GMAT OFFICIAL GUIDE PS

Solution:

Before attacking this question, we want to review what “absolute value” means. The absolute value of a number measures or is the distance that number is from zero on the number line.

Let’s say we are comparing the absolute values of -100 and 90; we’d say that -100 has THE GREATER ABSOLUTE VALUE. It has the greater absolute value because |-100| = 100 and |90| = 90. Notice that 100 is farther away from zero than 90 is.

In regard to this question, we can see that A (notice that A = 2) is farther from zero than any other answer choice. If we were to estimate E, we could say it’s about 1.8. That is slightly closer to zero than A is, because the distance of A from 0 is |-2| = 2.

Answer: A

About The Author

Jeffrey Miller is the head GMAT instructor for Target Test Prep. Jeff has more than fourteen years of experience in the business of helping students with low GMAT scores hurdle the seemingly impossible and achieve the scores they need to get into the top 20 business school programs in the world, including HBS, Stanford, Wharton, and Columbia. Jeff has cultivated many successful business school graduates through his GMAT instruction, and will be a pivotal resource for many more to follow.