INTRODUCTION TO THE ANALYTICAL ABILITY SECTION Prior to starting the exam, you will walk through a basic tutorial program explaining how to use the computer for this exam The computer-adaptive GRE gives you 60 minutes to answer 35 analytical ability questions These questions are composed of Analytical Reasoning questions and Logical Reasoning questions, and the types are intermingled You will receive a medium-difficulty question to start with, and then the computer will adapt the level of questions you receive based on your responses to the previous questions You will all your work on the scratch paper provided, and you will record all your answers on the computer screen by using a mouse to fill in the appropriate ovals You will not be allowed to go back to a previous question, so be sure to answer each question before you attempt to move to the next question The Analytical Ability Section generates a score from 200 to 800 Your score will be based on how well you on questions presented and also on the number of questions you answer Try to pace yourself so that you have sufficient time to consider every question If possible, answer all 35 questions in this section Guess if you need to In this book—to assist you in understanding explanations and to direct your attention to different questions and answer choices—each question is given a number, and letters have been placed inside the ovals of the answer choices Note that on the actual exam, questions will not have numbers next to them, and no letters appear in the ovals Introduction to Analytical Reasoning Analytical Reasoning questions are questions based on a set of conditions or statements Ability Tested You will need to understand relationships and draw reasoned conclusions from a set of conditions, rules, or statements Basic Skills Necessary No knowledge of formal logic is required Familiarity with constructing logical and spatial relationships from a given situation is valuable Team-LRN 205 Part I: Analysis of Exam Areas Directions The general directions are as follows The following questions or group of questions are based on a passage, chart, or set of statements or conditions After working the problem, select the correct answer from the five choices given It may be helpful to draw rough diagrams when you attempt to answer these question types Use the scratch paper given Analysis Analytical Reasoning sets are composed of conditions followed by or questions Use only the information presented or implied by the conditions Don’t bring in more information than is warranted For example, if a condition states that “Sarah is taller than Andy,” don’t deduce that, because Sarah is taller than Andy, she is also heavier than Andy (unless such information is also given) Rely on common sense Drawing can help you see the relationships, but keep your drawing simple Suggested Approach with Samples Learn to flow with the information to set up a simple diagram Use easy-tounderstand symbols to help you spot the relationships Sample Questions 1–2 Seven people are seated in the seven seats in the front row of a theater All the seats are next to each other, and only one person is in each seat Each person sits facing toward the screen The following is known about the positions of the seven people: There is a woman at each end of the row A man is seated in the middle of the group No man is seated next to another man The man in the middle is seated between and next to two women Two other men are also seated between and next to two women First, look at how to flow with the information given to make a simple diagram Start by numbering seven spaces, each next to each other Remember to practice making your diagrams on scratch paper 206 Team-LRN Introduction to the Analytical Ability Section 7 W Next, place a woman at each end of the row W Next, place a man in the middle of the group, which is seat W M W The next statement says “No man is seated next to another man,” so you can mark MM and place it to the side of the diagram as follows: W M W MM From the next statement, “The man in the middle is seated between and next to two women,” you can fill in as follows: W W M W W MM And the final statement can help you complete the diagram, placing two more men W M W M W M W MM Notice that no man is seated next to another man This chart is complete, but keep in mind that even a partial chart can help more than no chart at all Now look at the questions How many women are seated in the front row? A B C D E C is correct The chart clearly shows that four women are in the front row Team-LRN 207 Part I: Analysis of Exam Areas The man in the middle must have A no other men to his right B no women to his left C a man to his right and to his left D other men next to him E no women to his right C is correct By referring to the chart, you can see that the man in the middle has a man to his left and to his right but not next to him Use rule breakers as an effective elimination technique Rule breakers are statements that break or contradict an initial condition or statement For example, suppose that a set of conditions includes among its statements: Sam is taller than Jim From just this piece of information, you could use rule breakers on the following question Sample Which of the following is a possible list of children from shortest to tallest? A Bob, Jane, Tom, Cal, Sam, Jim B Jane, Bob, Jim, Cal, Tom, Sam C Bob, Jane, Tom, Sam, Cal, Jim D Jim, Bob, Jane, Cal, Sam, Tom E Tom, Bob, Cal, Jane, Jim, Sam 208 Team-LRN Introduction to the Analytical Ability Section Notice that choices A and C break the rule of the condition that Sam is taller than Jim And two of the remaining choices B, D, and E will break the rule of one of the other conditions in the problem set (not listed) As you can see, using rule breakers can be an effective technique to quickly knock out incorrect answer choices Occasionally a question will be phrased in the negative For example, “All of the following are