BTGmoderatorLU wrote:Source: e-GMAT
Five friends Alastair, Bell, Cook, Darren and Eoin appeared in an aptitude test. Alastair scored exactly 1/2 of Darren's score, whose score was 1/5th more than Cook's score. Eoin scored 2/5th more than Cook and Darren's score was 3/2 times that of Bell's score. If the average score (arithmetic mean) of the group was 50, what was the range of the scores of the group?
A. 25
B. 30
C. 35
D. 40
E. 50
To determine the ratio of the scores, plug in numbers and reduce the resulting ratio as much as possible.
Let A = Alastair, B = Bell, C = Cook, D = Darren, and E = Eoin.
Let B = the product of the denominators = 2*5*5*2 = 100.
Darren's score was 3/2 times that of Bell's score.
D = 3/2(B) = (3/2)(100) = 150.
Alastair scored exactly 1/2 of Darren's score.
A = (1/2)D = (1/2)(150) = 75.
Darren's score was 1/5th more than Cook's score.
In other words, Darren's score of 150 is 6/5 Cook's score:
150 = (6/5)C
C = (5/6)150 = 125.
Eoin scored 2/5th more than Cook.
In other words, Eoin's score is 7/5 Cook's score of 125:
E = (7/5)125 = 175.
A : B : C : D : E = 75

125:150:175 = 3:4:5:6:7.
When the values in the ratio are fully reduced, biggest - smallest = 7-3 = 4.
Implication:
The range of the values must be a MULTIPLE OF 4.
The correct answer is
D.
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