GMAT practice questions and answers 2026. Tap an option to test yourself — you'll see the correct answer and a plain-English explanation for every question. Free, no login.
Q11If a + b + c > 1, is a > 2 ?<br/><br/>(1) b + c +2 = 1 (2) a > b + c + 2
✓ Correct answer: C. Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient.
Statement (1) says that b + c + 2 = 1 which means that b + c = −1. Substituting this into the equation given in the stem produces a − 1 > 1, which means a > 2. Statement (1) alone is sufficient and you can eliminate choices (B), (C), and (E).<br/><br/>Since the equation in the stem can be written as b + c > 1 − a, statement (2) can be rewritten as a > b + c + 2 > 1 − a + 2, or simply a > 1 − a + 2. Solving this inequality for a yields a > 3 − a, or a > 1.5. This means that a could be greater than 2 or less than 2. Therefore, statement (2) alone is insufficient and the answer must be choice (A).
Q12Literature professor: A recent study demonstrates that each of the contemporary dramatists George Decker, Robert Peale, and Thomas Green developed certain versification elements in his plays that are unique among dramatists of that period. Therefore, we can analyze the verse of the anonymous manuscript of a play that has just been discovered in the basement of Yaxton House and determine to which of these three dramatists it belongs.<br/><br/>Which statement identifies a possible <em>fact</em> that, if true, would provide significant logical support for the required assumption?
✓ Correct answer: E. Several other documents have been discovered at Yaxton House, all from the period during which Decker, Peale, and Green wrote.
Statement B provides significant logical support for the professor's assumption: If all other documents discovered at Yaxton are from the Decker/Peale/Green time period, then most likely the newly-discovered manuscript is, as well.<br/><br/>Statement A weakens the argument, if anything: If no other manuscripts have been discovered at Yaxton, why would one assume that this manuscript is from a particular time period?<br/><br/>Statement C may strengthen Decker's case, but it has nothing to do with the analysis of the manuscript's verse, which is in the professor's conclusion.<br/><br/>Finally, statement D doesn't provide any new information, but merely restates the fact, given in the prompt, that these three dramatists "developed certain versification elements in [their] plays that are unique among dramatists of that period."
Q13For each of the following statements, select "<em>Inferable</em>" if the statement is reasonably inferable from the given information. Otherwise, select "<em>Not inferable.</em>"<br/><br/>The technical support team received 4% more calls in October of this year than it did in October of last year.
✓ Correct answer: B. Not Inferable
This statement cannot be inferred. The 4% increase refers to the year-to-date increase in calls compared to last year, but you cannot assume that it is a smooth 4% increase each month compared to the same month last year. It is possible that some months saw a greater increase than others, as long as the overall numbers for the year average out to a 4% increase.
Q14“A certain species of monkey eats 25 percent of its bodyweight per day at the age of 1 month and 10 percent of its bodyweight per day as an adult.” The amount of food eaten by the animal triples once it reaches adulthood.<br/><br/>What is a possible percent by which its weight increases?
✓ Correct answer: D. 750 percent
To calculate the answer, start with a beginning weight that is easy to calculate, such as 4 pounds and 1 pound of food. 1 pound tripled is 3 pounds. 3 is 10 percent of 30, so that is its final weight. To find out how much its weight has increased, divide 4 by 30 to get 7.5. It’s weight has gone up 750 percent, or 7.5 times.
Q15Consider each of the following statements. Does the information in the articles support the inference as stated?<br/><br/>Local politicians have more short-term impact on their constituents’ lives.
✓ Correct answer: B. Yes
This inference is supported by Article 2, which states that “local politicians make decisions that affect day-to-day operations of our cities.” It then continues to develop the idea that national politicians have long-term impact, suggesting that local politicians have a shorter-term impact.
Q16It can be surmised from the passage that:
✓ Correct answer: E. Latin was a commonly-known European language in the early nineteenth century
The passage states that Oersted wrote his pamphlet in Latin and forwarded it to “the learned societies and outstanding scientists all over Europe.” We are also told that “the paper was published in various journals”. Thus we can infer that the readers of those journals knew the Latin language.
