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

Redeem

Although custom prosthetic bone replacements produced throug

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 698
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:12 am
Location: Noida, India
Thanked: 32 times
Followed by:26 members
GMAT Score:740

Although custom prosthetic bone replacements produced throug

by richachampion » Wed Jan 06, 2016 10:29 pm
Although custom prosthetic bone replacements produced through a new computer-aided design process will cost more than twice as much as ordinary replacements, custom replacements should still be cost-effective. Not only will surgery and recovery time be reduced, but custom replacements should last longer, thereby reducing the need for further hospital stays.

Which of the following must be studied in order to evaluate the argument presented above?

(A) The amount of time a patient spends in surgery versus the amount of time spent recovering from surgery
(8) The amount by which the cost of producing custom replacements has declined with the introduction of the new technique for producing them
(C) The degree to which the use of custom replacements is likely to reduce the need for repeat surgery when compared with the use of ordinary replacements
(D) The degree to which custom replacements produced with the new technique are more carefully
manufactured than are ordinary replacements
(E) The amount by which custom replacements produced with the new technique will drop in cost as the production procedures become standardized and applicable on a larger scale

OA: C

This is A vs C.

OG13 Problem
Top
Source: — Critical Reasoning |
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 2663
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 8:25 am
Location: Boston, MA
Thanked: 1153 times
Followed by:128 members
GMAT Score:770

by DavidG@VeritasPrep » Thu Jan 07, 2016 7:03 am
richachampion wrote:Although custom prosthetic bone replacements produced through a new computer-aided design process will cost more than twice as much as ordinary replacements, custom replacements should still be cost-effective. Not only will surgery and recovery time be reduced, but custom replacements should last longer, thereby reducing the need for further hospital stays.

Which of the following must be studied in order to evaluate the argument presented above?

(A) The amount of time a patient spends in surgery versus the amount of time spent recovering from surgery
(8) The amount by which the cost of producing custom replacements has declined with the introduction of the new technique for producing them
(C) The degree to which the use of custom replacements is likely to reduce the need for repeat surgery when compared with the use of ordinary replacements
(D) The degree to which custom replacements produced with the new technique are more carefully
manufactured than are ordinary replacements
(E) The amount by which custom replacements produced with the new technique will drop in cost as the production procedures become standardized and applicable on a larger scale

OA: C

This is A vs C.

OG13 Problem
Conclusion: Custom replacements will be cost effective despite costing twice as much as ordinary replacements

Premise: Surgery + Recovery time reduced with custom replacements, and custom replacements last longer, reducing future hospital stays

Essentially, we've got pros and cons for custom replacements. The main con is that the upfront cost is substantially more. And that con, supposedly, is offset by the pros of reduced surgery/recovery time, fewer future hospital stays. So the main question becomes: is there any other cost or benefit that we're missing in our analysis?

'A' is irrelevant. We're comparing custom vs ordinary replacements, and we already know that surgery and recovery time are both reduced when using custom replacements. How those times compare to each other does not impact the decision. (And ultimately, we care about cost, not convenience.)

'C' sheds light on another potential benefit of the custom replacement. If the patient is less likely to need future operations with a custom replacement, that would certainly suggest potential cost savings for this method.
Veritas Prep | GMAT Instructor

Veritas Prep Reviews
Save $100 off any live Veritas Prep GMAT Course
Top
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
Followed by:1906 members
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Sat Jan 09, 2016 3:51 am
richachampion wrote:Although custom prosthetic bone replacements produced through a new computer-aided design process will cost more than twice as much as ordinary replacements, custom replacements should still be cost-effective. Not only will surgery and recovery time be reduced, but custom replacements should last longer, thereby reducing the need for further hospital stays.

Which of the following must be studied in order to evaluate the argument presented above?

(A) The amount of time a patient spends in surgery versus the amount of time spent recovering from surgery
(8) The amount by which the cost of producing custom replacements has declined with the introduction of the new technique for producing them
(C) The degree to which the use of custom replacements is likely to reduce the need for repeat surgery when compared with the use of ordinary replacements
(D) The degree to which custom replacements produced with the new technique are more carefully
manufactured than are ordinary replacements
(E) The amount by which custom replacements produced with the new technique will drop in cost as the production procedures become standardized and applicable on a larger scale
I received a PM requesting that I comment.

Conclusion: Custom replacements will be cost-effective.

Rephrase the answer choices as STRONGLY WORDED STATEMENTS.
The correct rephrase will either STRENGTHEN or WEAKEN the conclusion that custom replacements will be cost-effective, enabling us to EVALUATE whether this conclusion is valid.

C, rephrased:
The use of custom replacements will greatly reduce the need for repeat surgery when compared with the use of ordinary replacements.
This rephrase clearly STRENGTHENS the conclusion that custom replacements will be cost-effective.

The correct answer is C.

A, rephrased:
The time spent in surgery is much greater than the time spent recovering from surgery.
Since custom replacements will reduce both types of time, a comparison between the two types of time is irrelevant.
Eliminate 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
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1