possible lists of children, from shortest to tallest, EXCEPT ” In this case, the one choice containing the rule breaker will be the correct answer to the question After you find it, mark that answer on your answer sheet and move to the next question Now that you have a few of the basics, look at a few different types of diagrams Positional Diagrams involving Linear Order Samples Questions 4–9 Seven automobiles (an Acura, a Buick, a Chevrolet, a Dodge, an Edsel, a Ferrari, and a Jeep) are parked in a parking lot having ten spaces, equally spaced, numbered through 10 from north to south The Acura is as far away from the Buick as the Chevrolet is from the Dodge The Ferrari is parked next to the Edsel Space is always filled; spaces and are always empty From the initial conditions, you could have set up the following linear display or linear diagram: North Empty Empty 10 South ABCDEFJ A C ? = ? B D F E Team-LRN 209 Part I: Analysis of Exam Areas If the Jeep is parked in space 1, the Buick is parked in space 5, and the Acura is parked in space 10, which of the following spaces must be empty? A B C D E E is correct From the information in Question 4, this diagram can be drawn: Jeep Buick Empty Empty 10 Acura The number of spaces between the Acura and the Buick equals the number of spaces between the Chevrolet and Dodge, so the Chevrolet and Dodge must be in spaces and And the Ferrari and the Edsel must then be parked next to each other in spaces and 4, leaving space empty Jeep Chevrolet/Dodge Edsel/Ferrari Ferrari/Edsel Buick Dodge/Chevrolet Empty Empty 10 Acura 210 Team-LRN Introduction to the Analytical Ability Section From north to south, which of the following is a possible order of parked automobiles? A Dodge, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Edsel, Acura, Buick, Jeep, empty, empty, empty B Dodge, Ferrari, Chevrolet, Edsel, Acura, Jeep, Buick, empty, empty, empty C Buick, Dodge, Jeep, Chevrolet, empty, Edsel, Acura, Ferrari, empty, empty D Chevrolet, Ferrari, Edsel, Acura, Buick, Jeep, empty, Dodge, empty, empty E Ferrari, Edsel, Dodge, Acura, Buick, Jeep, Chevrolet, empty, empty, empty A is correct Choices B and C not have the Edsel parked next to the Ferrari Choices D and E not have the same number of spaces between the Acura and Buick as between the Chevrolet and Dodge Additionally, choices C and D not have both the eighth and ninth spaces empty Assume that the Acura is parked in space and the Buick is parked in space Which of the following could be true? A The Dodge is parked in space B The Chevrolet is parked in space C The Dodge is parked in space 10 D The Chevrolet is parked in space E The Chevrolet is parked in space D is correct Because the Chevrolet is as far from the Dodge as the Acura is from the Buick (one space between), neither the Chevrolet nor Dodge can be in spaces 1, 7, or 10 (remember, spaces and are empty) But the Chevrolet can be in space if the Dodge is in space Team-LRN 211 Part I: Analysis of Exam Areas If the Acura is parked in space 1, the Ferrari is parked in space 2, and the Chevrolet is parked in space 4, which of the following must be true? I The Buick is parked in space II The Dodge is parked in space 10 III The Edsel is parked in space A I only B II only C III only D I and II only E I, II, and III D is correct From the information in question 7, this diagram can be drawn: Acura Ferrari Chevrolet Empty Empty 10 Because the Edsel must be next to the Ferrari, the Edsel must be in space So option III is incorrect Since the Acura must be as far from the Buick as the Chevrolet is from the Dodge, the Buick can be only in space and the Dodge in space 10 212 Team-LRN Introduction to the Analytical Ability Section Suppose that the Jeep, Acura, and Chevrolet are parked in spaces 5, 6, and 7, respectively, and the Buick is parked less than spaces north of the Dodge Which of the following must be true? A Space 10 is empty B The Edsel is parked in space C The Ferrari is parked in space D The Dodge is parked in space E The Buick is parked in space A is correct Using the information in question 8, a diagram can be drawn: Jeep Acura Chevrolet Empty Empty 10 Because the Buick is as far from the Acura as the Dodge is from the Chevrolet, the Buick must be parked in a space immediately before the Dodge Remembering to leave two spaces together for the Edsel and Ferrari indicates that the Buick and Dodge could be in spaces and 2, respectively, or in spaces and 4, respectively Whichever way, space 10 will be empty Which of the following CANNOT be true? A The Ferrari is parked in space B The Edsel is parked in space 10 C The Dodge is parked in space D The Buick is parked in space E The Acura is parked in space B is correct The Edsel cannot be parked in space 10, because space is empty and the Edsel is parked next to the Ferrari Team-LRN 213 Part I: Analysis of Exam Areas Positional Diagrams involving Circular Order Samples Questions 10–12 Five men (Frank, George, Harry, Irving, and Jack) and five women (Karla, Laurie, Marie, Olivia, and Polly) are seated at a round table with eleven seats None of the women are sitting in a seat adjacent to another woman Karla sits between Frank and George, and next to each of them Jack does not sit next to Irving From the initial conditions, you could have set up the following circular diagram: Men F G H I J FKG JI 214 Team-LRN Women K L M O P ... or cannot be together 218 Team-LRN Introduction to the Analytical Ability Section From the information given in the conditions, you can draw the following diagram to help you answer the questions:... man to his right and to his left D other men next to him E no women to his right C is correct By referring to the chart, you can see that the man in the middle has a man to his left and to his... known about the positions of the seven people: There is a woman at each end of the row A man is seated in the middle of the group No man is seated next to another man The man in the middle is