For a multiple-choice GRE Quant question of form 'for which value of x is f(x) = 0?', a faster strategy is often to

GRE MCQs give you the answer choices. Plugging each into f(x) and checking which gives 0 is often faster than algebraic solving, especially when the equation is complex. Newton's method requires calculus (excluded from GRE Quant); applying the quadratic formula is fine when the form fits, but back-solving works on broader question shapes.