GRE Quant Formula Sheet 2026:
Every Formula You Need
The GRE Quantitative Reasoning section does not give you a formula sheet on test day. Every rule, every identity, every exponent case — you need to bring it all from memory. That is what this guide is for.
We built this formula sheet by working through official ETS past exams, the ETS GRE Math Review, and community-sourced question banks from r/GRE and prep forums. Every formula included has appeared on real GRE Quant questions. Nothing filler. Nothing missing.
GRE Quant Formula Sheet 2026
200+ formulas, 50+ worked examples, QC strategy guide, and GRE test structure reference. Enter your email and get instant access.
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What's inside the formula sheet
The sheet is 8 pages: a cover, a clickable table of contents, and 6 content pages organized by topic. Here's exactly what each page covers:
| Page | Topic | What's covered |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Fractions, Algebra & Number Properties 50+ | All fraction operations, quadratic factoring, 3 key identities, FOIL, PEMDAS, even/odd rules, sign rules, factors, multiples, divisibility rules, LCM, GCF, trailing zeros |
| 4 | Roots, Exponents & Number Patterns 40+ | Units digit cycles for all bases, perfect squares and cubes, terminating decimals, all exponent laws, powers of 2 table, special addition rules, all 10 exponent number property cases |
| 5 | Absolute Value, Word Problems & Rates 35+ | Absolute value equations, inequality rules, word problem translations, simple & compound interest, linear growth, distance-rate-time, average rate, round-trip & catch-up formulas, combined work, ratios, percents, successive percent changes |
| 6 | Statistics, Counting & Probability 30+ | Mean, median, mode, range, standard deviation rules, weighted average, two-set & three-set Venn diagrams, double matrix method, combinations & permutations, circular arrangements, all probability rules |
| 7 | Geometry, Coordinate & Sequences 40+ | All triangle rules, Pythagorean triples, 45-45-90 and 30-60-90, polygons, circle arc and sector, 3D solids, slope, distance, midpoint, reflections, arithmetic & geometric sequences |
| 8 | QC Strategy & GRE Test Structure Bonus | The 4 QC answer choices explained, the Epic Attack Plan, 7 classic QC traps with examples, the Epic 5 plug-in numbers, full GRE test structure table, all question types explained, scoring guide |
The GRE gives you no formula sheet. Here's why that matters.
Many students come to the GRE from the SAT or ACT, where certain formulas are provided. The GRE does not do this. The GRE Quantitative Reasoning section scores on a scale of 130 to 170 in one-point increments. Each Quant section lasts either 21 minutes (first section, 12 questions) or 26 minutes (second section, 15 questions). That works out to roughly 90 seconds per question — fast enough that fumbling for a formula you half-remember is the difference between a confident answer and a frantic guess. You sit down to a 21-minute Quant section with no reference material other than the on-screen calculator — and the calculator only helps you once you already know which formula to apply.
This creates a specific preparation problem. It's not enough to recognize a formula when you see it. You need to recall it instantly under time pressure, which means repeated active review, not passive reading. Use this formula sheet the way you'd use flash cards: cover one side, produce the formula from memory, check yourself.
The GRE calculator does not replace formula knowledge
The on-screen calculator is available for the entire Quant section — but it only handles arithmetic. It cannot tell you which formula applies, set up an equation, factor a quadratic, or determine whether a geometry problem requires the Pythagorean theorem or the 30-60-90 ratio. That knowledge has to come from you.
The hardest GRE Quant topics and their key formulas
Exponent number properties — the 10 cases students miss
Most students know the basic exponent laws but freeze when asked whether raising a number to a power makes it larger or smaller. The answer depends entirely on whether the base is greater than 1, between 0 and 1, or negative — and whether the exponent is positive, negative, or a fraction. The formula sheet covers all 10 combinations with worked examples.
Base > 1
0 < Base < 1
Must Memorize
Pythagorean Triples
Quantitative Comparison — where most students lose points
Quantitative Comparison questions make up roughly half of all GRE Quant questions, yet most students spend the majority of their prep time on problem solving. The QC question type has its own logic that goes beyond formula recall — and the 7 traps below are responsible for the majority of wrong answers.
Assuming variables are positive
If no constraint says x > 0, always test x = 0 and x = −1. Zero destroys most "obvious" comparisons, and negative values flip inequalities.
Squaring changes the comparison
x² is not always greater than x. When 0 < x < 1, squaring makes it smaller. Test x = ½ on any question involving powers.
Geometry not drawn to scale
GRE figures are NOT drawn to scale unless stated. A triangle that looks right-angled is not, unless the problem says so. Redraw with extreme values.
"Impossible" geometry IS solvable
QC geometry that looks underdetermined often has a constraint (parallel lines, triangle sum, isosceles sides) that uniquely pins the answer. Look harder before choosing D.
The "too easy" trap
If a QC question looks instantly obvious, there is almost certainly a twist. Slow down and test edge cases before committing.
Ignoring the constraint
The centered information above the two quantities is not flavor text — it changes everything. Many QC problems are specifically designed so that ignoring it leads directly to the wrong answer.
Fraction and decimal behavior
Between 0 and 1: multiplying makes smaller, squaring makes smaller, taking the square root makes larger. Always test x = ½ when fractions could be involved.
Answer choices A, B, and C mean ALWAYS — not sometimes
Choosing A means Quantity A is ALWAYS greater under every possible value and condition. If you find even a single set of values that produces a different result, the answer is D — the relationship cannot be determined. This is the single most important QC principle and the one most students misapply under pressure.
Get the full formula sheet
All 7 QC traps, all 10 exponent cases, and 200+ formulas — in one print-ready PDF. Built by the same team behind the GRE Calculator and GRE Calculator Guide.
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How to use this formula sheet effectively
A formula sheet only works if you actively engage with it. Here's the study method that works best for GRE Quant:
- First pass — read through. Go cover to cover once to get a sense of what's there. Don't memorize yet.
- Second pass — identify gaps. Go through each section and flag every formula you can't immediately reproduce from memory. These are your priority areas.
- Active recall drills. Cover the formula, produce it from memory, then check. If you can't produce it in 5 seconds, it's not memorized yet.
- Apply on real questions. Use the GRE Calculator tool and work through actual QC and problem-solving questions. The formula sheet tells you what to use; real questions teach you when.
- Final week — blitz review. In the week before your exam, work through the full sheet once daily until everything flows automatically.
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8 pages. 200+ formulas. QC strategy included. Verified against official ETS past exams. Print it, stick it on your wall, and know it cold before test day.
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