Watch the 17 easy GMAT Official Guide 2026–2027 Quant questions
The video below walks through 17 easy questions from the GMAT Official Guide 2026–2027 Quantitative Review. Each official-style problem is read aloud, set up cleanly, and solved without a calculator. The point is not to memorize 17 answers — it is to internalize a repeatable setup for arithmetic, algebra, exponents, ratios, percentages, and word problems so the easy band becomes automatic and you save your clock for the questions that actually decide your GMAT Focus Quantitative Reasoning score.
This is a study guide and video companion, not a transcript. Play a question in the video, pause, attempt it yourself on paper under a soft two-minute timer, then read the matching worked solution below to check your setup. Where the lesson's exact answer choices were not clearly legible on screen, we explain the reliable solving method instead of inventing numbers — those cases are flagged honestly so you can confirm against your own copy of the Official Guide.
Worked solutions to the easy GMAT Quant questions
The solutions below follow the order of the lesson. The video works through 17 easy questions from the GMAT Official Guide 2026–2027 Quantitative Review; for the questions whose text is clearly visible we give full worked solutions, and where the prompt or answer choices were not legible on screen those are covered with method only. Use exact wording from your own Official Guide 2026–2027 to confirm.
1. Adding equal fractions (algebra + fractions)
"If y = 2 + 2k and y ≠ 0, then 1/y + 1/y + 1/y + 1/y = ?"
Four copies of the same fraction add directly: 1/y + 1/y + 1/y + 1/y = 4/y. Substitute y = 2 + 2k, then factor the denominator: 4/(2 + 2k) = 4 / [2(1 + k)] = 2/(1 + k). The whole question is really "don't fear the variable" — combine like terms first, substitute second, and simplify the common factor of 2 last.
2. Machines and production order (work and rates)
A production-order question comparing five machines to four machines and asking how many fewer hours are needed; answer choices visible on screen were 3, 5, 6, 16, and 24.
The full numbers in this prompt were not all legible, so here is the reliable method rather than a guessed answer. Treat the job as a fixed amount of work, W. If one machine produces at rate r, then five machines work at 5r and finish in W/(5r) hours, while four machines work at 4r and finish in W/(4r) hours. The "how many fewer hours" is the difference W/(4r) − W/(5r) = W/(20r). Find W and r from the given output (often stated as "machines produce N units in T hours"), then plug in. The key GMAT habit: convert every rate to the same units (units per hour) before comparing, and remember that more machines means fewer hours, an inverse relationship.
3. Factoring out a common variable (algebra · factoring)
"If x = kc and y = kt, then y − x = ?"
Substitute and factor: y − x = kt − kc = k(t − c). This tests whether you can spot a shared factor instead of leaving the expression expanded. On the GMAT, factoring is almost always the move that turns a messy expression into a clean answer choice.
4. Expanding a product with substitution (algebra)
"If x − y = R and xy = S, then (x − 2)(y + 2) = ?"
Expand first, then substitute the given expressions: (x − 2)(y + 2) = xy + 2x − 2y − 4. Group the middle terms: 2x − 2y = 2(x − y). So the expression equals xy + 2(x − y) − 4 = S + 2R − 4. The lesson here is to expand into recognizable pieces — xy and (x − y) — that match what the problem already gave you.
5. Average of five expressions (arithmetic · averages)
"If the average of the 5 numbers j, j + 5, 2j − 1, 4j − 2, and 5j − 1 is 8, what is the value of j?"
Average × count = sum. Add the five expressions: j + (j + 5) + (2j − 1) + (4j − 2) + (5j − 1) = 13j + 1. The average is 8 over 5 numbers, so the total is 8 × 5 = 40. Set 13j + 1 = 40, giving 13j = 39 and j = 3. Always collect the variable terms and the constants separately so the arithmetic stays clean.
6. Greatest value with absolute value over a negative denominator (algebra · optimization)
"If y = |3x − 5| / (−x² − 3), for what value of x will the value of y be greatest?"
Read the structure before computing. The numerator |3x − 5| is always ≥ 0. The denominator −x² − 3 is always negative (since x² ≥ 0 makes −x² − 3 ≤ −3). A nonnegative number divided by a negative number is ≤ 0, so y is never positive. The greatest possible value of y is therefore the largest number that is ≤ 0, namely 0 — and y = 0 exactly when the numerator is 0, i.e. when 3x − 5 = 0, so x = 5/3. If the printed version of this question shows a different sign on the denominator, follow your printed copy; based on the text visible in the lesson, the conclusion is x = 5/3.
7. Sum and sum of squares (algebra · identities)
"If x + y = 2 and x² + y² = 2, what is the value of xy?"
