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

Redeem

Target Test Prep · GMAT

Choose how you want to prepare

Learn live with an expert or move at your own pace. Every option includes the complete TTP study system.

★★★★★5.0559 reviews
Vote for Target Test Prep, Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards 2026
NEWSWEEK READERS’ CHOICE 2026

BIG NEWS! Target Test Prep has been nominated, and they’d love your vote!

TTP has worked incredibly hard to build the best test prep experience possible, and winning Newsweek’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Award for Best Test Prep would mean a lot to them. If TTP has helped you, they’d be incredibly grateful for your vote. You can vote once each day through September 9.

Vote for TTP
GMATLiveTeach 7 seats left
Chris Peckover
NEXT LIVE COHORT

Oct 13 to Jan 7, 2027

with Chris Peckover

Schedule
Tue, Thu · 8:00 to 10:00 PM ET
Included
40 live hours + 6 months of GMAT OnDemand
  • Live instruction and real-time questions
  • Class recordings and assigned practice
View class & enroll
Limited cohort · enrollment openTarget Test Prep
EALiveTeach 5 seats left
Logan Thompson
EXECUTIVE ASSESSMENT

Sep 6 to Dec 6, 2026

with Logan Thompson

Schedule
Sun · 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM ET
Included
40 hours of live online classes plus six months of access to the complete TTP EA OnDemand course.
  • 165+ EA Score Guarantee
  • 4,100+ Quant, Verbal, and Integrated Reasoning practice questions
  • 400+ hours of in-depth video lessons
  • 3,000+ step-by-step video solutions
View EA class & enroll
Limited cohort · enrollment openTarget Test Prep
GMATOnDemand Start anytime
SELF-PACED MASTERCLASS

Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand

Complete access from day one. Study on your schedule.

715+ score guarantee
$0to start then $127/mo
  • Personalized study plan and analytics
  • Thousands of lessons and practice questions

Compare the format, schedule, and included access before enrolling. Prices and seat counts shown reflect the supplied offer details.

If 5a = 9b = 15c, what is the value of a + b + c?

Expert replies
Source: — Data Sufficiency |

by apoorva.srivastva » Tue Jun 23, 2009 11:42 pm
This is a tricky one...let me try though!!!

Let 5a=9b=15c=k

so a=k/5 ; b=k/9 ; c=k/15

Statement 1:

3c-a=5c-3b

==> 2c = (k/3) - (k/5)
==> 2c = 2* k/15
==> c = k/15 this wat we assumed...dont arrive at anything

so i think A insufficient!!! frnds please help me to solve st.1 in a better way

Statement 2:

6cb=10a
==> 3cb = 5a
==> 3cb = k (from the assumption made in the question stem)
==> 3*(k/9)*(k/15) = k
==> k^2/45 =k
==>k^2 = 45 k (we cant cancel k since we dont know whether k[u]> [/u] 0 or k < 0)....Please correct me if i am wrong on this!!!)

==> k(k-45) = 0

so k = 0 or k = 45

not sufficient!!!

HENCE IMO E

FRNDS PLS COMMENT ON MY REASONING...IF AT ANY POINT I AM WRONG KINDLY HIGHLIGHT THAT!!

Thanks in advance,
Apoorva
Join the discussion

by nitya34 » Tue Jun 23, 2009 11:49 pm
really tricky

a+b+c=17 (c)/3

now (1) yields a=3b-2c which is the same equation as 5a=9b=15c

so INSUFF


(2) yields b =0 or 3; c=0 or 5--INSUFF


IMO E
Join the discussion

by Naruto » Tue Jun 23, 2009 11:55 pm
hmm I didnt consider that we cant cancel in case any of them is equal to zero.
Well done, OA is E
Join the discussion

by david4431 » Wed Jun 24, 2009 5:16 am
Answer: E.

The important thing to note about S1 is that all it does is shuffle the numbers around. It you run through the substitutions, you get 0 = 0 in the end.

S2 has already been explained. The statements combined will yield nothing new as S1 gives no new information.
Join the discussion

by rajshree.misra » Wed Jun 24, 2009 6:51 am
Hi,

My answer is B. i.e. statement 2 is sufficient.

The main question states that 5a=9b=15c

The second statement mentions that 6cb=10a

Since 10a = 2(5a), 10a = 18b = 30c
therefore, 6cb = 18b = 30c
If you solve 6cb = 18b, you get c = 3 and if you solve 6cb = 30c, you get b = 5. From these two numbers, you get that a = 9.

Therefore a+b+c = 17.
Join the discussion

by nitya34 » Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:03 am
you can get c only when b Not equal to Zero
rajshree.misra wrote:If you solve 6cb = 18b, you get c = 3Therefore a+b+c = 17.
Join the discussion

by abhinav85 » Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:33 am
IMO D.

From the given equation we get,

5a=9b=15c.

So that means 5x9=9x4=15x3.......because the LCM of 5,9 and 15 is 45.

So now look at the statement that they satisfies this!!!

From 1 we get
(1) 3c – a = 5c – 3b
that means 3x3 - 9=5x3 - 3x5 that is 0.Sufficeint.

From 2 we get,
(2) 6cb = 10a

same thing 6x3x5 = 10x9.........i.e 90 = 90. Sufficeint.

BTW what is the OA!!!



hmm I didnt consider that we cant cancel in case any of them is equal to zero.
Well done, OA is E

Join the discussion

by Domnu » Thu Jun 25, 2009 1:37 pm
The answer is E. Here's a way using matrix algebra:

1) Consider the matrix

5 -9 0
0 9 -15
1 -3 2

This has determinant 0, so the information contained in part 1 is useless and is essentially already provided to us.

2) From this, we get either b = 0 or c = 3. This tells us nothing about A.

So, the answer is E.
Have you wondered how you could have found such a treasure? -T
Join the discussion

by aj5105 » Mon Jun 29, 2009 10:38 pm
The equations can satisfied by (9,5,3) & (0,0,0). Not sure.

(E)
Join the discussion