GMAT Powers and Roots

In this module, you'll learn all of the concepts, techniques and strategies needed to answer powers and roots questions on the GMAT. In particular, the module covers:

Exponent laws
Negative exponents
Fractional exponents

Equations with exponents
Square roots and other roots
“Fixing” the denominator

Two ways to prepare

Beneath each video lesson in this module, we have a Reinforcement Activities box with practice questions that test the concepts covered in the video. With this lesson format, you have two learning options:

Watch the video lesson first and then reinforce your learning by answering several related questions, or…
Tackle the practice questions first and watch the lesson only if you need help with the concepts the practice questions test

Additional Practice

NOTE: In each of the above video lessons, you’ll find a Reinforcement Activities box containing several practice questions that are specifically related to the concepts covered in that lesson (e.g., the lesson on square roots). Conversely, the practice questions below cover a variety of topics under the umbrella of GMAT Powers and Roots, and are intended for general reinforcement.

Given this, you may find it beneficial to work on the questions below after you’ve mastered the module content by watching the video lessons and answering concept-specific practice questions from the Related Resources boxes. For more on this learning strategy, visit our course overview page.

Problem Solving (level of difficulty: 350 to 500)

Product of primes (powers)

Ordering values (powers, fractions)

Problem Solving (level of difficulty: 500 to 650)

M = sum of various roots (roots)

k to the power of one-third (roots, powers)

Which one is negative? (powers)

Possible orderings (powers, inequalities)

Roots and powers (roots, powers)

Problem Solving (level of difficulty: 650 to 800)

12 to the power of n (powers, integer properties)

Powers of 5 and 2 (powers, algebra)

Equation with powers of 5 (powers, algebra)

Musical scale (powers, roots)

Data Sufficiency (level of difficulty: 350 to 500)

Roots of squares and vice versa (powers, roots)

Data Sufficiency (level of difficulty: 500 to 650)

5 to the kth power (powers, inequalities)

nth root of n (roots)

Data Sufficiency (level of difficulty: 650 to 800)

Variable a raised to the power of a (powers, integer properties)

a% of b% of c (powers, percent, integer properties)

Variable exponents (powers)

Practice from the Official Guides

Official Guide for GMAT Review (2018 edition)

Problem Solving: 66, 68, 74, 90, 92, 112, 147, 161, 189, 200, 203, 209, 223

Data Sufficiency: 240, 243, 249, 255, 289, 308, 342, 370, 399

Official Guide for GMAT Review (2017 edition)

Problem Solving: 10, 28, 58, 77, 87, 95, 118, 128, 145, 164, 178, 185, 196, 198, 204, 208, 223

Data Sufficiency: 240, 243, 249, 255, 277, 327, 356, 361

Official Guide for GMAT Review (2016 edition)

Problem Solving: 7, 52, 57, 67, 78, 85, 105, 123, 128, 146, 163, 171, 183, 184, 188, 193, 204, 221

Data Sufficiency: 11, 20, 41, 112, 117, 163, 164, 170, 173

Official Guide for GMAT Review (2015/13th edition)

Problem Solving: 9, 35, 52, 65, 100, 106, 111, 122, 146, 163, 170, 176, 180, 196, 217, 227

Data Sufficiency: 15, 52, 101, 157, 159, 169, 172

While answering practice questions from the Official Guide for GMAT Review (2018, 2017, 2016 or 2015), you can enter your responses directly into our downloadable Improvement Chart. This will help track your progress and identify areas of weakness.

Ask on Beat The GMAT

If you have any questions, ask them on the Beat The GMAT discussion forums. The average response time is typically less than 30 minutes.

Learning Guide

Our step-by-step Learning Guide will help direct your studies and ensure that you cover everything that the GMAT tests.

Learning Guide

GMAT Powers and Roots

Two ways to prepare