GRE Arithmetic
Integers and their properties, divisibility, factors and multiples, ratios, percentages, exponents and roots. It is the content area most likely to appear as a Quantitative Comparison that needs no calculation, because number properties settle relationships outright.
The facts that answer questions on sight
- Odd and even. Odd + odd = even. Odd × any even = even. Even × even = even.
- Zero. Even, neither positive nor negative, and the reason many "cannot be determined" answers are correct.
- Fractions between 0 and 1. Squaring makes them smaller; square-rooting makes them larger. The reverse of the intuition most candidates carry.
- Negatives. An odd power keeps the sign, an even power destroys it.
- Primes. 2 is the only even prime, and 1 is not prime.
Percentages, where most marks are lost
| Phrase | Means |
|---|---|
| X percent of Y | (X/100) × Y |
| X is what percent of Y | (X/Y) × 100 |
| Percent increase | (new − old) / old × 100 |
| X percent greater than Y | Y × (1 + X/100) |
| Successive changes | Multiply the factors — +20% then −20% is ×1.2×0.8 = 0.96, a net loss |
Successive percentage changes do not add. A 20% rise followed by a 20% fall leaves you 4% down, and the GRE asks this often enough that it is worth knowing as a fact rather than deriving it under time pressure.
Arithmetic — FAQs
2 questions
Knowing the primes under 50 is useful for factorisation questions and saves time.
Yes, regularly. Remainder and divisibility questions are common in both Quantitative Comparison and multiple choice.
More quantitative question types
Sources
Written from the test board's own published material and checked on 1 October 2026.