Use the identity (x + y)² = x² + 2xy + y². Substitute: 2² = (x² + y²) + 2xy, so 4 = 2 + 2xy, giving 2xy = 2 and xy = 1. Memorizing the three "perfect square / sum" identities turns many GMAT algebra questions into one-line answers.
8. Cars that are red or blue (percents · sets)
A parking-lot question giving percentages of red cars and blue cars (some possibly both) and asking what percent are either red or blue.
The exact percentages were not all legible on screen, so use the inclusion–exclusion method rather than a guessed figure. For two overlapping categories: percent(red OR blue) = percent(red) + percent(blue) − percent(both). Read carefully for whether the problem says some cars are "both red and blue" or "neither," because that single phrase decides whether you subtract an overlap or not. When the categories are mutually exclusive, you simply add them.
9. Replacing slow machines with faster ones (rates · percent increase)
A toy factory where the old machines each make 1 toy every 3 minutes; 40% of them are replaced by machines that make 1 toy every 2 minutes. By what percent does total output increase?
Percent change is independent of how many machines you assume, so pick a convenient number — say 100 machines. Old output: 100 × (1 toy / 3 min) = 100/3 toys per minute. After replacement, 60 machines still run at 1/3 and 40 machines run at 1/2: new output = 60 × (1/3) + 40 × (1/2) = 20 + 20 = 40 toys per minute. The increase is 40 − 100/3 = 20/3 toys per minute. Percent increase = (20/3) ÷ (100/3) = 20%. The trick is choosing 100 machines so the percentage falls out cleanly.
10. Buying plants with tax and shipping (word problem · linear equation)
A catalog charges $3.00 per plant plus 5% sales tax on the plants, plus a flat $6.95 shipping fee. The total is $69.95. How many plants were ordered?
Translate the words into one equation. Let n be the number of plants. The plants cost 3n, tax multiplies that by 1.05, and shipping adds a flat 6.95: 1.05(3n) + 6.95 = 69.95. So 3.15n = 63, and n = 20. Apply percentage tax as a multiplier (×1.05), and keep flat fees outside the percentage.
11. Solving a system with exponents (exponents · systems)
"If (2^x)(2^y) = 8 and (9^x)(3^y) = 81, then (x, y) = ?"
Rewrite everything to a common base. From 2^x · 2^y = 2^(x + y) = 8 = 2³, you get x + y = 3. From 9^x · 3^y = (3²)^x · 3^y = 3^(2x + y) = 81 = 3⁴, you get 2x + y = 4. Subtract the first equation from the second: (2x + y) − (x + y) = 4 − 3, so x = 1, and then y = 2. The answer is (x, y) = (1, 2). Whenever exponents share a base, set the exponents equal and solve the linear system underneath.
12. Completing the perfect square (algebra · factoring)
"If x² + bx + 5 = (x + c)² for all numbers x, where b and c are positive constants, what is the value of b?"
Expand the right side: (x + c)² = x² + 2cx + c². Matching constant terms: c² = 5, so c = √5 (positive). Matching the x-terms: b = 2c = 2√5. "For all x" means the coefficients must match term by term — that is the engine behind every identity question.
13. The larger root of a quadratic (algebra · factoring)
"What is the larger of the 2 solutions of the equation x² − 4x = 96?"
Move everything to one side: x² − 4x − 96 = 0. Factor by finding two numbers that multiply to −96 and add to −4: that is −12 and +8, so (x − 12)(x + 8) = 0. The solutions are x = 12 and x = −8, and the larger is 12. Always set a quadratic equal to zero before factoring.
14. A linear equation with fractions (algebra · fractions)
"If x/4 is 2 more than x/8, then x = ?"
Translate "is 2 more than" into an equation: x/4 = x/8 + 2. Clear the fractions by multiplying every term by 8: 2x = x + 16, so x = 16. Multiplying through by the least common denominator is almost always faster than working with the fractions directly.
15. Auction commission (percents · word problem)
An art-auction commission question; the visible work on screen began "0.05 × 10,000," but the full tier structure and final answer were not legible.
Because the complete numbers were not visible, here is the reliable method instead of an invented figure. Commission problems are usually tiered: a percentage on the first portion of the sale price and a different percentage on the amount above a threshold. Compute each tier separately — for example, 5% of the first $10,000 plus a different rate on the remainder — then add the tiers. Read carefully for whether a rate applies to the whole amount or only to the portion within a band; misreading that boundary is the classic trap. With the exact rates and thresholds from your Official Guide copy, this becomes a two-line calculation.
16. Counting real solutions (algebra · factoring)
"The set of solutions for the equation (x² − 25)² = x² − 10x + 25 contains how many real numbers?"
