Core Skills (Data Sufficiency) - 1

1 Analysis of a statement shouldn’t include assumptions.

• e.g. Y is between 2 and 10, inclusive implies ‘Y’ can be any number between 2 and 10, including 2 and 10 and

not necessarily be an integer.

o Cannot assume ‘Y’ to be an integer.

2 As many conclusions as possible should be inferred from a given statement.

• Statement: A × B is neither positive nor negative. e.g.

• Inferences: A × B = 0. But inference shouldn’t stop here. • Statement: Product of A and B is negative.

Other inferences are: • Inferences: A × B < 0.

• Either A = 0, B = any number. • Neither A nor B is zero.

• Or B = 0, A = any number. • Exactly one of them must be negative.

• Or both A = B = 0.
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Core Skills (Data Sufficiency) - 2
3 Inference from a combination of multiple statements is equivalent to making inferences that satisfy all the individual statements.

Statements

• Statement 1: A2 < 4.

• Statement 2: A is a non-positive and a non-negative integer.

Combination:

• A = 0, and it satisfies both statement 1 and 2.

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Core Skills (Data Sufficiency) - 3
4 Final inference is the intersection of inferences from all the individual statements.

Statements:

• Statement 1: A and B are non-positive integers such that A × B = 2.

• Statement 2: B is odd.

Inferences:

• Statement 1: (A, B) = (-1, -2) or (-2, -1).

• Statement 2: B is any odd number, can be either positive or negative.

Combination:

• Intersection of inferences from both statements 1 and 2.

• Thus (A, B) = (-2, -1).

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Skills to Master GMAT Quant
Apply Constraints

Consider
Visualize All Cases

Process
Infer Translate

Skills

Manipulate
Simplify

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