Q17Passage O: As women continue to establish themselves in the legal profession, they often work under a degree of scrutiny to which their male counterparts are not subjected.<br/><br/>Even the first woman to serve on the U.S Supreme Court, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, has experienced first-hand differential treatment because of her sex. Despite distinguishing herself at StanfordLawSchool, one law firm offered her only the "gender-suitable" position of legal secretary. Times have certainly changed since that incident in the mid-twentieth century, but women in law continue to fight the perception that their objectivity and abilities are sometimes compromised by their gender.<br/><br/>For example, during a trial in the 1990s, a male defense attorney referred to the female prosecutor as "hysterical" after she made a routine objection during trial. Since hysteria has historically been used to describe emotionally unstable women, the underlying sexism was palpable. Even after reaching the pinnacle of her profession, a study described O'Connor's juridical opinions as "feminine" and thus different from those of her male colleagues. Refuting this characterization, the Justice echoed women reformers in blaming harmful stereotypes for hindering women lawyers' achievement of professional equality.<br/><br/>O'Connor, however, parts ways with modern feminists who seek to establish special niches within the law for women practitioners, favoring instead the struggle for equal rights dissociated from special privileges based on their sex. However, one thing is agreed upon by all involved with this issue: It is ironic that in a field whose mandate is the fair and equal administration of the law and that purports to be worthy of its widely recognized emblem—the blindfolded Lady Justice representing legal equality for all—female lawyers and judges must still work harder to achieve parity and respect.<br/><br/>The author's description of the male attorney's reference to hysteria in the second paragraph serves as an example of
✓ Correct answer: D. the obstacle to women lawyers' equality cited by women reformers.
The passage notes that hysteria has been historically used to describe women who are emotionally unstable. When the male attorney called the female attorney "hysterical," he was deliberately seeking to undermine her credibility as a lawyer by invoking this stereotype. Such harmful stereotypes are cited by women reformers and O'Connor as a major obstacle hindering women lawyers' achievement of parity in their profession.<br/><br/>Choice B is incorrect, for the lawyer's sexism confirms that despite clear advances, female lawyers contended with sexism then as they do now. O'Connor's experience, while an example of sexism, is not directly relevant to the "hysteria" incident, choice C. The disagreement between O'Connor and reformers, choice D is over how to overcome sexism in the legal profession. Their differences in how to approach the problem are not exemplified by the "hysteria" incident. The passage makes no suggestion that "hysterical" characterized the typical portrayal of female lawyers in the mid-twentieth century, choice E. The male lawyer's reference is not mentioned to indicate a pattern of portraying women lawyers as "hysterical," but as an illustration of stereotyping.
Q18Although water covers approximately sixty-seven percent of the Earth’s surface, less than three percent is fresh water. Accounting for fresh water locked in glaciers, icecaps, or otherwise inaccessible, less than a tenth of a percent of the Earth’s water is available for human consumption. Pollution, population growth, and wasteful irrigation practices they are contributing to a worldwide water shortage. When the clear precious liquid becomes scarce, countries begin to assert claims on fresh water supplies. As a result, drinkable water has become a region of conflict that could eventually lead to greater hostilities between nations.<br/><br/>Some countries such as the United States, have ample sources of water. In other nations, such as China, water is less plentiful. As water resources dwindle, competition for available sources rose. Nations may claim rights to a particular body of fresh water or they may plan to build dams and other projects on rivers. If two or more nations which disagree on water rights or building projects, conflicts can emerge. In order to combat this issue many countries are adopting water conservation and security solutions. The United Nations has implemented programs to combat potential issues that could lead to violence.<br/><br/>How much of the earth is covered by water?
✓ Correct answer: C. 67%
According to the passage, water covers approximately 67% of the earth’s surface. Only 3% of that water is fresh-water, and only .10% of the water is available. These statistics demonstrate the potential for water scarcity.
