B. Strategies
for Solving Data Sufficiency Questions
1. Memorize the Data Sufficiency answer
choices.
The directions and answer choices
for Data Sufficiency questions never change. Memorize them so
that you have no problems on test day. There is no excuse for
walking into test day without these five answer choices perfectly
memorized!
A) Statement (1) by itself is
sufficient to answer the question, but statement (2) by itself
is not.
B) Statement (2) by itself is sufficient to answer the question,
but statement (1) by itself is not.
C) Statements (1) and (2) taken together are sufficient to answer
the question, even though neither statement by itself is sufficient.
D) Either statement by itself is sufficient to answer the question.
E) Statements (1) and (2) taken together are not sufficient to
answer the question, requiring more data pertaining to the problem.
Some students confuse C and D.
Read each answer choice carefully.
1. Note that A requires that
B not be sufficient, and vice versa with B.
2. C stipulates that A and B
cannot be able to answer the question alone. This means that
although A and B together may be able to answer, the answer is
not C if either one can answer the question alone.
3. The answer is D if both can
answer the question independently, even if both can answer the
question together.
What does it mean that a statement
is "sufficient"?
Sufficient does not mean that a statement is right or true, just
that you can use the statements to derive an answer. Many beginning
students err and think a statement is not sufficient if it proves
a statement false.
2. Methodically progress through the
two statements
It
takes mental discipline to progress through the Data Sufficiency
questions. The test writers deliberately build tricks to each
question. There are two basic questions that you must ask yourself
on every Data Sufficiency question:
Step 1: Can you answer the question using the information
from statement (1) only?
Step 2: Can you answer the question using the information
from statement (2) only?
Step 3: If the answer to both of these questions is "no,"
then you ask yourself a third question: can you answer the question
if you combine the information from both statements?
Example
Does 3 + x = 1?
1) x is positive
2) x is an odd number
Solution
(1) alone is sufficient,
because it proves that 3 + x cannot equal 1. 3 plus a positive
number cannot equal 1. Thus, statement (1) is sufficient because
it establishes that the statement is false.
(2) Statement (2) is also sufficient, because it proves 3 + x
cannot equal 1. 3 plus an odd number cannot equal 1. Therefore,
it is sufficient. Since both statements are sufficient, the answer
must be D.
3. Data Sufficiency process of elimination
strategies
In Step 2, as you progress through each statement, you
may eliminate questions. Just solve for one of the statements
and you are halfway done.
Statement 1 is insufficient:
automatically eliminate choices A and D, which require (1) to
be sufficient.
Statement 1 is sufficient: automatically
eliminate choices B, C and E, which require (1) to be insufficient.
Statement 2 is insufficient:
automatically eliminate choices B and D, which require (1) to
be sufficient.
Statement 2 is sufficient: automatically
eliminate choices A, C and E, which require (1) to be insufficient.
4. Analyze questions in terms of sufficiency.
Do not think in terms of "what
is the exact value," "is this true or false?"
Instead, review questions in terms of one question "is there
enough information to answer the question?" Look at each
statement and ask yourself if it provides enough information
to arrive at a conclusion.
w C. Data Sufficiency
Trick Questions
If you have any more questions or suggestions, email 24hourtutor@800score.com
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