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Can data sufficiency answer be in the stem

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by YKNJS25 » Wed Jun 22, 2016 3:40 pm
Was just wondering if the answer to a data sufficiency question could ever be in the question stem. If that were to be the case would the correct answer be that both 1 and 2 can answer the question or neither?

My guess is this is not possible but thought I'd ask the experts! :)
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Source: — Data Sufficiency |

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by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Wed Jun 22, 2016 3:43 pm
Your guess is correct; the target question is always impossible to answer (without additional information).

For more on this, see this video: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gmat ... video/1095

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by [email protected] » Wed Jun 22, 2016 8:44 pm
Hi YKNJS25,

In a DS question, whatever information (if any) that is included at the start of the prompt is NEVER enough to answer the question that is asked. If you think that it is, then you're either working with some incorrect practice materials or you're not thinking thoroughly enough about what the answer to the question COULD be.

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by OptimusPrep » Wed Jun 22, 2016 8:54 pm
YKNJS25 wrote:Was just wondering if the answer to a data sufficiency question could ever be in the question stem. If that were to be the case would the correct answer be that both 1 and 2 can answer the question or neither?

My guess is this is not possible but thought I'd ask the experts! :)
One word answer: NO
There is a reason that the additional information is given to you :)
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by GMATGuruNY » Thu Jun 23, 2016 3:05 am
There has been at least one official DS problem in which the question stem could be answered without additional information from the two statements:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/absolute-value-t272403.html
However, this problem -- which appeared in GMATPrep -- should be considered FLAWED.
Generally, the information in the prompt will never be sufficient on its own to answer the question stem.
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by Matt@VeritasPrep » Thu Jun 23, 2016 5:50 pm
It shouldn't be, though as Mitch points out, the test writers occasionally goof, but in principle, this shouldn't happen.

That said, there are a number of official problems in GMATPrep that have the wrong solution, and for whatever reason the GMAC hasn't (as far as I know) acknowledged or fixed them - I could be wrong about this, but the flawed questions are still there in a download in 2016 - so there's an outside shot you might have an error on your actual exam on test day.
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