What is the number of different committees of 4 people that can be selected from a group of 10 people?
A) 20
B) 40
C) 80
D) 120
E) 210
A) 20
B) 40
C) 80
D) 120
E) 210
Live GMAT classes with Target Test Prep start Nov 21 and Nov 22. First class free.
See classesLearn live with an expert or move at your own pace. Every option includes the complete TTP study system.
Target Test Prep was voted #1 Best Test Prep in the 2026 Newsweek Readers’ Choice™ Awards.
with Josh Braslow, 20+ years in test prep
Self-paced EA prep. Study on your schedule.
with
Complete access from day one. Study on your schedule.
wow, you madethat so easy to understand! thank you so much!grockit_andrea wrote:There are four spots on the committee, so for the first spot, any of the ten people could be chosen. There would be nine people left for the second spot, eight for the third, and seven for the fourth. So the first part of the equation is:
10 x 9 x 8 x 7
Because the order in which the people are chosen doesn't matter, this is a combination, not a permutation. So we divide that number (5040) by the number of ways you can arrange a group of 4 people, which is expressed as 4! (4 factorial): 4 x 3 x 2 x 1. So the problem looks like this:
10 x 9 x 8 x 7
4 x 3 x 2 x 1
Since you don't have a calculator, it's easier to reduce before you multiply, so do that first; when you have, the problem will look like this:
5 x 3 x 2 x 7
And that equals 210