GMAT · Section guide 7 · 5 min read
GMAT Two-Part Analysis: how it works and how to approach it
How GMAT Data Insights Two-Part Analysis questions work: two linked answers from one shared list, quantitative and verbal versions, method and traps.
What you see
A Two-Part Analysis question describes a situation and asks you to find two things. Below the question is a table with:
- two answer columns, one for each part, headed with what each part asks for;
- a single list of options, usually five or six, in the rows.
You choose one option in each column. The same option can be the right answer for both columns, although this is unusual. You must get both parts right to get credit for the question.
Two-Part Analysis is one of the five question types in the Data Insights section of the GMAT Focus Edition.
The forms it takes
Two-Part Analysis is flexible. Questions can be:
- quantitative, such as finding two unknowns that satisfy a set of conditions;
- verbal, such as choosing a statement that strengthens an argument and one that weakens it;
- logical, such as finding two items that together meet a set of rules, for example in scheduling or selection;
- mixed, combining numbers and reasoning.
Because the two parts are often linked, solving one part frequently helps with the other.
A step-by-step method
- Read the scenario carefully. Identify every condition.
- Read the column headings. They tell you exactly what each part asks for. Students often solve the right problem but put an answer in the wrong column.
- Decide how the parts relate. Are they independent, or does one depend on the other?
- Solve the easier part first, then use it to narrow the other.
- Check both choices against all the conditions before you confirm.
Examples of our own
A quantitative example. A bakery sells muffins and loaves. Each muffin costs $3 and each loaf costs $5. A customer spends exactly $34 on at least one of each. In the first column, select a possible number of muffins; in the second, the number of loaves that goes with it.
- The cost is 3*m* + 5*l* = 34.
- If l = 2, then 3*m* = 24, so m = 8. That works.
- If l = 5, then 3*m* = 9, so m = 3. That also works.
Here the options in the list decide which pair appears. If the options include 8 and 2 but not 3 and 5, the answer is 8 muffins and 2 loaves. Checking the available options against your equation is part of the method.
A verbal example. A city council argues that opening a new park will reduce traffic in the town center, because families will spend weekends at the park instead of shopping downtown. In the first column, choose the statement that would most strengthen this argument; in the second, the one that would most weaken it.
- A strengthening statement might be that most weekend town-center traffic comes from families visiting for leisure.
- A weakening statement might be that the only road to the new park runs through the town center.
The options list would contain both of these, along with several statements that do neither.
When the parts are linked
Many Two-Part Analysis questions connect the parts with an equation or a rule. In those cases:
- Test options in pairs. Choose a likely value for one column and see whether any option fits the other.
- Use the options to guide you. Because the list is short, working backward from the options is often faster than solving from scratch.
When the parts are independent, as in a strengthen/weaken pair, treat them as two separate small questions that share an option list.
Common traps
| Trap | How to avoid it |
|---|---|
| Swapping columns | Re-read each column heading before clicking |
| Ignoring a condition | List every condition before solving |
| Assuming the two answers must be different | Check whether one option could fit both |
| Solving fully when testing options is faster | Look at the option list early |
| Losing credit by rushing the second part | Both parts must be right; check each one |
Pacing
Two-Part Analysis questions can look long, but once the conditions are clear they are often quicker than they seem. Aim for around the section's average of a little over two minutes. If after two or three minutes you have one part but not the other, pick your best option for the second part, bookmark the question and move on.
Exam tip: when you have chosen both answers, read the scenario once more with your two choices in mind. It takes ten seconds and catches most column and condition errors.
How to practice
Practice both quantitative and verbal versions, because many test takers are stronger in one and neglect the other. Write your own two-part questions: take a simple scenario, set two linked questions about it, and create a list of options that includes tempting wrong answers. Building questions this way shows you how the traps are designed.
Check yourself
- How many answers do you choose in a Two-Part Analysis question, and from how many lists?
- Can the same option be correct in both columns?
- Why should you read the column headings carefully before solving?
- Do you get credit if one part is right and the other is wrong?
Find practice material and the rest of this series on the GMAT hub.