Each week, we post a new Challenge Problem for you to attempt. If you submit the correct answer, you will be entered into that week’s drawing for two free Manhattan Prep GRE Strategy Guides.

How many of the integers that satisfy the inequality (x + 2)²(x + 3)(x “ 1) ≤ 0 are less than 0?

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Here are the free GRE events we’re holding this week (All times local unless otherwise specified):

1/22/13– Los Angeles, CA-Free Trial Class- 6:30- 9:30 PM

1/22/13– New York, NY- Free Trial Class– 6:30- 9:30 PM

1/23/13– Atlanta, GA- Free Trial Class– 6:30- 9:30 PM

Looking for more free events? Check out our Free Events Listing Page.

Here are the free GRE events we’re holding this week (All times local unless otherwise specified):

1/14/13– Boston, MA- Free Trial Class– 6:30- 9:30 PM

1/14/13– Chicago, IL- Free Trial Class– 6:30- 9:30 PM

1/14/13– Online- Free Trial Class– 8:00- 11:00 PM (EST)

1/14/13– Berkeley, CA- Free Trial Class– 6:30- 9:30 PM

1/14/13– Online- Mondays with Jen– 9:00- 10:30 PM (EST)

Looking for more free events? Check out our Free Events Listing Page.

I’ve spoken with multiple students lately who received a disappointing (lower than they were expecting) score on the quant section and who all said that the quant felt relatively easy or straightforward. How is that possible?

First of all, thinking that a test like the GRE is easy is actually a warning sign: unless you are poised to get a perfect score, chances are you’re missing something. Some of the questions are really very challenging and they should feel hard even to someone like me (who did get a perfect score on this test! 🙂 ).

Second, the test writers are phenomenal at writing questions that don’t seem all that complicated but are in fact your worst nightmare. My worst nightmare is not an impossible question “ I know I can’t do it, so I just pick an answer and move on. My worst nightmare is a question that I think I can do, and I spend a decent chunk of time doing it, and then I get it wrong anyway “ even though I’m sure I got it right!

The problem I’ve chosen is actually a GMAT problem; I chose it because it perfectly illustrates the point that I’m trying to make, and it is actually in the same form as GRE problems. Try this GMATPrep problem and you might see what I mean. Set your timer for 2 minutes. and GO!

*  Of the 3,600 employees of Company X, 1/3 are clerical. If the clerical staff were to be reduced by 1/3, what percent of the total number of the remaining employees would then be clerical?

 

(A) 25%

(B) 22.2%

(C) 20%

(D) 12.5%

(E) 11.1%

What’s hard about this one? It looks completely straightforward!

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Each week, we post a new Challenge Problem for you to attempt. If you submit the correct answer, you will be entered into that week’s drawing for two free Manhattan Prep GRE Strategy Guides.

100 jellybeans were distributed to a group of 9 people such that the 3 people with the most jellybeans have 60 jellybeans among them, and no one has fewer than 5 jellybeans.  What is the maximum possible ratio of the number of jellybeans held by the person with the most to number of jellybeans held by the person with the least?

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