Just took the GRE

[ArmenK]

The first math question scared the hell out of me. Being an engineer, im expected to score an 800 on the math section so a mistake in the begining of the section would be pretty bad. I still dont really understand the question and I spent about 4 mins on it during the test, reading it over and over again. The question was something like this: A teacher assigns a grade to each student in his class A, B, C, D, or F. What is the minimum number of students that can be in the class so that at least 6 students have the same grade? Now I read this question at least 6 or 7 times so I dont think im missing anything important in the way I phrased it. The choices ranged from 18 to 27 i think. I ended up just picking the smallest number and just moving on. I finished the test with a 800 math and 560 verbal which is pretty much what I was expecting.

 

[kalster]

thatz cool, i got an 800 in quant too, when i took it( had 3 sections back then tho, i kinda screwed up in analytical tho) oh well, finished grad school and got a good job now, its all good

 

[Yossarian]

n/m i can't read

 

[ArmenK]

It still has 3 sections, the analytical you took got replaced by 2 essays which are scored by readers later on.

 

[CrazyPerson]

 

[ArmenK]

Originally posted by: PipBoy
I think you left out some important piece of information because you can't answer the question the way you worded it. What if every kid got an A?

Exactly, like I said I read the question so many times looking for little details but found nothing but this vague POS question. I was convinced that there was a mistake or something.

 

[Spoooon]

You left out something important. There's no way to solve the question as is.

 

[kalster]

Originally posted by: ArmenK
It still has 3 sections, the analytical you took got replaced by 2 essays which are scored by readers later on.

hmm i am not sure if thatz the best thing to happen to the GRE

if i am trying to get a Masters in Comp Sci or EE (or any engineering field) , analytical skills are much more important than essay IMO

 

[DamageInc]

See, now this is the kind of math I don't understand. I would just say 6 students are the minimum. I hate crap like this.

 

[z0mb13]

use the pigeon hole principle to answer the problem

 

[esun]

A teacher assigns a grade to each student in his class A, B, C, D, or F. What is the minimum number of students that can be in the class so that at least 6 students have the same grade

With exactly that wording, the answer is six. Doesn't make sense. There must be some missing data.

 

[blahblah99]

I believe you can miss 1 or 2 problems and STILL be able to get an 800

 

[kalster]

Originally posted by: blahblah99
I believe you can miss 1 or 2 problems and STILL be able to get an 800

no thatz not true, the scoring is adaptive, if you miss 1 or 2 of the first 5-10 even if you get the rest right u wont get a perfect score in that section

i had my first question in verbal wrong and eventually ended up with only 4 wrong out of 28 but i still only got 500

 

[vtqanh]

Originally posted by: ArmenK
The first math question scared the hell out of me. Being an engineer, im expected to score an 800 on the math section so a mistake in the begining of the section would be pretty bad. I still dont really understand the question and I spent about 4 mins on it during the test, reading it over and over again. The question was something like this: A teacher assigns a grade to each student in his class A, B, C, D, or F. What is the minimum number of students that can be in the class so that at least 6 students have the same grade? Now I read this question at least 6 or 7 times so I dont think im missing anything important in the way I phrased it. The choices ranged from 18 to 27 i think. I ended up just picking the smallest number and just moving on. I finished the test with a 800 math and 560 verbal which is pretty much what I was expecting.

use the strong pigeon hole theorem;
The answer is 26 (5 * 5 +1)

The worst case is that there are 5 students in each "grade slot". That makes 25. If you add one more student, that student has to fall somewhere in one of the slots, that makes it 6 of that grade

 

[vtqanh]

Originally posted by: esun

A teacher assigns a grade to each student in his class A, B, C, D, or F. What is the minimum number of students that can be in the class so that at least 6 students have the same grade

With exactly that wording, the answer is six. Doesn't make sense. There must be some missing data.

It does make sense and nothing is missing.
Ever heard of combinatorics?

 

[z0mb13]

Originally posted by: esun

A teacher assigns a grade to each student in his class A, B, C, D, or F. What is the minimum number of students that can be in the class so that at least 6 students have the same grade

With exactly that wording, the answer is six. Doesn't make sense. There must be some missing data.

The answer is 26

edit: someone got it b4 me

 

[vtqanh]

Originally posted by: z0mb13

Originally posted by: esun

A teacher assigns a grade to each student in his class A, B, C, D, or F. What is the minimum number of students that can be in the class so that at least 6 students have the same grade

With exactly that wording, the answer is six. Doesn't make sense. There must be some missing data.

The answer is 31

Wrong. The answer is 26. With 31, at least 7 students will have the same grade

 

[z0mb13]

Originally posted by: vtqanh

Originally posted by: z0mb13

Originally posted by: esun

A teacher assigns a grade to each student in his class A, B, C, D, or F. What is the minimum number of students that can be in the class so that at least 6 students have the same grade

With exactly that wording, the answer is six. Doesn't make sense. There must be some missing data.

The answer is 31

Wrong. The answer is 26

look at my edit... 😛

yea ure right... this is using the pigeon hole principle

 

[z0mb13]

arghhh another DP

 

[khlee]

um, that problem is freaking easy whats so hard about it?

 

[PrincessGuard]

Originally posted by: khlee
um, that problem is freaking easy whats so hard about it?

It can be hard when you're under pressure. I missed a stupid problem on averages when I took the GRE and I realized it right after I finished.

 

[vtqanh]

Originally posted by: khlee
um, that problem is freaking easy whats so hard about it?

It's easy when you already know it.
Here's a problem that has a very easy answer, a lot easier than most of you would imagine, but it's not easy to see

Prove that if all subsequences in a sequence An convert to a limit L, then An also converts to limit L

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: kalster

Originally posted by: ArmenK
It still has 3 sections, the analytical you took got replaced by 2 essays which are scored by readers later on.

hmm i am not sure if thatz the best thing to happen to the GRE

if i am trying to get a Masters in Comp Sci or EE (or any engineering field) , analytical skills are much more important than essay IMO

I'm currently getting my Masters in EE so I went through all the GRE stuff last year (right after they changed the analytical to essay).

It's good that they changed it. The analytical section was too easy. Also, some international students were scoring straight 800s (they undergo massive studying for the GRE) yet had extremely poor English skills outside of the test. By adding an essay section, it helps show their true ability.

Anyways, I don't really think the GRE means much in engineering... it's just a requirement you have to have. Most of the ranked engineering schools have really close average Quantitative scores.

 

[dym]

I had this kind of problem when I was 10 years old, seriously...

Originally posted by: ArmenK
The first math question scared the hell out of me. Being an engineer, im expected to score an 800 on the math section so a mistake in the begining of the section would be pretty bad. I still dont really understand the question and I spent about 4 mins on it during the test, reading it over and over again. The question was something like this: A teacher assigns a grade to each student in his class A, B, C, D, or F. What is the minimum number of students that can be in the class so that at least 6 students have the same grade? Now I read this question at least 6 or 7 times so I dont think im missing anything important in the way I phrased it. The choices ranged from 18 to 27 i think. I ended up just picking the smallest number and just moving on. I finished the test with a 800 math and 560 verbal which is pretty much what I was expecting.

 

[cHeeZeFacTory]

i don't see how its 26 when he said he chose the smallest # and got a 800. That means the smallest # is the correct answer, no? unless u can miss a question and still get 800.