How to Beat Overlapping Sets GMAT Problems

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In "How to Beat Overlapping Sets GMAT Problems", Erika John from PrepScholar GMAT discusses the number one strategy to conquer some particularly hard GMAT math questions: overlapping sets problems.

We start off by defining overlapping sets GMAT problems so you can recognize them on test day: they are word problems that deal with one large group that is being evaluated for multiple traits. This in essence breaks our larger group into many smaller groups with different combinations of traits.

We then delve onto our key strategy for overlapping sets GMAT problems: using a diagram to organize the information in the problem, clarify the relationships between our smaller groups, and build equations we can then use to solve.

On overlapping sets GMAT problems where our larger group is being evaluated for two traits, we use a specific type of diagram called a "double matrix", which we explain how to create on your scratch paper. We also use a real overlapping sets GMAT question to illustrate how to set up our double matrix and then use it to solve.

Finally we talk about how to set up a diagram for the really hard GMAT math questions in which our overlapping sets involve evaluating for three or more traits.