# GMAT Two-Part Analysis: Method and Worked Example | topin

GMAT guidesTwo-Part Analysis

Section

Data Insights

Format

One problem, two columns, one shared list of options

Content

Quantitative, verbal or logic

Answers

One option per column; the same option can answer both

Scoring

No partial credit; both columns must be right

## How it works

The problem describes a situation and names the two things to find, one per column, such as a minimum and a maximum, or a statement that strengthens and one that weakens. You pick one row for each column. Verbal versions often look like Critical Reasoning, while maths versions are usually a pair of linked equations or constraints.

## Worked example

A club spends exactly £40 on notebooks at £3 each and pens at £2 each. It buys 5 more pens than notebooks. Select the number of notebooks in the first column and the number of pens in the second column. Options: 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 14

Show the answer

Notebooks: 6 Pens: 11

Let n be notebooks, so pens are n + 5\. Then 3n + 2(n + 5) = 40, so 5n + 10 = 40 and n = 6, giving 11 pens. Check: 3 x 6 + 2 x 11 = 18 + 22 = 40, and 11 - 6 = 5\. The traps are pairs that meet only the budget: 4 and 14 cost 12 + 28 = £40 but differ by 10, and 8 and 8 cost 24 + 16 = £40 but differ by 0.

## A method for Two-Part Analysis

1. 1  
### Name both unknowns  
Write down what each column asks for and how it is linked to the other, such as a total, a ratio or a condition that both must meet.
2. 2  
### Set up the relationship  
For maths versions, write the equations. For verbal versions, find the conclusion and what each column must do to it.
3. 3  
### Solve the more constrained part first  
One column is usually easier to pin down. Its answer then limits the other column to one or two options.
4. 4  
### Test the pair together  
Check that your two choices satisfy every condition at once, not just one each.
5. 5  
### Allow the same answer in both columns  
Nothing stops one option being correct for both columns, so do not rule it out just because you already used it.

## Traps to avoid

* Choosing a pair that satisfies one condition, such as the total, but not the other.
* Assuming the two columns must have different answers.
* Mixing up the column order, putting the pens answer under notebooks.
* On verbal versions, picking a choice that strengthens a different claim from the one in the prompt.

## Two-Part Analysis FAQs

Can the same answer be correct for both columns in Two-Part Analysis?

Yes. Each column is chosen from the same list, and one option can be the right answer for both.

Is there partial credit on GMAT Two-Part Analysis?

No. Both columns must be right for the question to count as correct.

Are Two-Part Analysis questions maths or verbal?

Both. Some are quantitative, some are verbal reasoning like Critical Reasoning, and some test logic, such as scheduling or rules.

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