Reason Test Prep Articles
Welcome to Reason Test Prep Articles. Over the course of decades tutoring the SAT, ACT, GMAT, and GRE, we’ve accumulated a lot of insight, and almost nothing pleases us more than sharing that knowledge with people who are hungry for it!
What Color is Your Hat?
Three men, who are not wearing glasses, are placed in a room without mirrors. The men are told to close their eyes and then a hat is placed on each of their heads. The hat is either red or green in color. Once the hats are in place they are told to open...
Taking the ACT: Reflections of an ACT Tutor
As part of maintaining expertise and gaining insight into what our students experience, I went to a local high school and took an official ACT on October 28. In this post, I'd like to share some thoughts about the experience. Some Personal Notes on the...
Giving Away Money
This month is the first time we are introducing an official GRE question as our monthly brain teaser. The below question is yet another example of how reasoning often trumps knowledge on standardized tests and how the questions can sometimes resemble brain...
How Important are the SAT and ACT in College Admissions?
There is A LOT of confusion out there about how much emphasis high schoolers should place on preparing for and taking the SAT or ACT, and unfortunately, this confusion creates much needless anxiety. Even the colleges themselves are not very clear about how...
One-Session Wonders: Big Score Increases with Very Little Tutoring
We don’t want to claim that this happens often, but in the last few months we had two students who needed just a single tutoring session to help them get the scores that they wanted (both also got into the top schools they applied to including HBS, Stanford,...
Drive Time
This month’s brainteaser is very conceptual and therefore does NOT require much time. Give it a try! You leave Atlanta at 8am on Sunday morning and arrive in Detroit at 8pm that same day. You take breaks on the 12 hour journey and you change speeds...
Understanding the Adaptive Scoring Algorithm of the Digital SAT
In the name of science, we went to the source and tinkered with the new Digital SAT practice tests released by the College Board. Our goal was to find out exactly what's going on under the hood to determine scoring on this new test. In this post, we'll lay...
What’s the Word?
This month we come back to a challenge that favors the more “verbally-inclined.” Some of the below are pretty easy and some are hard…see how many you can get: Each phrase below consists of a number and the first initials of words. Supply the missing words to...
GMAT to GMAT Focus Score Conversion
As we transition from the “classic” GMAT to the GMAT Focus, there’s bound to be confusion about the score differences since the two tests are scored on slightly different scales! Below we discuss the differences and some takeaways. GMAT Focus is on a New...
Testing Accommodations for the GMAT & GRE
For anyone interested in accommodations (extra time, a separate room for testing, etc.) for the GMAT or GRE, this is your article! As someone who has worked with hundreds of students who have had accommodations for these tests, I know a lot about the...
Interest Rate
In this month’s “brain teaser,” we present an official GMAT question. While thinking about this question, it’s critical to remember/understand that the GMAT does not allow a calculator on the Quantitative Section, so this question must be able to be solved...
Polynomial Long Division: A Reasoning-Based Approach
At Reason Test Prep, we emphasize that problem solving gets easier when we can make things more concrete and tangible rather than abstract. People are better -- faster, more accurate, and more confident -- at reasoning about things they're familiar with. So...
How to Effectively Study Vocabulary for the GRE
Prospective GRE test takers often don’t know where to begin when it comes to studying vocabulary for the test. What words should you study? How many words are reasonable to try to learn? What are the most effective ways to go about studying? We’ll answer the...
Practicing Strategic Guessing on GMAT and GRE Quant Questions
Knowing how to guess well on GMAT and GRE Quant questions is a tremendously important factor on the test. Most people just don’t do it – they guess of course, but not well! But even if it is something that you are not doing it is a skill that can be acquired...
Gallon Containers
This month’s brain teaser is not so bad! Yes, it requires thought (reasoning!), but it is doable. Give it a try! You have a three gallon and a five gallon measuring device. You can fill the containers with water as many times as you like or pour...
How to Improve your GMAT or GRE Verbal Score: The Secret Weapon
The title may be a little inflated but what I would like to cover in this article is what I believe to be the single most important strategy point for Verbal questions and one that cuts across all Verbal questions types on both the GMAT and GRE. It is what I...
Thoughts on the New GMAT – Coming in Fall of 2023
On March 8, 2023, GMAC announced upcoming changes to the GMAT. There will be a new version of the exam, the GMAT Focus Edition, that will be released in late 2023. The current version of the exam will end in the first half of 2024. In this...
In-Person vs Online GMAT and GRE: Which Version to Take?
GMAC and ETS offer online versions of the GMAT and GRE, but test-takers are often unsure about which version to take. Part of the problem is that there are a handful of confusing differences, especially with regard to the GMAT, and some of those...
Understanding the Timeline for GMAT/GRE Prep and Graduate School Applications
Many graduate and business school applicants underestimate the timeline for preparing for the GMAT or GRE and, more generally, don’t understand how that timeline relates to application deadlines. Every October, November, and December we tend to get...
What Are the Differences Between the GMAT & GRE?
Ever since business schools began accepting the GRE an increasing number of MBA applicants have elected to take the GRE instead of the GMAT. We have also had many students who either started with the GMAT and then turned to the GRE or who ended up just...
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