Counter-Intuition on the GMAT, Part 3: Problem Solving

By Manhattan GMAT

In this article, part three of a three-part series, we complete our discussion of counter-intuition on the GMAT. This week, we examine how an unreliable type of test-taker's intuition can disrupt your ability to answer Problem Solving questions. In part one, we covered the Draw a Conclusion question; in part two, we covered Data Sufficiency and Sentence Correction questions.

Problem Solving

What exactly constitutes intuition in Problem Solving? The answer to this question will vary quite a bit, depending on the topic matter that is being tested. Intuition on probability questions will mean one thing, whereas intuition on geometry questions with a diagram will mean something else altogether. However, as we saw in earlier editions of this discussion, we will define the intuition that we are speaking of as that which causes the test-taker to hastily decide upon a certain answer choice because it seems to look right. Put differently, this intuition may be thought of as the mechanism that prevents the test-taker from delving into the deepest layer of the question and uncovering the mathematical principles that are being tested. One area where students commonly fall prey to the whims of this type of intuition is in percent problems. Let's take a look at the following example: READ MORE