Q19The pop-art movement developed in tandem with the explosion of American consumer culture in the 1950s. With more products to sell than ever before, corporations enlisted television, magazines, billboards, and catalogues to surround people with ads containing bright, glamorous, and sexy images of their wares. Pop artists recognized the captivating power of these visual images and looked to recreate that aesthetic in their art.<br/><br/>Inspired by what they saw in magazines, movies, and even on grocery-store shelves, these renegades set out to show that nearly anything can be turned into a product to be sold. Their method was to shock; their goal to transform attitudes of what's considered "art" The paragon of this movement was commercial illustrator turned pop-art sensation Andy Warhol, who marketed mechanically reproduced prints of existing images ranging from celebrities to soup cans.<br/><br/>Outwardly he cultivated an image of a passive, cool eccentric detached from his art; in reality, he was a workaholic and perfectionist who spent long hours making his detailed works appear effortless. His intention was easily achieved, considering that many did not understand his vision or recognize how it required any effort whatsoever. "Anyone can paint a soup can and call it art," some said. But not just "anyone" did; only Warhol, whose sensibility epitomized the notion that the essence of art lies in its conception. Warhol passed another artistic litmus test by encapsulating in tangible form the tenor of his times; living in a mechanical age of mass production and mass consumption, his work reflected that fact.<br/><br/>Despite the hype and myth-making that continually infused his enterprise, on at least these counts, Warhol earned the title of artist, "pop" or otherwise. The author of the passage is chiefly concerned with.
✓ Correct answer: B. describing and evaluating Warhol's art.
While the first paragraph sets the context for the passage, the second paragraph focuses on Warhol's art. The passage moves from a brief general survey of the connection between pop art and the American consumer culture of the 1950s to a brief but detailed analysis of Warhol—his work, his image, and his artistic merits.<br/><br/>Choice A is wrong because while the passage presents much information about Warhol, nowhere does it present Warhol's own views on pop art.<br/><br/>Choice B is not right because while the author states that pop artists sought to transform attitudes toward art, it does not discuss how these attitudes were actually impacted. This choice also fails to refer to Warhol, the subject of the majority of the passage. Similarly, choice C might suffice as the main idea of paragraph 1, but that paragraph merely provides the context for the real subject of the passage, Andy Warhol.<br/><br/>Choice E focuses on a detail of the passage, which is not primarily concerned with discussing Warhol's public persona.
Q20Passage O: As women continue to establish themselves in the legal profession, they often work under a degree of scrutiny to which their male counterparts are not subjected.<br/><br/>Even the first woman to serve on the U.S Supreme Court, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, has experienced first-hand differential treatment because of her sex. Despite distinguishing herself at StanfordLawSchool, one law firm offered her only the "gender-suitable" position of legal secretary. Times have certainly changed since that incident in the mid-twentieth century, but women in law continue to fight the perception that their objectivity and abilities are sometimes compromised by their gender.<br/><br/>For example, during a trial in the 1990s, a male defense attorney referred to the female prosecutor as "hysterical" after she made a routine objection during trial. Since hysteria has historically been used to describe emotionally unstable women, the underlying sexism was palpable. Even after reaching the pinnacle of her profession, a study described O'Connor's juridical opinions as "feminine" and thus different from those of her male colleagues. Refuting this characterization, the Justice echoed women reformers in blaming harmful stereotypes for hindering women lawyers' achievement of professional equality.<br/><br/>O'Connor, however, parts ways with modern feminists who seek to establish special niches within the law for women practitioners, favoring instead the struggle for equal rights dissociated from special privileges based on their sex. However, one thing is agreed upon by all involved with this issue: It is ironic that in a field whose mandate is the fair and equal administration of the law and that purports to be worthy of its widely recognized emblem—the blindfolded Lady Justice representing legal equality for all—female lawyers and judges must still work harder to achieve parity and respect.<br/><br/>It can be inferred that the irony mentioned in the last sentence of the passage is based on the notion that
✓ Correct answer: E. fairness and equality are lacking in a field that professes those virtues as its goal.
The last sentence points out that the legal profession is represented by a blindfolded Lady Justice—an emblem of the unbiased, equitable application of the law. The author finds it ironic that despite this professed virtue, the legal profession has yet to fully and consistently treat its female members as equals.<br/><br/>Choice A is not correct, for the passage makes no explicit or implicit comparison to other professions' attempts to achieve fairness and equality. The passage does not suggest that Lady Justice represents only men, since women, too, can receive justice under the law, choice B. While women in the legal profession might be more inclined to focus on gender bias in their own profession, there is no suggestion that modern feminists ignore women's quest for equality in other professions, choice C.<br/><br/>Choice E refers to the disagreement between O'Connor and modern feminists described in paragraph 3, but is irrelevant to the basic tenets represented by Lady Justice.
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