Notice that most of the problems have short, easy and elegant solutions, since

you've noticed a trick/trap hidden in the questions.

1. There are 5 pairs of white, 3 pairs of black and 2 pairs of grey socks in a drawer.
If four socks are picked at random what is the probability of getting two socks of
the same color?
A. 1/5
B. 2/5
C. 3/4
D. 4/5
E. 1
No formula is need to answer this one. The trick here is that we have only 3 different color
socks but we pick 4 socks, which ensures that in ANY case we'll have at least one pair of the
same color (if 3 socks we pick are of the different color, then the 4th sock must match with
either of previously picked one). P=1.
Answer: E.

2. If x is an integer and 9<x^2<99, then what is the value of maximum possible

value of x minus minimum possible value of x?
A. 5
B. 6
C. 7
D. 18
E. 20
Also tricky. Notice that
can take positive, as well as negative values to satisfy
hence
can be: -9, -8, -7, -6, -4, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. We asked to find the value

of

, ans since

and

then

Answer: D.

3. Fanny and Alexander are 360 miles apart and are traveling in a straight line
toward each other at a constant rate of 25 mph and 65 mph respectively, how far
apart will they be exactly 1.5 hours before they meet?
A. 25 miles
B. 65 miles
C. 70 miles
D. 90 miles
E. 135 miles
Make it simple! The question is: how far apart will they be exactly 1.5 hours before they meet?
As Fanny and Alexander's combined rate is 25+65 mph then 1.5 hours before they meet
they'll be (25+65)*1.5=135 miles apart.
Answer: E.

4. If -3<x<5 and -7<y<9, which of the following represent the range of all possible
values of y-x?
A. -4<y-x<4
B. -2<y-x<4
C. -12<y-x<4
D. -12<y-x<12
E. 4<y-x<12
To get max value of y-x take max value of y and min value of x: 9-(-3)=12;
To get min value of y-x take min value of y and max value of x: -7-(5)=-12;
Hence, the range of all possible values of y-x is -12<y-x<12.
Answer: D.

5. The angles in a triangle are x, 3x, and 5x degrees. If a, b and c are the lengths of
the sides opposite to angles x, 3x, and 5x respectively, then which of the following
must be true?
I. c>a+b
II. c^2>a^2+b^2
III. c/a/b=10/6/2
A. I only
B. II only
C. III only
D. I and III only
E. II and III only
According to the relationship of the sides of a triangle: the length of any side of a triangle
must be larger than the positive difference of the other two sides, but smaller than
the sum of the other two sides. Thus I and III can never be true: one side (c) can not be
larger than the sum of the other two sides (a and b). Note that III is basically the same as I: if
c=10, a=6 and b=2 then c>a+b, which can never be true. Thus even not considering the
angles, we can say that only answer choice B (II only) is left.
Answer: B.
Now, if interested why II is true: as the angles in a triangle are x, 3x, and 5x degrees then
x+3x+5x=180 --> x=20, 3x=60, and 5x=100. Next, if angle opposite c were 90 degrees, then
according to Pythagoras theorem c^2=a^+b^2, but since the angel opposite c is more than
90 degrees (100) then c is larger, hence c^2>a^+b^2.

6. Anna has 10 marbles: 5 red, 2 blue, 2 green and 1 yellow. She wants to arrange
all of them in a row so that no two adjacent marbles are of the same color and the
first and the last marbles are of different colours. How many different
arrangements are possible?

A. 30
B. 60
C. 120
D. 240
E. 480
Seems tough and complicated but if we read the stem carefully we find that the only way both
conditions to be met for 5 red marbles, which are half of total marbles, they can be arranged
only in two ways: R*R*R*R*R* or *R*R*R*R*R.
Here comes the next good news, in these cases BOTH conditions are met for all other marbles
as well: no two adjacent marbles will be of the same color and the first and the last marbles
will be of different colors.
Now, it's easy: 2 blue, 2 green and 1 yellow can be arranged in 5 empty slots in 5!/(2!*2!)=30
ways (permutation of 5 letters BBGGY out of which 2 B's and 2 G' are identical). Finally as
there are two cases (R*R*R*R*R* and *R*R*R*R*R. ) then total # of arrangement is 30*2=60.
Answer: B.

7. After 2/9 of the numbers in a data set A were observed, it turned out that 3/4 of
those numbers were non-negative. What fraction of the remaining numbers in set A
must be negative so that the total ratio of negative numbers to non-negative
numbers be 2 to 1?
A. 11/14
B. 13/18
C. 4/7
D. 3/7
E. 3/14
If choose variable for set A there will be too many fractions to manipulate with, so pick some
smart #: let set A contain 18 numbers.
"2/9 of the numbers in a data set A were observed" --> 4 observed and 18-4=14 numbers left
to observe;
"3/4 of those numbers were non-negative" --> 3 non-negative and 1 negative;
Ratio of negative numbers to non-negative numbers to be 2 to 1 there should be total of
18*2/3=12 negative numbers, so in not yet observed part there should be 12-1=11
negative numbers. Thus 11/14 of the remaining numbers in set A must be negative.
Answer: A.

8. There are 15 black chips and 5 white chips in a jar. What is the least number of
chips we should pick to guarantee that we have 2 chips of the same color?
A. 3
B. 5
C. 6
D. 16

E. 19
Worst case scenario would be if the first two chips we pick will be of the different colors. But
the next chip must match with either of two, so 3 is the answer.
Answer: A.

9. Julie is putting M marbles in a row in a repeating pattern: blue, white, red,

green, black, yellow, pink. If the row begins with blue marble and ends with red
marble, then which of the following could be the value of M?
A. 22
B. 30
C. 38
D. 46
E. 54
There are total of 7 different color marbles in a pattern. Now, as the row begins with blue
marble and ends with red marble (so ends with 3rd marble in a pattern) then M=7k+3. The
only answer choice which is multiple of 7 plus 3 is 38=35+3.
Answer: C.

10. If
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
E. 5

is an integer and

, then what is the value of n?

Also no need for algebraic manipulation. 1/10^(n+1) is 10 times less than 1/10^n, and both
when expressed as decimals are of a type 0.001 (some number of zeros before 1) --> so the
given expression to hold true we should have: 0.001<0.00737<0.01, which means that n=2
(1/10^n=0.01 --> n=2).
Answer: B.