A tough GMAT DS question generally has 1 stmt easy and one stmt tough.
Here the tough one is stmt2 and I am not sure of the answer.
stmt1:
we dont know about profit in 2002. So N/S
Stmt2.
This states that the increase in profit from 2001 to 2002 = increase in profit from 2002 to 2003.
But we still cant tell what the increase exactly is.
so IMO N/S.
Consider them together.
Let x = profit for 2001
y = profit for 2002
z = profit for 2003.
From 2 we have,
z -y = y -x
substitute x and y
30 - y = y - 20
solving, y = 25.
From this we can find out the exact increase.
So C.
I am not sure of the answer though. So I will wait for other's opinions.
profit
This topic has expert replies
Source: Beat The GMAT — Data Sufficiency |
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vittalgmat
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Question asks about the change in profit from one year to the next. The change in profit in year 2002 is the increase/decrease from 2001. The change in profit in 2003 is the increase/decrease from 2002 to 2003. So We are asked to find the change in % from one year to next - so the change of "the change".
so formulaically we are asked:
let x = (2002-2001)/2001
let y = (2003-2002)/2002
and % change is (y-x)/x
in 1 we do not know 2001 so we don't know x. INSUFF
in 2 we are told that y-x = 0.... so 0/x = 0 so SUFF
Ans is B
so formulaically we are asked:
let x = (2002-2001)/2001
let y = (2003-2002)/2002
and % change is (y-x)/x
in 1 we do not know 2001 so we don't know x. INSUFF
in 2 we are told that y-x = 0.... so 0/x = 0 so SUFF
Ans is B
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Vemuri
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Statement 2: Not knowing anything about the increase in profit from 2001 to 2002, we cannot determine the %profit change from 2002-2003. According to me, this statement alone is not sufficient.
What is the source of this question. More than tricky I think the answer is impossible
What is the source of this question. More than tricky I think the answer is impossible
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Ian Stewart
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I don't find the question "the profit of a company changed from what % from 2002 to 2003 " to be meaningful English. When something 'changes from x to y', and you ask what it 'changed from', then you're asking for the value of x. Applied to this question, it's asking for the company's percent profit in 2002, something we clearly don't have enough information to find.
So taking the question literally, that's how I read it - that's a different interpretation from both of the interpretations used in responses above. I'm absolutely certain that my reading is not the interpretation intended by the question designer, but without knowing what the question means, it's obviously pretty difficult to answer - it's really a game of 'guess the intention of the question designer' rather than a math problem. If the wording in the original post is the same as in the original source, I'd suggest working from better-written materials.
So taking the question literally, that's how I read it - that's a different interpretation from both of the interpretations used in responses above. I'm absolutely certain that my reading is not the interpretation intended by the question designer, but without knowing what the question means, it's obviously pretty difficult to answer - it's really a game of 'guess the intention of the question designer' rather than a math problem. If the wording in the original post is the same as in the original source, I'd suggest working from better-written materials.
For online GMAT math tutoring, or to buy my higher-level Quant books and problem sets, contact me at ianstewartgmat at gmail.com
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vittalgmat
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Thanks a lot Ian,
I thought I was the only one unable to understand the question properly.
I thought I was overly focused on SC.
Good that I got the clarification from the expert.
rgds
I thought I was the only one unable to understand the question properly.
I thought I was overly focused on SC.
Good that I got the clarification from the expert.
rgds
