GMAT

QUANT

CHEATSHEET
 INTRODUCTION

When I was applying to Business School, I took the GMAT 3 times, improving from a 515
to a 615. I was like a lot of students an average student that struggled with maths. I knew
I had to find a way to cut learning curve somehow, and ultimately it translated into this
GMAT Quant Sheet I would review before my mock exams and before going to bed in
my last weeks of preparation.
I’ve kept refining it over time with the help from Tanguy (LBS MFA23, GMAT 750),
Jacopo (LBS MIM23, GMAT 740), and Aishik (LBS MIM23, GRE 331/340) mainly.
You can find a lot of free GMAT resources online, but those who've been through the
GMAT journey know that this sheet is truly special. I only wish I had found it earlier in my
GMAT journey.

If you’re stuck, remember that the harder the battle, the sweeter the victory.

You got this

MIMPREP
E D U C AT I O N
 I.PROPERTIES OF NUMBERS

PEMDAS Even / Odd Rules

The Order of Mathematical Operations Addition & Subtraction
Parentheses Odd Odd Even

Exponents Even Even Even

Multiplication & Division Even Odd Odd

Addition & Subtraction Odd Odd Even

Even Even Even

Prime Numbers
Multiplication
Prime numbers less than 100
2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, Even Even Even
31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 53, 59, 61, 67,
Even Odd Even
71, 73, 79, 83, 89, 97
Odd Even Even
1 is not a prime number
Odd Odd Odd
The only even prime number is 2
Division
There are 25 primes under 100
Even
Even
Odd

Factors Odd
Odd
Odd
If y divides evenly into x,
we say y is a factor of x. Even
Odd or Even
Even
Example:
What are the factors of 12?
1, 2, 3, 6, 12

Finding the factors of a particular number: The multiplication method

Step 1
Write the given number as the product of two numbers in
different possible ways.

Step 2
All the numbers that are involved in these products are
the factors of the given number.

2
 I PROPERTIES OF NUMBERS

Example: Finding the Greatest Common Factor

What are the factors of 24? (GCF)
24 1 24 Example:
24 2 12 What is the GCF of 56 and 60?
24 3 8
56 2 × 2 × 2 × 7
24 4 6
24 2 × 5 × 7
1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12 & 24 are factors of 24
GCF = 2 × 7
= 14
Finding the number of factors of a
particular number What is the GCF of 132, 198, and 330?
132 2 × 2 × 3 × 11
Step 1
198 2 × 3 × 3 × 11
Find its prime factorisation.
330 2 × 3 × 5 × 11
Step 2
GCF = 2 × 3 × 11
Write the prime factorisation in the = 66
exponent form.
Two consecutive integers
Step 3
Add 1 to each exponent. Two consecutive integers will never
share the same prime factors.
Step 4 Thus the GCF of two consecutive
Multiply all the resultant numbers. integer is 1.
This product is the number of factors.
Multiples
Example:
A multiple of a number is the product
Find the number of factors in 108.
of that number and any integer.
108 Finding the Least Common Multiple
(the LCM)
9 12
Step 1
3 3 3 4 Find the prime factorization of each
integer.
2 2 Step 2
Step 1 & 2 Of any repeated prime factors
among the integers in the set, take
108 = 3 × 3 × 3 × 2 × 2
only those with the largest exponent.
108 = 33 × 22
If we're left with two of the same
Step 3 power (for example, 32 and 32), just
3+1=4 take that number once.
2+1=3
Step 3
Step 4 Of what is left, take all non repeated
4 × 3 = 12 prime factors of the integers.
The number of factors of 108 is 12.

3
 I PROPERTIES OF NUMBERS

Step 4 Number divisible by 8

Multiply together the resultants of If the last three digits of a number are
steps 2 and 3. The result is the LCM. divisible by 8
Number divisible by 9
Example: If the sum of all digits is divisible by 9
What is the LCM of 12 and 56?
Number divisible by 11
12 = 2 × 2 × 3
If the sum of the odd-numbered place
56 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 7
minus the sum of the even-numbered
LCM = 2 × 2 × 3 × 2 × 7 place digits is divisible by 11
= 168
Any Factorial ≥ 5!
Example:
Any factorial ≥ 5! will always have zero as
What is the LCM of 18 and 42? its units digit.
18 = 2 × 3 × 3
42 = 2 × 3 × 7 Trailing Zeroes
LCM = 2 × 3 × 3 × 7 The number of trailing zeros of a number
= 126 is the number of (5 × 2) pairs in the prime
factorization of that number.
LCM × GCF
(LCM of x and y) × (GCF of x and y) = x × y Examples:
520 can be expressed as
52 × 10 = 52 × (5 × 2)
Division and thus has one trailing zero
x Remainder
= Quotient + 5200 can be expressed as
y y
52 × 100 = 52 × (103) = 52 × (5 × 2)2
Example: and thus has two trailing zeros
22 2
=4+
5 5 Leading Zeros in a Decimal
If x is an integer with k digits, then 1x
Divisibility Rules
will have k-1 leading zeros, unless x is a
Number divisible by 2 perfect power of 10, in which case there
If the ones digit is 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8 will be k-2 leading zeros.

