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

Redeem
TTP OnDemand GMAT Video Course
Featured Course

Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand

Scott Woodbury-Stewart’s private virtual classroom — 400 hours of master-class video lessons for the GMAT Focus Edition.

  • 715+ score guarantee — highest in the industry (99th percentile)
  • 52 chapters · 1,500+ lessons · 4,000+ practice questions
  • 400 hours of video · 1,500+ instructor-led HD smartboard lessons
  • 300,000+ students accepted to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth & Sloan & more
  • 24/7 live support + weekly Zoom office hours with GMAT instructors
  • TTP AI Assist — 24/7 AI-powered virtual tutor for instant help
  • 1,200+ flashcards + AI-powered study assistant & daily calendar
  • OnDemand, LiveTeach & GMAT Bootcamp formats available
  • Also: GRE, SAT Math & Executive Assessment courses
  • MBA Admissions Consulting now available
  • 🏆 2025 EdTech Breakthrough Award: Test Prep Solution Provider of the Year
  • 200,000+ students served
  • 5-day free trial — $0 to start, no auto-billing, cancel anytime
★★★★★ 5.0 (559 reviews)
130-pt guarantee
$0 to start then $127/mo
Start Free 5-Day Trial Read 559 Reviews →

In the first half of the season a football team

Expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 227
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2012 4:53 amFollowed by: 3 members
Thanked: 12 times
by guerrero » Sun Jun 23, 2013 2:32 pm
In the first half of the season a football team participating in the local league won 40% of its matches. It then went on to win all its matches except two in the second half of the season. If it is known that for the entire season the percentage of matches won by the team was 66.67% and that the team played double the number of matches in the second half of the season as compared to the first half of the season then how many matches did the team play in the first half of the season?

(A) 2
(B) 5
(C) 10
(D) 15
(E) 20

OAB
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Source: — Problem Solving |

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 16207
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:26 pmFollowed by: 1268 members
Location: Vancouver, BC
Thanked: 5254 times
GMAT Score:770

by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Sun Jun 23, 2013 2:58 pm
guerrero wrote:In the first half of the season a football team participating in the local league won 40% of its matches. It then went on to win all its matches except two in the second half of the season. If it is known that for the entire season the percentage of matches won by the team was 66.67% and that the team played double the number of matches in the second half of the season as compared to the first half of the season then how many matches did the team play in the first half of the season?

(A) 2
(B) 5
(C) 10
(D) 15
(E) 20

OAB
Let x = the number of games played in the 1st half of season
This means that 2x = the number of games played in the 2nd half of season (since we're told that the team played double the number of matches in the second half of the season as compared to the first half)
So, in the entire year, there were 3x games played altogether.

In the first half of the season, the team won 40% of its matches.
So, the number of wins in the 1st half = 0.4x

It then won all its matches except two in the second half of the season.
So, the number of wins in the 2nd half = 2x - 2

In total, the team won 0.4x + 2x - 2 games.
Simplify: the team won 2.4x - 2 games


For the entire season the percentage of matches won by the team was 66.67%
I'm assuming that this is meant to mean that the team won 2/3 of it's matches.
From this, we can write: (2.4x - 2)/3x = 2/3
To solve for x, cross multiply to get: (3)(2.4x - 2) = (2)(3x)
Simplify: 7.2x - 6 = 6x
Rearrange: 1.2x = 6
Solve: x = 5
Answer = B

Cheers,
Brent
Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com
Image
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 149
Joined: Wed May 01, 2013 10:37 pmFollowed by: 9 members
Thanked: 54 times

by Atekihcan » Mon Jun 24, 2013 1:18 am
Finally the team won 66.67% of the total matches, i.e. 2/3 of the total matches.
Let us assume total matches played = 3n

As number of matches in the 2nd half is double of 1st half, matches played in 1st half = n and matches played in the 2nd half = 2n

Number of matches lost = 60% of n + 2 = (0.6)*n + 2
This will be equal to 1/3 of total matches, i.e. n

So, (0.6)*n + 2 = n
So, (0.4)*n = 2
So, n = 5

Answer : B
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pmFollowed by: 1906 members
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Mon Jun 24, 2013 5:41 am
guerrero wrote:In the first half of the season a football team participating in the local league won 40% of its matches. It then went on to win all its matches except two in the second half of the season. If it is known that for the entire season the percentage of matches won by the team was 66.67% and that the team played double the number of matches in the second half of the season as compared to the first half of the season then how many matches did the team play in the first half of the season?

(A) 2
(B) 5
(C) 10
(D) 15
(E) 20

OAB
An alternate approach is to plug in the answers, which represent the number of games played in the first half of the season.

Answer choice C: first half = 10 games
Since twice as many games are played in the second half of the season, second half = 20 games.
Total games = 10+20 = 30.

Since 2/3 of all of the games are won, total won = (2/3)30 = 20.
Since 2/5 of the games in the first half are won, the number won in the first half = (2/5)10 = 4.

Thus, the number won in the second half = total won - number won in the first half = 20-4 = 16.
Thus, the number LOST in the second half = total games in the second half - number won = 20-16 = 4.

Doesn't work: only 2 games should be lost in the second half.
Since the number lost in the second half is TWICE what is required, all of the values in the problem -- including the number of games played in the first half -- must decrease by 1/2.

The correct answer is B.
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
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1