Watch the 9 easy GMAT Official Guide 2026–2027 Quant questions
The video below walks through 9 easy questions from the GMAT Official Guide 2026–2027. Each official-style problem is read aloud, set up cleanly, and solved without a calculator. The point is not to memorize 9 answers — it is to internalize a repeatable setup for inequalities, absolute value, linear equations, exponents, weighted averages, percents, and rates 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. Every question here includes the full prompt, all five answer choices, the correct answer, and the reasoning — so you can confirm both the method and the number.
Quick-answer key for all 9 questions
Use this table to self-check fast after your first attempt. The full worked solution for each question follows below, in the same order as the lesson.
| # | Topic | Correct answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inequalities · comparing fractions | greater than x/y |
| 2 | Absolute value · order of operations | 60 |
| 3 | Linear equations · substitution | 1 |
| 4 | Exponent rules · integer constraints | 5 |
| 5 | Weighted averages · mixtures | 28% |
| 6 | Percent-weighted tax | 4.4% |
| 7 | Sum-and-difference word problem | 11.7 |
| 8 | Work and rates | 700 |
| 9 | Quadratic on a closed interval | -4 |
Worked solutions to the 9 easy GMAT Quant questions
The solutions below follow the order of the lesson. For each question you get the exact prompt, every answer choice, the correct answer, and a clean step-by-step explanation you can reuse on test day.
1. Adding a constant to a fraction (inequalities · comparing fractions)
"If x, y, and k are positive and x is less than y, then (x + k)/(y + k) is"
- 1
- greater than x/y
- equal to x/y
- less than x/y
- less than x/y or greater than x/y, depending on the value of k
Correct answer: greater than x/y
Because x < y and k > 0, compare (x + k)/(y + k) with x/y by cross-multiplying the positive denominators: ask whether y(x + k) is greater or less than x(y + k). Expand both: xy + ky versus xy + kx. Subtract xy from each side and you are comparing ky with kx. Since k > 0 and y > x, ky > kx, so y(x + k) > x(y + k), which means (x + k)/(y + k) > x/y. Conceptually, adding the same positive number to the numerator and denominator of a proper positive fraction moves the value closer to 1 — and since x/y is below 1, moving toward 1 makes it larger.
2. Absolute value and order of operations (arithmetic)
"|-4|(|-20| − |5|) ="
- -100
- -60
- 60
- 75
- 100
Correct answer: 60
Resolve every absolute value first, because absolute value is a grouping symbol: |-4| = 4, |-20| = 20, and |5| = 5. Now follow order of operations and clear the parentheses before multiplying: 4 × (20 − 5) = 4 × 15 = 60. The trap answers (-60, -100) come from forgetting that absolute value always returns a non-negative result.
3. Two expressions for one variable (linear equations · substitution)
"If x + 1 = t and t = 3 − x, then x ="
- -2
- -1
- 0
- 1
- 2
Correct answer: 1
Both expressions equal t, so set them equal to each other: x + 1 = 3 − x. Add x to both sides and subtract 1: 2x = 2, so x = 1. Whenever two quantities are each said to equal the same third quantity, the fastest move is to equate them directly and drop the middle variable.
4. Same-base exponents with integer constraints (exponents)
"If r and s are positive integers such that (2^r)(4^s) = 16, then 2r + s ="
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Correct answer: 5
Rewrite everything to base 2. Since 4 = 2², we have 4^s = 2^(2s), and 16 = 2⁴. The equation 2^r · 2^(2s) = 2⁴ means r + 2s = 4. Now use the constraint that r and s are positive integers (at least 1 each): s = 1 forces r = 2, which works; s = 2 would force r = 0, which is not positive. So r = 2 and s = 1, and 2r + s = 2(2) + 1 = 5. The integer-and-positive constraint is what pins down the unique solution.
5. Decaffeinated coffee blend (weighted averages · mixtures)
"A grocer has 400 pounds of coffee in stock, 20 percent of which is decaffeinated. If the grocer buys another 100 pounds of coffee of which 60 percent is decaffeinated, what percent, by weight, of the grocer's stock of coffee is decaffeinated?"
- 28%
- 30%
- 32%
- 34%
- 40%
Correct answer: 28%
Work in pounds, not percentages, then convert at the end. The original stock contributes 20% of 400 = 80 pounds of decaf. The new purchase contributes 60% of 100 = 60 pounds of decaf. Total decaf = 80 + 60 = 140 pounds; total coffee = 400 + 100 = 500 pounds. So the decaf share is 140 / 500 = 28%. The trap is averaging 20% and 60% to get 40% — you cannot average percentages of unequal-sized groups; weight each by its actual quantity.
6. Tax across spending categories (percent-weighted tax)
"Of the total amount that Jill spent on a shopping trip, excluding taxes, she spent 50 percent on clothing, 20 percent on food, and 30 percent on other items. If Jill paid a 4 percent tax on the clothing, no tax on the food, and an 8 percent tax on all other items, then the total tax that she paid was what percent of the total amount that she spent, excluding taxes?"
- 2.8%
- 3.6%
- 4.4%
- 5.2%
- 6.0%
Correct answer: 4.4%
The overall tax rate is a weighted average of the category tax rates, weighted by each category's share of spending. Assume a convenient total of $100 if it helps: clothing tax = 50% × 4% = 2.0%, food tax = 20% × 0% = 0%, other tax = 30% × 8% = 2.4%. Add them: 2.0% + 0% + 2.4% = 4.4%. Because the weights already sum to 100%, you can add the products directly without dividing again.
7. Cutting a rope into two pieces (sum-and-difference word problem)
"A rope 20.6 meters long is cut into two pieces. If the length of one piece of rope is 2.8 meters shorter than the length of the other, what is the length, in meters, of the longer piece of rope?"
