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

Redeem

Target Test Prep · GMAT

Choose how you want to prepare

Learn live with an expert or move at your own pace. Every option includes the complete TTP study system.

★★★★★5.0559 reviews
GMATBootcamp Starts Sep 28
Chris Peckover, Target Test Prep GMAT expert
LIVE ONLINE BOOTCAMP

Live Online Bootcamp Class with Top GMAT Expert Chris Peckover

15 live classes from Sep 28, 2026

Schedule
Mon to Fri · 7:00 to 10:00 PM ET
Included
Live classes + 6 months of TTP OnDemand
  • Boost your GMAT score in less than one month in a live online class
  • 6 months access to TTP OnDemand video courses included
View bootcamp & enroll
Limited cohort · enrollment openTarget Test Prep
EALiveTeach 5 seats left
Logan Thompson
EXECUTIVE ASSESSMENT

Sep 6 to Dec 6, 2026

with Logan Thompson

Schedule
Sun · 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM ET
Included
40 hours of live online classes plus six months of access to the complete TTP EA OnDemand course.
  • 165+ EA Score Guarantee
  • 4,100+ Quant, Verbal, and Integrated Reasoning practice questions
  • 400+ hours of in-depth video lessons
  • 3,000+ step-by-step video solutions
View EA class & enroll
Limited cohort · enrollment openTarget Test Prep
GMATOnDemand Start anytime
SELF-PACED MASTERCLASS

Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand

Complete access from day one. Study on your schedule.

715+ score guarantee
$0to start then $127/mo
  • Personalized study plan and analytics
  • Thousands of lessons and practice questions

Compare the format, schedule, and included access before enrolling. Prices and seat counts shown reflect the supplied offer details.

paint 9 homes in 96 hours?????????

Expert replies
by bhumika.k.shah » Thu Apr 01, 2010 12:07 pm
Eight workers from Company A can paint 7 homes in 84 hours. Working together, three workers from Company A and five workers from company B can paint 9 homes in 96 hours. If each worker from company A works at one constant rate, each worker from Company B works at another constant rate, and the amount of time required to paint each home is the same, how many workers from Company B are required to 9 paint homes in 60 hours?

(A) 12
(B) 13
(C) 14
(D) 15
(E) 16

Source KNEWTON CAT

Detailed explanation as i am really bad @ this topic :( + difficulty level.
Last edited by bhumika.k.shah on Fri Apr 02, 2010 9:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
Join the discussion
Source: — Problem Solving |

by kevincanspain » Thu Apr 01, 2010 4:38 pm
The 8 workers from A can paint 1/12 of a home in 1 hour. Thus each worker A can paint 1/96 of a home in 1 hour

3 from A and 5 from B can paint 9/96 of a home in 1 hour- Since the 3 A's together paint 3/96 per hour, the 5 from B paint 6/96 of a home in 1 hour, or 1/80 each per hour.

In 60 hours, x B workers paint 60x/80= 3x/4 homes
Solving 3x/4= 9 for x, we get x=4(9)/3 =12 hours

Edited once I saw that the question had been incorrectly typed!
Last edited by kevincanspain on Fri Apr 02, 2010 1:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Kevin Armstrong
GMAT Instructor
Gmatclasses
Madrid
Join the discussion

by harshavardhanc » Fri Apr 02, 2010 4:15 am
kevincanspain wrote:The 8 workers from A can paint 1/12 of a home in 1 hour. Thus each worker A can paint 1/96 of a home in 1 hour

3 from A and 5 from B can paint 9/96 of a home in 1 hour- Since the 3 A's together paint 3/96 per hour, the 5 from B paint 6/96 of a home in 1 hour, or 1/80 each per hour.

In 96 hours, x B workers would paint 96x/80 =6x/5

Solving 6x/5 = 9 for x, we get x=5(9)/6 =7.5 hours

Alternatively, the 8 workers from A paint a home every 12 hours and thus would need 84 +12 =96 hours to paint 8 homes..Yet if 5 company A workers are replaced with 5 company B workers, 96 hours would be enough time to paint 9 homes, suggesting that company B workers are faster than their counterparts in A. This leads us to the conclusion that 8 company B workers would paint more than 9 homes in 96 hours--the answer should be less than 8!


