[email protected] wrote:In the city of Cantville, a high school earns the "Young Women in Science" award for a given year if at least ten of its female students participate in that year's state science exposition. Last year, 80 percent of all high schools in Cantville's District 1 earned this award, while only 63 percent of all high schools in the city's District 2 earned the same award. Furthermore, these percentages have remained at or near those respective levels throughout the entire twelve years since the award was instituted. It is clear, then, that the high schools in District 1 do a better job of encouraging girls to pursue science than do the high schools in District 2.

Which of the following is assumed in the argument above?

Students in District 1 have more free time to pursue science projects than do students in District 2.

The overall population of District 1 is not substantially larger than that of District 2.

The average high school in in District 2 does not have more students than does the average high school in District 1.

District 1 does not have significantly fewer all-male high schools than does District 2.

School is the primary source of encouragement for students' pursuit of science

Plz help. I do not understand the MGMAT explanation.

IMO D

whats the OA?

Fact 1
"if at least ten of its female students participate in that year's state science exposition"
it says '10 girl students' and not a minimum percentage of girls from each school required to qualify for award

Data 1
80% won earned this award in district-1
63% won earned this award in district-2

Data 2
"these percentages have remained at or near those respective levels throughout the entire twelve years"
we can infer that both population and number of schools in each district, have either grown or reduced proportionally in both districts or remained constant

The conclusion depends on multiple assumptions
1) original (number of schools)/Population is equal/similar in both districts
2) girl-boy ratio is equal/similar in both districts
3) (number of students)/school is equal/similar in both districts
4) number of each school types(boys only/girls only/co-ed) is similarly proportionate in both districts

As far as I feel, none of the choices can be clearly stated as an assumption since we'll have to obviate some of the above listed 4, and consider rest as assumption

A) Students in District 1 have more free time to pursue science projects than do students in District 2.
Free time - irrelevant

B) The overall population of District 1 is not substantially larger than that of District 2.
something similar can be inferred from Data 2 - not an assumption

C) The average high school in in District 2 does not have more students than does the average high school in District 1.
what if either (girl/boy) ratio or ((number of schools)/population) ratio is different in both districts?

D) District 1 does not have significantly fewer all-male high schools than does District 2.
Talks of numbers - not percentages. What if there are more all-girl schools and co-ed schools in District 1? The percentage of all-male schools in District 1 might still be lower than corresponding District 2

E) School is the primary source of encouragement for students' pursuit of science
Irrelevant

Though C and D sound the closest one but I am not convinced with any.
Experts please help