Number divisible by 3 Terminating Decimals

If the sum of all digits is divisible by 3
The decimal equivalent of a fraction will
Number divisible by 4 terminate if and only if the denominator
If the last two digits of a number are a of the reduced fraction contains only 2s
number divisible by 4 or 5s, or both.

Number divisible by 5 Examples:

If the last digit is 0 or 5 1
= 0.05
20
Number divisible by 6 1
If the number is divisible by both 2 and 3 = 0.08333...
12
4
 I PROPERTIES OF NUMBERS

Patterns in Unit Digits

Number 0 Number 6
All powers of 0 end in 0 All positive integer powers of 5 end in 6
Number 2 Number 7
The unit digits of positive powers of 2 The unit digits of powers of 7 will follow
will follow the four-number pattern the four-number pattern 7-9-3-1
2-4-8-6
Number 8
Number 3 The unit digits of powers of 8 will follow
The unit digits of powers of 3 will follow the four-number pattern 8-4-2-6
the four-number pattern 3-9-7-1
Number 9
Number 4 The unit digits of powers of 9 will follow
The unit digits of powers of 4 will follow the two-number pattern 9-1
the two-number pattern 4-6

Number 5
All positive integer powers of 5 end in 5

II. ROOTS AND EXPONENTS

Perfect Squares

02 = 0 12 = 1 22 = 4 32 = 9 42 = 16 52 = 25 62 = 36 72 = 49

82 = 64 92 = 81 102 = 100 112 = 121 122 = 144 132 = 169 142 = 196 152 = 225

Exponents
Base of 2

20 = 1 21 = 2 22 = 4 23 = 8 24 = 16 25 = 32 26 = 64 27 = 128

28 = 256 29 = 512 210 =1024

5
 II ROOTS AND EXPONENTS

Base of 3 Base of 4

31 = 3 32 = 9 33 = 27 41 = 4 42 = 16 43 = 64 44 = 256

Base of 5
3 = 81
4
3 = 243
5

51 = 5 52 = 25 53 = 125 54 = 625
Perfect Cubes
Squaring integers ending in 5
03 = 0 13 = 1 23 = 8 33 = 27 Let n be the digits before the 5, write the
product of n and n+1, followed by 25
Examples:
43 = 64 53 = 125 63 = 216 73 = 343 Calculate 652. Calculate 1152.
652 1152
6 × 7 = 42 11 × 12 = 142
652= 4225 1152= 14225
83 = 512 93 = 729 103=1000

Non-Perfect Square Roots Adding & Subtracting Dividing different bases

Radicals and like exponents
a+ b≠ a+b xa x a
2 ≈ 1.4 3 ≈ 1.7 5 ≈ 2.2 =
ya y
Example:
16 + 4 ≠ 20 Radical expressed in
exponential form
Multiplying Radicals 16 + 4 = 4 + 2 = 6 1
a = ab
b

m
a × m b = m ab Multiplying like bases Example:
Example: (xa) × (xb) = xa+b 1 1
x = x2 3
x = x3
5 × 3 = 15 Dividing like bases
xa Raising a base to a negative
Dividing Radicals = xa+b exponent
xb
n
a n a Power to a power rule x-1 = 1 and in -y 1
x general x = xy
=
n
b b
(xa)b = xa+b Example:
Example:
Multiplying different 3-2 = 1 2 1 = 5-6
n
48 48 bases and like exponents 3 56
= n
= 8=2 2
n
6 6 (xa) × (ya) = (xy)a 5 -3 2 3
=
2 5