Something is wrong here!
second your thoughts!

My approach :

find equivalence between type A and type B.

Step 1 : Find the number of A-workers who can paint 9 homes in 96 hours. It will be :

(84*8)/7 =(96*X)/9 => X= 9

Hence, 9 type-A ( 3+6) workers can paint 9 homes in 96 hours.

Now, as per the question :

3 type-A + 5 type-B can paint 9 homes in 96 hours.

or 5 type B workers are equal to 6 type-A . Hence, 9 type-A are equivalent to 3*2.5 = 7.5 type-B workers.

Ans= 7.5 :)
Regards,
Harsha
Join the discussion

by bhumika.k.shah » Fri Apr 02, 2010 4:43 am
Please check the OA and OE and then explain it to me :D
Attachments
Work rate.doc
(120 KiB) Downloaded 132 times
Join the discussion

by suryapal » Fri Apr 02, 2010 5:25 am
Eight workers from Company A can paint 7 homes in 84 hours. Working together, three workers from Company A and five workers from company B can paint 9 homes in 96 hours. If each worker from company A works at one constant rate, each worker from Company B works at another constant rate, and the amount of time required to paint each home is the same, how many workers from Company B are required to 9 paint homes in 60 hours?

(A) 12
(B) 13
(C) 14
(D) 15
(E) 16
sol : given :--> 8 workers from company A can paint 7 homes in 84 hours or it can be represented as follows

8A ------>7H -------->84
so 8A------->1H---------> 84/7
AND 1A------->1H -------> 84*8/7

NOW 3A------>1H-------->(84*8)/(7*3)
AND 3A------>9H --------> (84*8*9)/(7*3) = 32*9 = 288

NOW given that three workers from Company A and five workers from company B can paint 9 homes in 96 hours and it can be written as ( according to formula)

(1/288) +(1/5B) = (1/96)
or (1/5B) = (1/96) - (1/288)
OR (1/5B) = (3-1)/288
OR 5B= 288/2 = 144

5 worker can completes a task in t hours then on worker complet it in (t*5) hours
so 1B---->9H ----> (144*5)

now the condition is one worker from company B paints 9 houses in (144/5) hours . then how many workers from company can paints 9 houses in 60 hours or it can be written as
xB ----> 9H -----> 60

by above two condition
(144*5)/x = 60
or x = 144*5/60 = 12

hence the answer is A

can anybody tell me the shorter way ...
Last edited by suryapal on Fri Apr 02, 2010 5:56 am, edited 2 times in total.
Join the discussion

by harshavardhanc » Fri Apr 02, 2010 5:50 am
bhumika.k.shah wrote:Please check the OA and OE and then explain it to me :D
Bhumika,

I know many members have made a mistake of posting a wrong question before, and this one comes in that same list!!!!

I'm a little annoyed that I and many others have spent our time in solving a question which had a mistake!

Anyway, I love Maths so much that i will try to forget this.

Your version asks for

how many workers from Company B are required to 9 paint homes in 96 hours?
whereas the original question asks for type B workers to paint 9 homes in 60 hours !!!!!!!

An advice to you :

Don't type the question. You have copy -paste options given by Mr. Gates. Use them.
Regards,
Harsha
Join the discussion

by harshavardhanc » Sat Apr 03, 2010 1:46 am
harshavardhanc wrote:
Hence, 9 type-A are equivalent to 3*2.5 = 7.5 type-B workers.

Ans= 7.5 :)
this was the answer had it been 96 hrs.

As the original one asks for 60 hrs . i.e 36/96 less or 3/8th less or 96 becomes 5/8th of itself,
therefore,
number of workers,calculated above(7.5), has to increase by 3/5 or becomes 8/5th of 7.5 = 12. :)
Regards,
Harsha
Join the discussion