Factor both sides. The right side is a perfect square: x² − 10x + 25 = (x − 5)². The left side uses a difference of squares inside: x² − 25 = (x − 5)(x + 5), so (x² − 25)² = (x − 5)²(x + 5)². The equation becomes (x − 5)²(x + 5)² = (x − 5)². Move everything to one side and factor out (x − 5)²: (x − 5)²[(x + 5)² − 1] = 0. This gives x = 5, or (x + 5)² = 1, which means x + 5 = 1 (x = −4) or x + 5 = −1 (x = −6). The distinct real solutions are 5, −4, and −6 — three real numbers.
17. Largest bonus under constraints (word problem · optimization)
A Company J bonus question: Agnes receives the largest bonus, $500 more than Cheryl, total bonuses are $60,000, and it asks the largest bonus Agnes can receive.
The number of employees and the remaining constraints were not fully visible, so here is the optimization logic rather than a guessed maximum. To make one quantity (Agnes's bonus) as large as possible under a fixed total, you push every other quantity to its smallest allowed value. You need three things from the printed problem: how many people share the $60,000, the minimum each non-Agnes person can receive, and how Cheryl's "$500 less than Agnes" fits in. Once those are fixed, set the others to their minimums and solve for Agnes. The takeaway is structural: "largest possible value" problems are minimize-the-rest problems, and they always require the full constraint list to land on an exact number.
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The GMAT Focus Quantitative Reasoning theory behind these questions
Every question above is an application of a small number of core ideas. Master these foundations and the easy band of GMAT Focus Quantitative Reasoning becomes nearly automatic. The official GMAT Focus Edition exam overview and the official Quantitative Reasoning prep strategies are worth reading alongside this section.
Arithmetic foundations
Number properties — factors, multiples, odd/even, primes — sit underneath most easy questions. The averages problem (question 5) and the percent-increase problem (question 9) both reduce to clean arithmetic once you organize the terms. Train mental arithmetic so basic computation never eats your clock.
Algebra and equation setup
The single most valuable GMAT skill is translating words into one correct equation. Questions 1, 4, 10, and 14 are all "set it up and solve" problems. Define your variable explicitly, write the relationship the sentence describes, and only then start solving. A rushed setup, not bad arithmetic, causes most missed easy points.
Factoring
Factoring is how the GMAT rewards structure over brute force. Pulling out a common factor (question 3, k(t − c)), completing a perfect square (question 12), factoring a quadratic to find roots (question 13), and combining a difference of squares with a perfect square (question 16) all hinge on recognizing a factorable pattern. Always set a quadratic to zero before factoring.
Exponents
When two exponential expressions share a base, rewrite both sides as a single power of that base and set the exponents equal. Question 11 turns 2^x · 2^y = 8 and 9^x · 3^y = 81 into a simple linear system, x + y = 3 and 2x + y = 4. Know your exponent rules cold: same base means add exponents when multiplying, and a power of a power means multiply exponents.
Ratios and proportions
Ratios scale parts to a whole and let you compare unlike quantities. The rate and machine questions (2 and 9) are proportion problems in disguise: keep your units consistent and set up a clean part-to-part or part-to-whole relationship before cross-multiplying.
Percentages, percent change, and discounts
Apply a percentage as a multiplier: a 5% tax is ×1.05, a 20% increase is ×1.20, a 30% discount is ×0.70. Question 10 layers a percentage tax onto a per-unit cost with a flat shipping fee, and question 9 is a percent-increase problem solved cleanly by assuming 100 units. Watch the classic trap between "increased by" and "increased to," and between a rate on the whole amount versus a rate on a portion (question 15).
Geometry: perimeter and area
Although this particular lesson leans algebraic, GMAT Focus Quant regularly tests perimeter, area, and the relationships among a shape's dimensions. Memorize the core formulas — area of a rectangle, triangle, and circle; perimeter and circumference — and practice translating a word description into a labeled figure before computing.
Work and rates
Rate problems (question 2) follow one master equation: work = rate × time. Convert every rate to the same units (units per hour or units per minute), add rates when machines or workers operate together, and remember that more workers means less time — an inverse relationship that makes "how many fewer hours" questions intuitive once the rates are aligned.
Unit conversions and exchange rates
Many word problems hide a conversion: minutes to hours, dollars to another currency, or one unit of measure to another. Treat conversions as multiplication by a fraction equal to 1 (for example, 60 min / 1 hr) so units cancel cleanly. Setting up the conversion as a chain of fractions prevents the most common careless error on the exam.
