Quantitative Skills tested on the EA (Executive Assessment)

Quantitative Section of the EA Skills

The Quantitative Section of the EA tests your problem-solving and critical-thinking skills using mathematical expressions. The good news is that you will not be tested on calculus, geometry, or trigonometry; rather, you are expected to have a firm grasp on basic arithmetic and algebraic concepts. You are not allowed to use a calculator on this portion of the exam, so it is imperative that you make sure to review these concepts and feel comfortable performing all of them on paper or a whiteboard.

These are the math topics you will want to review before exam day:

Arithmetic

Arithmetic encompasses the simplest math skills you will need to know, but do not neglect brushing up on these skills! While addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are simple concepts, it is likely you are out of practice of doing these things without your calculator. You'll want to do at least a few long division problems to jog your memory, as well as reviewing basic multiplication tables. Remember, timing is important, so you want to be able to accurately perform the simple tasks quickly.

You will also want to review working with and/or calculating:

• Decimals, fractions, ratios, and how these can be interchanged

• Percentages (including percent change)

• Basic statistics, including mean, median, mode, and standard deviations

• Exponents and roots

• Probability

Finally, review mathematical vocabulary, including: prime number, integer, units digit, tens digit, hundreds digit, absolute value, exponents, inequalities, and functions.

Algebra

The algebra you'll be expected to use on the EA is fairly basic, and something you likely covered in high school. That said, it is possible that it has been a few years since you have encountered some of these problems. When we are talking about algebraic expressions, we are simply talking about a mathematical expression that contains numbers, operations, and at least one variable.

Examples: x + 7 = 16, 4x=12, 40/x=10

So, as you review, you need to be sure you are able to isolate variables in order to solve for them, feel comfortable with both linear and quadratic equations, working with inequalities, and solving functions.

Word Problems

Once you have reviewed the above concepts, you'll need to be able to translate word problems into mathematical expressions. On the Quantitative Reasoning section of the EA, you will not be simply presented with a series of equations to solve. Instead, a large percentage of your questions will be word problems. You will have to read the narrative question and understand what is being asked, as well as how to translate the narration into a mathematical expression. At that point, your refreshed math skills will come in handy as you finish the calculation.

You should be prepared to encounter many real-life problems dealing with topics like simple and compound interest, rate and measurement, work and combined work, and discounts and/or profits.