Strategy Guide 2 Chapter 10 (Strategy: Test Cases)

[Safwan.733]

I found something obscure in this chapter (Page 153) where -0.5 is still written as -0.5 though the presence of absolute value sign. Please help me.

[StaceyKoprince]

Can you tell me the title of the book that you're looking at?

It's possible that you are using a very old book. Our current quant book (All the Quant) does not have anything with an absolute value symbol on page 153, and Chapter 10 is called Data Sufficiency 201, not Strategy: Test Cases.

You referenced "Strategy Guide 2," but we stopped numbering our strategy guides about ten years ago. If you are using those old books, I can't recommend continuing to use them now—the test has changed too much. I don't even have the files for the old books on my computer any longer.

If you are using All the Quant, can you check the page number and give me more information about what you're seeing?

[Safwan.733]

Thanks a lot for this kind information. I'm actually following this old stuff. Now I have to buy new book. (Is there any version of the new book that is latest?)
Thanks

[StaceyKoprince]

The latest books are called All the Quant, All the Verbal, and Integrated Reasoning & Essay—you can find them on Amazon. A few notes:

The three books are sold together in a bookset called All the GMAT. It's cheaper to buy the bookset than to buy each book individually—and that bookset also comes with an online syllabus and some other resources to help you in your studies (so you get more than just the books themselves).

Also: The GMAT is transitioning right now from the Classic GMAT exam to the new GMAT Focus exam. The GMAT Focus launched in November 2023 and the Classic exam will be retired at the end of January 2024.

Right now, the printed books cover all of the material tested on both exams. If you buy the books from us on Amazon (don't buy them used or from a third-party), then you can register the books on our website and choose which version of the exam you're studying for (Focus or Classic). Then, you'll get access to a syllabus that is specific to that exam—so, if you are studying for Focus, the syllabus will only assign the parts of the books that apply to the Focus and the syllabus will also contain digital supplements to cover the things that have changed on the exam.

For example, the new exam is shorter, so the digital supplements in the syllabus explain the new # of questions and time limits in each section, provide you with updated time management strategies that will work for the new time limits, and so on.

If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask! And good luck with your studies!

[Safwan.733]

I actually fear data insights though it consists many parts of quant. But extra topics like table, graph and other things tense me a lot. How can I practice them? Is there any books that can be suggested?
Thanks a lot for your kind reply.

[StaceyKoprince]

A lot of people are nervous about the Data Insights section—you're not alone.

Here's the interesting thing: Getting ready for this section will also help you get ready for business school, since you'll be dealing with all kinds of graphs, tables, and data analysis in business school as well. So really think of this as an opportunity to get yourself comfortable with these kinds of topics before b-school starts!

The DI section covers 5 question types: Data Sufficiency (which is covered in our All the Quant + DI book) and the other 4 more complicated question types (tables, graphs, etc.). Those other four are covered in our book Integrated Reasoning* & Essay.

*Integrated Reasoning is the old name for this section; they changed the name to Data Insights. So our book title still says Integrated Reasoning, but the four question types are the same—the question types didn't change. So that book will still teach you what you need to know for those four problem types.

Most of the Quant content is also tested on DI, but DI also expects you to be familiar with various kinds of graphs. Those graphs are taught in the Integrated Reasoning book.

For practice, you'll have access to online problem sets that come with the book. (The four complicated question types are so complicated that they can't actually be practiced on paper—you have to do things like sort tables or click between tabs, so those problems have to be practiced on a computer.)

And then I also highly recommend buying the Official Guide 2023-2024 edition—it also comes with lots of online practice problems for those four complicated DI problem types. (The problems for the "regular" problem types on the GMAT—PS, DS, CR, and RC—are printed in the book. They don't have to be done on a computer when you're just practicing.)

Let us know if you have any other questions!

[Safwan.733]

Thanks a lot, Ma'am

[StaceyKoprince]

You are very welcome! Good luck with your studies!