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

Redeem

weird T time question

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 3650
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2009 4:27 am
Location: India
Thanked: 267 times
Followed by:80 members
GMAT Score:760

weird T time question

by sanju09 » Sat Feb 28, 2009 5:38 am
Person x and y have the following conversation:

x: I forgot how old your three kids are.

y: The product of their ages is 36.

x: I still don’t know their ages.

y: The sum of their ages is the same as your house number.

x: I still don’t know their ages.

y: The oldest one has red hair.

x: Now I know their ages!

How old are they?

Answer Choices

• 3, 3, 4

• 2, 3, 6

• 1, 6, 6

• 1, 3, 12

• 2, 2, 9

• 1, 2, 18

• 1, 4, 9

• 1, 1, 36
The mind is everything. What you think you become. -Lord Buddha



Sanjeev K Saxena
Quantitative Instructor
The Princeton Review - Manya Abroad
Lucknow-226001

www.manyagroup.com
Top
Source: — Problem Solving |

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 16207
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:26 pm
Location: Vancouver, BC
Thanked: 5254 times
Followed by:1268 members
GMAT Score:770

by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Sat Feb 28, 2009 6:49 am
This is an old/wonderful puzzle that goes back several decades.
Here's a nice solution:
https://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/58493.html
Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com
Image
Top
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 46
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 8:02 am
Thanked: 1 times

by deepak_free » Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:01 am
Do we really get such questions in GMAT.
Top
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 3225
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 2:40 pm
Location: Toronto
Thanked: 1710 times
Followed by:614 members
GMAT Score:800

by Stuart@KaplanGMAT » Sun Mar 01, 2009 12:41 pm
deepak_free wrote:Do we really get such questions in GMAT.
100% no.
Image

Stuart Kovinsky | Kaplan GMAT Faculty | Toronto

Kaplan Exclusive: The Official Test Day Experience | Ready to Take a Free Practice Test? | Kaplan/Beat the GMAT Member Discount
BTG100 for $100 off a full course
Top
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 3650
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2009 4:27 am
Location: India
Thanked: 267 times
Followed by:80 members
GMAT Score:760

by sanju09 » Mon Mar 02, 2009 1:40 am
deepak_free wrote:Do we really get such questions in GMAT.
:) Oh no my friend! See the subject of the topic; it's "weird T time question" just a logical fun, nothing else! You can skip such questions on forum if you feel like.
The mind is everything. What you think you become. -Lord Buddha



Sanjeev K Saxena
Quantitative Instructor
The Princeton Review - Manya Abroad
Lucknow-226001

www.manyagroup.com
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 106
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2009 6:09 am
Location: Louisville, KY
Thanked: 8 times

by marcusking » Mon Mar 02, 2009 5:49 am
sanju09 wrote:
deepak_free wrote:Do we really get such questions in GMAT.
:) Oh no my friend! See the subject of the topic; it's "weird T time question" just a logical fun, nothing else! You can skip such questions on forum if you feel like.
Why don't you post these types of questions in a SINGLE post of fun non-GMAT related questions. This can be very misleading for someone who is trying to prepare for the GMAT problem solving questions. This is after all a GMAT problem solving forum. I like these posts as much as the next guy I just feel this is the wrong place for them.
Top
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 3650
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2009 4:27 am
Location: India
Thanked: 267 times
Followed by:80 members
GMAT Score:760

by sanju09 » Mon Mar 02, 2009 6:28 am
marcusking wrote:
sanju09 wrote:
deepak_free wrote:Do we really get such questions in GMAT.
:) Oh no my friend! See the subject of the topic; it's "weird T time question" just a logical fun, nothing else! You can skip such questions on forum if you feel like.
Why don't you post these types of questions in a SINGLE post of fun non-GMAT related questions. This can be very misleading for someone who is trying to prepare for the GMAT problem solving questions. This is after all a GMAT problem solving forum. I like these posts as much as the next guy I just feel this is the wrong place for them.
:) Even though it is a weird T time question, doesn't that improve our comprehension and deduction skills. I called it a "logical fun"; if prefix is "logical", then suffix could be "anything" on GMAT. It is not distracting, it cannot be misleading to anyone who knows that there are only two types of questions on real GMAT CAT, Problem Solving (5 choices) and Data Sufficiency (5 choices). In fact attempting to such questions is analogous to playing the same game on a different play ground, with conditions almost difficult and different. Who dares, wins! One will like it if one attempts it on its own, without external references, struggles if leaves logic hanging, and gets it as one finally holds logic back. It gives something to brain.
The mind is everything. What you think you become. -Lord Buddha



Sanjeev K Saxena
Quantitative Instructor
The Princeton Review - Manya Abroad
Lucknow-226001

www.manyagroup.com
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 106
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2009 6:09 am
Location: Louisville, KY
Thanked: 8 times

by marcusking » Mon Mar 02, 2009 9:22 am
sanju09 wrote:
marcusking wrote:
sanju09 wrote:
deepak_free wrote:Do we really get such questions in GMAT.
:) Oh no my friend! See the subject of the topic; it's "weird T time question" just a logical fun, nothing else! You can skip such questions on forum if you feel like.
Why don't you post these types of questions in a SINGLE post of fun non-GMAT related questions. This can be very misleading for someone who is trying to prepare for the GMAT problem solving questions. This is after all a GMAT problem solving forum. I like these posts as much as the next guy I just feel this is the wrong place for them.
:) Even though it is a weird T time question, doesn't that improve our comprehension and deduction skills. I called it a "logical fun"; if prefix is "logical", then suffix could be "anything" on GMAT. It is not distracting, it cannot be misleading to anyone who knows that there are only two types of questions on real GMAT CAT, Problem Solving (5 choices) and Data Sufficiency (5 choices). In fact attempting to such questions is analogous to playing the same game on a different play ground, with conditions almost difficult and different. Who dares, wins! One will like it if one attempts it on its own, without external references, struggles if leaves logic hanging, and gets it as one finally holds logic back. It gives something to brain.
I'm not arguing that they don't improve comprehension. I'm arguing that these are question types that will NEVER be on the GMAT. So why post them in the GMAT forum? These questions clog the message board and make questions that people genuinely struggle with less visible, which undermines the entire purpose of the board.
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 431
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 9:32 am
Thanked: 16 times
Followed by:1 members

Re: weird T time question

by kanha81 » Mon Mar 02, 2009 4:59 pm
sanju09 wrote:Person x and y have the following conversation:

x: I forgot how old your three kids are.

y: The product of their ages is 36.

x: I still don’t know their ages.

y: The sum of their ages is the same as your house number.

x: I still don’t know their ages.

y: The oldest one has red hair.

x: Now I know their ages!

How old are they?

Answer Choices

• 3, 3, 4

• 2, 3, 6

• 1, 6, 6

• 1, 3, 12

• 2, 2, 9

• 1, 2, 18

• 1, 4, 9

• 1, 1, 36

[A] 2, 2, 9
y1, y2, y3 be the ages of the children of Y
y1 * y2 * y3 = 36
y1 + y2 + y3 = n

different possible comb.
1, 1, 36: n=38
2, 2, 9: n=13 (1st possib.)=> oldest has red hair hence answer.
3, 3, 4: n=11
1, 3, 12: n=16
1, 6, 6: n=13 (2nd possib.) => cannot be one b/c only oldest has red hair.
2, 3, 6: n=10
1, 2, 18: n=21
4, 9, 1: n=14
Want to Beat GMAT.
Always do what you're afraid to do. Whoooop GMAT
Top
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1