- 7.5
- 8.9
- 9.9
- 10.3
- 11.7
Correct answer: 11.7
Let the longer piece be y, so the shorter piece is y − 2.8. The two pieces sum to the whole rope: y + (y − 2.8) = 20.6. Combine: 2y − 2.8 = 20.6, so 2y = 23.4 and y = 11.7. A faster mental shortcut for any sum-and-difference setup: the larger piece is (sum + difference)/2 = (20.6 + 2.8)/2 = 23.4/2 = 11.7.
8. Two copy machines running together (work and rates)
"Working at their respective constant rates, Machine A makes 100 copies in 12 minutes and Machine B makes 150 copies in 10 minutes. If these machines work simultaneously at their respective rates for 30 minutes, what is the total number of copies that they will produce?"
- 250
- 425
- 675
- 700
- 750
Correct answer: 700
Convert each machine to a rate in copies per minute. Machine A: 100 / 12 = 25/3 copies per minute. Machine B: 150 / 10 = 15 copies per minute. When machines run simultaneously, add their rates: 25/3 + 15 = 25/3 + 45/3 = 70/3 copies per minute. Over 30 minutes the combined output is 30 × (70/3) = 10 × 70 = 700 copies. The key rate habit is to add rates (never times) when workers operate at the same time, and to keep both rates in identical units before adding.
9. Maximizing a quadratic on a closed interval (quadratics)
"For what value of x between −4 and 4, inclusive, is the value of x² − 10x + 16 the greatest?"
- -4
- -2
- 0
- 2
- 4
Correct answer: -4
The expression x² − 10x + 16 is an upward-opening parabola (positive x² coefficient), with its vertex — the minimum — at x = −(−10)/(2·1) = 5. That minimum sits to the right of the interval [−4, 4]. On the interval, the function is still decreasing as x moves toward 5, so the value is greatest at the point farthest from the vertex, which is the left endpoint x = −4. Confirm by testing the endpoints: f(−4) = 16 + 40 + 16 = 72, and f(4) = 16 − 40 + 16 = −8. The maximum is at x = −4. For a closed interval, the extreme value of a parabola always lands at an endpoint or the vertex — check those, not the points in between.
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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.
Inequalities and comparing fractions
To compare two fractions with positive denominators, cross-multiply and compare the resulting products — never the numerators alone (question 1). A reliable mental model: adding the same positive amount to the top and bottom of a proper fraction pulls it toward 1, while subtracting pushes it away. Keep track of the sign of every quantity, because multiplying or dividing an inequality by a negative number flips its direction.
Absolute value and order of operations
Absolute value bars act as grouping symbols and always return a non-negative result, so evaluate what is inside them first, then strip the sign (question 2). After that, follow the standard order of operations — parentheses, then multiplication — exactly. Most absolute-value traps are really order-of-operations slips.
Linear equations and substitution
When two expressions are each equal to the same variable, set them equal to each other and the middle variable disappears (question 3). Define one variable, write the relationship the sentence describes, and isolate it with inverse operations. A rushed setup, not bad arithmetic, causes most missed easy points.
Exponent rules with integer constraints
When exponential expressions share a base, rewrite both sides as a single power of that base and set the exponents equal (question 4). Know the rules cold: multiplying same-base powers adds exponents, and a power of a power multiplies them, so 4^s becomes 2^(2s). The phrase "positive integers" is not decoration — it is the constraint that turns one equation in two unknowns into a single valid pair.
Weighted averages and mixtures
You cannot average two percentages drawn from groups of different sizes (question 5). Convert each percentage into an actual quantity, add the quantities, and divide by the new total. The decaf-coffee problem is a classic mixture: 80 pounds plus 60 pounds over 500 pounds gives 28%, not the naive midpoint of 40%.
Percent-weighted tax and blended rates
A blended rate is a weighted average of component rates, each weighted by its share of the whole (question 6). When the shares already sum to 100%, multiply each share by its rate and add the products directly — 50% × 4% + 20% × 0% + 30% × 8% = 4.4%. Apply a percentage as a multiplier and keep flat fees outside the percentage.
Sum-and-difference word problems
When two unknowns add to a known total and differ by a known amount, you have a two-line system (question 7). The shortcut worth memorizing: the larger part is (sum + difference)/2 and the smaller part is (sum − difference)/2. Translate the sentence in the order it reads, and define the larger quantity as your variable to avoid sign errors.
Work and rates
Rate problems follow one master equation: work = rate × time (question 8). Convert every rate to the same units — copies per minute, units per hour — before doing anything else, add rates when machines or workers operate simultaneously, and multiply the combined rate by the shared time. Remember that adding rates, not times, is what models simultaneous work.
Quadratics on a closed interval
A parabola's maximum or minimum on a closed interval always occurs at an endpoint or at the vertex (question 9). Find the vertex with x = −b/(2a); if it lies outside the interval, the extreme value is at whichever endpoint is closer to or farther from it, depending on whether you want the min or the max. When in doubt, evaluate the function at both endpoints and compare — two quick substitutions settle it.
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, pattern recognition across official-style questions, 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 a foundation layer of GMAT Focus Quant. To go deeper, pair it with our companion sets: the 19 easy Official Guide 2026–2027 Quant questions explained, 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 probability overlap question, the 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.
9 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 9 easy questions from the GMAT Official Guide 2026–2027. This companion guide gives the full question text, every answer choice, the correct answer, and a complete worked solution for all 9 problems.
What topics do these 9 easy GMAT Quant questions cover?
The set spans inequalities and comparing fractions, absolute value with order of operations, linear equations, exponent rules with integer constraints, weighted averages and mixtures, percent-weighted tax, a sum-and-difference word problem, work and rates, and maximizing a quadratic on a closed interval.
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.