BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem
TTP OnDemand GMAT Video Course
Featured Course

Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand

Scott Woodbury-Stewart’s private virtual classroom — 400 hours of master-class video lessons for the GMAT Focus Edition.

  • 715+ score guarantee — highest in the industry (99th percentile)
  • 52 chapters · 1,500+ lessons · 4,000+ practice questions
  • 400 hours of video · 1,500+ instructor-led HD smartboard lessons
  • 300,000+ students accepted to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth & Sloan & more
  • 24/7 live support + weekly Zoom office hours with GMAT instructors
  • TTP AI Assist — 24/7 AI-powered virtual tutor for instant help
  • 1,200+ flashcards + AI-powered study assistant & daily calendar
  • OnDemand, LiveTeach & GMAT Bootcamp formats available
  • Also: GRE, SAT Math & Executive Assessment courses
  • MBA Admissions Consulting now available
  • 🏆 2025 EdTech Breakthrough Award: Test Prep Solution Provider of the Year
  • 200,000+ students served
  • 5-day free trial — $0 to start, no auto-billing, cancel anytime
★★★★★ 5.0 (559 reviews)
130-pt guarantee
$0 to start then $127/mo
Start Free 5-Day Trial Read 559 Reviews →

How to solve!

Expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Legendary Member
Posts: 2789
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2011 12:19 amFollowed by: 43 members
Location: Chennai, India
Thanked: 206 times
GMAT Score:640
by GmatKiss » Sat Sep 03, 2011 11:44 am
A man sold 20 articles for $60 and gained 20%. How many articles should he sell for $90 to incur a loss 20%?

A. 45
B. 36
C. 40
D. 50
E. 48
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Source: — Problem Solving |
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 504
Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2011 1:40 pmFollowed by: 11 members
Thanked: 114 times

by knight247 » Sat Sep 03, 2011 12:07 pm
A man sold 20 article at $60. So the SP per item is 60/20= $3
And in selling each item at the price of $3 he earns 20% profit

For Profit, SP=CP(1+Rate/100)
3=CP(1+20/100) (I'm not elaborating on the calculation)
CP=$2.5 per item

Now, if he has to incur a 20% loss then he has to lower his SP to below $2.5
For Loss, SP=CP(1-Rate/100)
SP=2.5(1-20/100) (Not elaborating on the calculation)
SP=2

So if he sells each item at $2 he will incur a 20% loss. So for 90 dollars at the rate of 2$/item he will have to sell 90/2=45 items. The Answer is [spoiler]A[/spoiler]. Try and remember the two formulas in bold
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 150
Joined: Thu May 05, 2011 10:04 amFollowed by: 4 members
Thanked: 5 times

by thestartupguy » Sat Sep 03, 2011 12:15 pm
IMO : A
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 61
Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2010 3:29 am
Thanked: 8 times

by n@resh » Sat Sep 03, 2011 12:24 pm
GmatKiss wrote:A man sold 20 articles for $60 and gained 20%. How many articles should he sell for $90 to incur a loss 20%?

A. 45
B. 36
C. 40
D. 50
E. 48
Ans is A!

its like for 48$ you;ll get 20articles...then for 118$ ???...that leads to 45 articles.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pmFollowed by: 1906 members
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Sat Sep 03, 2011 5:16 pm
GmatKiss wrote:A man sold 20 articles for $60 and gained 20%. How many articles should he sell for $90 to incur a loss 20%?

A. 45
B. 36
C. 40
D. 50
E. 48
Plug in to determine by what fraction the selling price must be reduced to make a 20% loss.

Let cost = 10.
Based upon this cost:
Selling price to make a 20% profit = 12.
Selling price to make a 20% loss = 8.
Thus, the selling price needed to make a 20% loss = 8/12 = 2/3 of the selling price needed to make a 20% profit.

In the problem above:
Selling price per article to make 20% profit = 60/20 = 3.
Thus, to make a 20% loss, selling price per article = (2/3)*3 = 2.
Number of articles sold for $90 at this reduced price = 90/2 = 45.

The correct answer is A.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Legendary Member
Posts: 608
Joined: Sun Jun 19, 2011 11:16 amFollowed by: 8 members
Thanked: 37 times

by saketk » Sat Sep 03, 2011 10:29 pm
GmatKiss wrote:A man sold 20 articles for $60 and gained 20%. How many articles should he sell for $90 to incur a loss 20%?

A. 45
B. 36
C. 40
D. 50
E. 48
Given: 20% profit on selling 20 articles at $60.
This means the CP of 20 articles is 60/1.2 = $50 or cost per article is $2.5
also if he sells X articles at $90, the loss is 20%
that means the CP will be 90/0.80 = 900/ 8
simply divide this number by 2.5 and you will get 45 as your answer
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1