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GRE Quant Formulas Cheat Sheet
GRE Quant tests high-school maths. Here are the formulas you must know, organised by topic, with examples of how they appear on the test.
Arithmetic and percentages
Percent = (Part / Whole) × 100. Percent change = ((New – Old) / Old) × 100. Interest: Simple Interest = Principal × Rate × Time. These appear constantly. Master percentage word problems — 'a 20% increase' means multiply by 1.2; a '30% decrease' means multiply by 0.7.
Algebra essentials
Quadratic formula: x = (–b ± √(b²–4ac)) / 2a (rarely needed; most GRE quadratics factor). Linear equations: y = mx + b (m is slope, b is y-intercept). Exponent rules: x^a × x^b = x^(a+b), x^a / x^b = x^(a–b), (x^a)^b = x^(ab). These are foundational for most Quant problems.
Geometry formulas you must know
Circle: Area = πr², Circumference = 2πr. Rectangle: Area = length × width, Perimeter = 2(l + w). Triangle: Area = (1/2) × base × height. Pythagorean theorem: a² + b² = c² (right triangles). Volume: Rectangular box = l × w × h, Sphere = (4/3)πr³, Cylinder = πr²h. Most GRE geometry is about applying one or two of these.
Statistics and data analysis
Mean (average) = (Sum of all values) / (Count of values). Median = middle value (ordered data). Mode = most frequent value. Standard deviation measures spread (higher SD = wider spread). Probability = (Favorable outcomes) / (Total possible outcomes). These appear in graphs, tables and word problems.
Number properties and tricks
Prime factorisation: express a number as a product of primes (e.g. 60 = 2² × 3 × 5). LCM (least common multiple) and GCD (greatest common divisor). Consecutive integers: if the first is n, the sum of k consecutive integers is k × (n + (k–1)/2). These help solve tricky Quant problems.
When to use formulas and when to skip
Most GRE Quant problems reward logic and approximation over formula memorisation. The formula is your backup — first try to reason through the problem or test numbers. On Data Sufficiency, decide sufficiency without fully solving (saves time). Use formulas when you are stuck or to double-check.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to memorise the quadratic formula?
- Good to know, but rarely needed on GRE — most quadratics factor or the problem is solve-able without it. Focus on exponent rules and percentage formulas instead.
- How much of the GRE is geometry?
- Roughly 20–25% of the Quant section touches geometry. Master the basic area, perimeter and volume formulas and you are set.
- Can I use a calculator on GRE?
- The on-screen calculator is available for most of the test, but efficient mental math and formula use are faster.