GRE Quantitative Reasoning

The GRE Quantitative Reasoning section assesses your ability to understand, interpret, and analyze quantitative information, as well as to solve problems using mathematical concepts.

Arithmetic and Number PropertiesAlgebraic Expressions and EquationsData Interpretation
Geometry and MeasurementStatistics and ProbabilityWord Problems and Quantitative Comparisons
Personal Finance DecisionsData Analysis in CareersTravel and Logistics
Time Management TechniquesSmart Guessing and EliminationCareful Reading and Rechecking
Arithmetic and Numbe...Algebraic Expression...Data InterpretationGeometry and Measure...Statistics and Proba...Word Problems and Qu...Personal Finance Dec...Data Analysis in Car...Travel and LogisticsTime Management Tech...Smart Guessing and E...Careful Reading and ...
Advanced Topics

Statistics and Probability

Understanding Data and Chances

Statistics involves collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data, while probability measures the likelihood of events.

Descriptive Statistics

  • Mean: The average value.
  • Median: The middle value when data is ordered.
  • Mode: The value that appears most often.
  • Range: Difference between highest and lowest values.

Probability Basics

Probability of an event =

\[ \frac{\text{Number of favorable outcomes}}{\text{Total number of outcomes}} \]

GRE questions may ask you to compute probabilities, analyze data sets, or interpret results.

Tips

  • Double-check that you count outcomes correctly.
  • Watch for "at least" or "at most" language in probability questions.

Key Formula

\[P(E) = \frac{n(E)}{n(S)}\]

Examples

  • Calculate the mean of the numbers 3, 7, 8, 10.

  • What is the probability of rolling a 2 on a standard die?

In a Nutshell

Statistics and probability help you summarize data and calculate the likelihood of different outcomes.

Key Terms

Mean
The average of a set of numbers.
Probability
A measure of how likely an event is to occur, between 0 and 1.
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Word Problems and Quantitative Comparisons