6
 III. WORD PROBLEMS
Percent Problems Motion / Distance Problems
A is what percent of B? General Formula
A My Ferrari goes up to 300 km
× 100 = ? (distance) per hour (time)
B
Distance
“Percent less than” Translations Rate =
Time
% less than
Final = 1- × (Initial) Distance = Rate × Time
100
Example: Motion in opposite directions
x is 60% less than y. d1 + d2 = Total distance
x = 0.4 y Motion in the same direction
d1 = d2
“Percent greater than” Translations
Round Trip
% greater than
Final = 1+ × (Initial) d1 = d2
100
Example:
x is 60% greater than y. Work Problems
x = 1.6 y
General Formula
Percent change formula Rate × Time = Work
Final value - Initial value Work
× 100 Time =
Initial value Rate
Work
Rate =
Simple Interest Time
Simple interest = Examples:
Principal × Rate × Time Tom can write 20 pages in 4 hours.
His rate is:
Compound Interest Work
r nt Tom’s Rate =
A=P 1+ Time
n
20 pages 5 pages
A Amount of interest = =
4 hours 1 hour
P Principal
r Rate of interest A machine can produce 15
n Number of times per year helmets in 1 week. Its rate is:
interest is compounded
15 helmets
t time in years
week

7
 III WORD PROBLEMS

Combined Worker Formula Combine Ratios with the LCM

Ratio 1: Ratio 2:
Workobject 1 + Workobject 2 = Worktotal x 3 x 7
= =
y 4 z 11
Ratios
We need to find the LCM of x to combine
Number of Cats 3+m the two ratios: the LCM of 3 and 7 is 21.
=
Number of Dogs m Hence:
This is not a ratio x/y/z = 21/28/33
Number of Cats 5m 5
= =
Number of Dogs m 1
This is a ratio

IV. PROBABILITY, STATISTICS

AND ENUMERATION
Probability Median
Complementary Events When a set is numerically ordered, the
P(A) + P(Not A) = 1 median is the value in the middle of the
arranged set.
Probability of A and B Calculating the median with an odd
If A and B are independent number of terms
P(A and B) = P(A) × P(B) Where n is the number of terms in the set
If A and B are not independent (n + 1)
Median = position.
P(A and B) = P(A) × P(B|A) 2
Calculating the median with an even
The Addition Rule number of terms
Mutually exclusive events Median = the average of the values at the
P(A or B) = P(A + B) n position and the (n + 1) position.
2
Not mutually exclusive events 2
P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B) - P(A and B) Mode
The mode is the number that appears
Statistics most frequently in a data set.
Average (Arithmetic Mean)
Range
Sum of terms The range is the highest number in the
Average =
Number of terms set minus the lowest number in the set.

8
 IV PROBABILITY, STATISTICS AND ENUMERATION

Sets of Consecutive integers Enumeration

Counting the number of integers in a Order does not matter:
set of consecutive integers (inclusive) Combination
Highest Number - Lowest Number +1 n!
Ck =
n
k! (n - k)!
Counting the number of Multiples of an n = number of objects in the set
integer in a set of consecutive integers k = number of objects selected
Highest multiple - Lowest Multiple
+1 Order does matter:
Given number
Permutation
Average (Arithmetic mean of a set of n!
P =
consecutive integers) n k
(n - k)!
Highest number - Lowest number Mississippi Rule
2
Given n objects where A are alike,
Evenly Spaced Sets another B are alike, another C are
alike and so on, the number of ways
Examples: to arrange the n objects is
{4,5,6,7,8} {3,5,7,9,11} {12,24,36,48,60} n!
In any evenly spaced set Mean = Median (A)! (B)! (C)! ...

Standard Deviation: Important Number of ways to arrange a set of

Rules items in a circle
Adding/subtracting a constant to each (k - 1)!
number in a set k= number of objects to be arranged
The standard deviation does not change. in the circle
Multiplying/ dividing each term in a
set of numbers by a constant
The standard deviation will also be
multiplied or divided by that amount.

9
 V. GEOMETRY
Angles Ratios of special triangles
The 30-60-90 Triangle
60°
b° 2x
a° a°
b° x

a + b = 180° 30°
3x

L1 a° b° The half a square triangle

b° a°

L2 a° b° 45°
b° a°
(L1 and L2 are parallel)
2x
Any acute angle + any obtuse angle = 180°
x
Triangles
Area of a triangle
Base × Height 1
Area = = bh 45°
2 2
x
Triangle Inequality Theorem
Difference between other 2 sides < 3rd side Area of an equilateral triangle
< sum of other 2 sides
side2 × 3
Area =
Pythagorean theorem 4