Fractions and remaining amounts
Question 1 combines equal fractions; question 14 clears fractions by multiplying through by the least common denominator. For "fraction remaining" problems, subtract the portion used from the whole, or multiply successive remaining fractions. Convert fluidly between fractions, decimals, and percentages so you can pick the easiest form for each step.
Word-problem translation
"Is" means equals, "more than" means addition, "of" usually means multiplication, "per" signals a rate. Questions 10, 14, 15, and 17 are translation problems first and arithmetic problems second. Write the equation in the same order the sentence reads, and define every variable before you solve.
Counting real solutions
When an equation asks "how many real solutions," factor fully and set each factor to zero, then count distinct values (question 16). Be careful not to double-count a repeated root, and remember that a squared factor like (x − 5)² contributes the single value x = 5, not two.
Optimization: largest possible values
"What is the largest value X can take?" is really "minimize everything else." Question 17 fixes a total and asks for the maximum of one share, which you find by pushing every other quantity to its smallest legal value. List the constraints explicitly — an exact answer is only possible once every limit is known.
The error log and review strategy
The highest-leverage habit in GMAT prep is the error log. For every miss, record the question type, the exact error (misread, wrong formula, arithmetic slip, or timing), the one-sentence fix, and a re-test date a week out. After a few sessions, your log reveals the two or three patterns that account for most of your lost points — and that is where targeted practice pays off.
Timing and accuracy before speed
On the GMAT Focus you have roughly two minutes per Quantitative Reasoning question, and there is no calculator. While you are learning each setup, prioritize accuracy: get the method right first, then compress the time. Easy questions should be solved well inside two minutes so you bank time for the harder ones — and because the exam is adaptive, a clean run through the easy and medium questions protects your GMAT Focus score more than a few heroic hard solves.
Why MBA House NYC for your GMAT Focus prep
MBA House is a New York City test-prep and MBA admissions firm running live GMAT Focus classes and unlimited private tutoring, both in person near Union Square and online. The approach in this lesson — clean setups, calculator-free arithmetic, and an error-log feedback loop — is exactly how MBA House tutors turn diagnostic data into a focused Quantitative Reasoning plan. If you are searching for a GMAT tutor in NYC or preparing for the GMAT in New York remotely, we will map your target score to your school list and drill the question types that move your number.
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Related practice and where this fits in your GMAT prep
This lesson is the foundation layer of GMAT Focus Quant. To go deeper, pair it with our companion sets: the 25 easy Official Guide Quantitative Review 2026–2027 questions, with a free PDF, the page where we walk through all 25 questions explained, and the matching 25-question video lesson. For harder worked examples, try our GMAT profit question with tiered costs, the percent-error Data Sufficiency question, and the mixture profit Data Sufficiency milk-and-water problem. If you are still mapping the exam, start with what the GMAT is and our breakdown of the GMAT Focus Edition. To turn practice into a real score, our GMAT Focus tutor NYC page explains how live classes and private tutoring work, and our guide to building GMAT and admissions strategy together shows how a target score should follow your school list.
17 easy GMAT Official Guide 2026–2027 Quant questions: FAQs
How many questions does this GMAT Official Guide 2026–2027 video lesson cover?
The video lesson works through 17 easy questions from the GMAT Official Guide 2026–2027 Quantitative Review. This companion guide provides full worked solutions for the questions whose text is clearly visible in the lesson, and a reliable solving method for the few where the exact answer choices were not legible on screen.
What is the GMAT Official Guide 2026–2027?
It is the official practice resource published by GMAC for the GMAT Focus Edition. It contains retired, official-style questions organized by topic and difficulty, including the Quantitative Reasoning problems used in this lesson, plus an online question bank for additional drilling.
Does the GMAT Focus Quantitative section allow a calculator?
No. The GMAT Focus Quantitative Reasoning section does not provide an on-screen calculator, which is why these easy questions are designed to be solved with clean algebra, mental arithmetic, and estimation rather than heavy computation.
Why focus on easy GMAT Quant questions?
On the adaptive GMAT Focus, missing an easy or medium question costs more than missing a hard one, because the algorithm reads it as weak fundamentals. Building a near-perfect hit rate on easy arithmetic, algebra, and word problems is the fastest, most reliable way to raise a Quantitative Reasoning score.
Can MBA House help me prepare for the GMAT in NYC?
Yes. MBA House runs live GMAT Focus classes and private GMAT tutoring in New York City and online, including Quantitative Reasoning instruction built on clean problem-solving structure, an error-log review method, and a study plan mapped to your target MBA programs.
How much time should I spend per GMAT Focus Quant question?
On the GMAT Focus you have roughly two minutes per Quantitative Reasoning question. Practice these easy questions well inside that limit so you bank time for the harder ones, and prioritize accuracy before speed while you are still learning each setup.