<p>When reading a GRE question, you might ask yourself, <strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Is this Permutations or Combinations</span></strong>?</p>
<p>You can usually tell by the language in the problem. Look for these words:</p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e74c3c;">Permutations</span></strong></p>
<ul>
<li>anything to do with "order" </li>
<li>anything to do with "arranged" or "arrangement"</li>
<li>anything to do with "rankings" or awarding prizes</li>
<li>anything to do with sequences of letters or the spelling of something</li>
<li>anything to do with seating arrangements</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><span style="color:#27ae60;">Combinations</span></strong></p>
<ul>
<li>anything to do with "groups" or "groupings"</li>
<li>anything to do with "sets"</li>
<li>anything to do with "subsets"</li>
<li>anything to do with selecting team members or people to form a group</li>
</ul>