Longest line in a rectangle

Hyp C Diagonal = length2 + width2
A othe
nu se
Parallelograms
B
A2 + B2 = C2 base × height
Area =
2
Pythagorean triples (and their multiples)
3-4-5 Base
5-12-13
8-15-17 Opposites are equal
... Opposite angles are equal

10
 V GEOMETRY

Polygons Right triangle inscribed in a circle

Interior angles of a polygon
In an n-sided polygon, the sum of the A C
interior angles is
(n - 2) × 180° Central
angle
Exterior angles of a polygon
Always sum to 360° O
Example:

60°
120° 120° Exterior Angles B Inscribed angle

60° The central angle = 2 × inscribed angle

120° Interior Angles AOC = 2 ABC

60°
The Diagonal of a Cube
60° 120° 120° Diagonal = side × 3
60°

6 × 60° = 360°
(6 - 2) × 180° = 720°
x
Circles
r = radius Area = πr2 x 3
Circumference = 2πr
x
Right triangle inscribed in a circle

A
Hy
po
t he
n
O us e

B
AC is the hypothenuse of the right
triangle and the diameter of the circle.

11
 VI. COORDINATE GEOMETRY
Lines Graphic Representations of
Functions to have in Mind
Slope of a line
Y1 - Y2
Slope = m =
x1 - x2
With:
Y2 = the second y-coordinate 1
x
Y1 = the first y-coordinate x
x2 = the second x coordinate
x1 = the first x coordinate
m = the slope of the line

Slope-Intercept Equation
Y = mx + b
With: x x
Y = the y-coordinate
x = the x-coordinate
m = the slope of the line
b = the y intercept of the line

Parallel lines
Parallel lines have the same
slope but different y-intercepts x |x|

Perpendicular lines
l₁ and l₂ are perpendicular, and
m₁ and m₂ are their respective
slopes.
Then m₁ = -m₂

Reflections x x2
Reflection about the x-axis
(x, y) (x, -y)
Reflection about the y-axis
(x, y) (-x, y)
Reflection about the origin
(x, y) (-x, -y)
x x3

12
 WHAT NOW?
If you aim at one of the top european or american shools, it is your chance to achieve this
dream, with our team of student managers who will guide you through this exciting path !

Why trust us ?
200+ students serviced
89% students admitted in their top2
LBS : 30/34 admits (88% success rate)
HEC : 16/19 admits (84% success rate)
with 8 HEC - Yale dual degrees

Our dream team

James Appoline Celestine Theodora

OXFORD - HEC HEC x MIT BOCCONI - HEC LBS

Umberto Ysé Nina Hugo

HEC ESCP - KINGS LBS LBS

The process
We tailor our dream team for you to assemble the best possible application file, depending
on your goals, your background and personal story.
6 experts assigned and more than 60 hours dedicated on each student’s file.
We have the expert for every step of the application.

Book a free call and start the journey :

© 2024 MIM Prep

A Message from the Founders

We started MIM Prep in 2022 with the intention of creating an experience we wish we
had when we were students. In today’s environment, immense pressure is set on
students to perform both academically and professionally, often with little guidance to
do so. Emphasis is set on achieving the best GMAT scores, receiving admits from the
best programs, and joining the most competitive firms. However these expectations are
rarely combined with the adequate resources and ecosystems for students to thrive -
one must navigate their way as a first timer through complex industries and processes,
with little being done to pass on knowledge from one generation to the next.

Despite being a hyper-connected generation, mentorship as a bond has lost its way,
and that is something we actively strive to change. It is our conviction that learning from
those who have achieved what we seek is the true time-tested method of reaching
one’s ambitions, no matter the challenge. It is in this spirit that we seek to serve our
community by assembling industry-leading ressources, shared spaces, and elite talents
to help as many students on their personal paths to success as we can.

Our mission is truely to create a unique community in which everything one needs as a
student can be found, whether it be in applying to banking & consulting internships,
Bachelor’s, Masters, or MBA’s. We believe if we continue to attract and retain outstand-
ing talent, execute with Excellence and Integrity, we will continue building a truly
unique student based community.
We thank our talents for their ongoing dedication to our student community, their
collaboration with each other, and for embodying our Core Values each and every day.
We thank our members for their confidence in our services, and we thank you for plac-
ing your ongoing trust in us.
We look forward to updating you on our progress during the year ahead as we continue
to build the MIM Prep community for the future.

Thomas Dussud Lucas Stricker

1 Northbank [email protected]
43A Regent Court +33 6 61 24 47 83
London, United Kingdom MIMPREP
E D U C AT I O N mimprep.com