How often do LCM and HCF questions appear on the GMAT?Are they worth spending time on?

Question

T Mehta · Accepted Answer

They don&rsquo;t show up often ,  but LCM and HCF fall under number properties, which is a core topic on the GMAT. You&rsquo;ll see them mainly inside word problems on topics like timing, distribution, or divisibility.
&bull; Expect around 0&ndash;1 question per test, and usually not as a standalone concept. &bull; It takes just 2&ndash;3 focused sessions to get comfortable with it. &bull; These questions are often mixed with ratios, remainders, or work problems. &bull; Know how to use prime factorization to find LCM quickly, and don&rsquo;t confuse it with HCF under pressure.
So yes &mdash; they&rsquo;re worth the time. Not because they&rsquo;re common, but because they&rsquo;re quick to master and easy to get right if they do appear.
For more details you can read this blog on "Concepts of LCM HCF GMAT"

B.K Sharma · Answer

LCM and HCF questions show up on the GMAT, but not often &mdash; maybe 1 question per test, if that. They usually appear in the medium-difficulty range, often embedded in number properties or word problems involving scheduling, divisibility, or grouping.
That said, they&rsquo;re easy points if you understand the basics. Questions like &ldquo;how often two machines align&rdquo; or &ldquo;how to divide items equally&rdquo; are classic formats.
Spending a couple of hours on prime factorization and basic LCM/HCF tricks is worth it. These aren&rsquo;t heavily tested, but the payoff is good because they&rsquo;re fast to solve once you know the pattern. Just don&rsquo;t overdo the drilling &mdash; focus on GMAT-style examples.