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 →

Bulbul was paid for the pens?

Expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 3650
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2009 4:27 amFollowed by: 80 members
Location: India
Thanked: 267 times
GMAT Score:760
by sanju09 » Fri Jan 01, 2010 2:42 am
Bulbul bought 5 pens, 7 pencils and 4 erasers. Baiju bought 6 pens, 8 erasers and 14 pencils for an amount which was half more than what Bulbul had paid. What percent of the total amount paid by Bulbul was paid for the pens?

(A) 37.5
(B) 43
(C) 50
(D) 62.5
(E) Data Insufficient
The mind is everything. What you think you become. -Lord Buddha



Sanjeev K Saxena
Quantitative Instructor
The Princeton Review - Manya Abroad
Lucknow-226001

www.manyagroup.com
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Source: — Problem Solving |
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 1302
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 2:13 pmFollowed by: 164 members
Location: Toronto
Thanked: 539 times
GMAT Score:800

by Testluv » Fri Jan 01, 2010 3:49 am
sanju09 wrote:Bulbul bought 5 pens, 7 pencils and 4 erasers. Baiju bought 6 pens, 8 erasers and 14 pencils for an amount which was half more than what Bulbul had paid. What percent of the total amount paid by Bulbul was paid for the pens?

(A) 37.5
(B) 43
(C) 50
(D) 62.5
(E) Data Insufficient
Baiju has bought exactly twice the number of pencils and erasers that Bulbul has bought. Let the amount spent on pencils and erasers by Bulbul be x. Then, the amount spent by Baiju on pencils and erasers is 2x. Let the total amount that Bulbul paid be z. Then, the total amount that Baiju paid is 1.5z. Let price spent for each pen be y.

Then:

Bulbul: 5y + x = z

Baiju: 6y + 2x = 1.5z

and we need to solve for the fraction 5y/z (the fraction of total amount paid by Bulbul that was spent on pens). We can double Bulbul's equation, and then subtract Baiju's equation from that:

10y + 2x = 2z
6y + 2x = 1.5z
_____________

4y = z/2

y/z = 1/8; therefore, 5y/z = 5/8 or 62.5 percent.

Choose D.
Kaplan Teacher in Toronto
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2009 8:09 am
Thanked: 1 times

by Resurgent » Fri Jan 01, 2010 7:49 am
Testluv wrote:Baiju has bought exactly twice the number of pencils and erasers that Bulbul has bought. Let the amount spent on pencils and erasers by Bulbul be x. Then, the amount spent by Baiju on pencils and erasers is 2x. Let the total amount that Bulbul paid be z. Then, the total amount that Baiju paid is 1.5z. Let price spent for each pen be y.

Then:

Bulbul: 5y + x = z

Baiju: 6y + 2x = 1.5z

and we need to solve for the fraction 5y/z (the fraction of total amount paid by Bulbul that was spent on pens). We can double Bulbul's equation, and then subtract Baiju's equation from that:

10y + 2x = 2z
6y + 2x = 1.5z
_____________

4y = z/2

y/z = 1/8; therefore, 5y/z = 5/8 or 62.5 percent.

Choose D.
Haha...that was a lateral thinking solution. Good one.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 1302
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 2:13 pmFollowed by: 164 members
Location: Toronto
Thanked: 539 times
GMAT Score:800

by Testluv » Fri Jan 01, 2010 12:33 pm
Haha...that was a lateral thinking solution. Good one.
Thanks. I don't know where sanju gets them, but these are pretty fun questions.
Kaplan Teacher in Toronto
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 392
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2009 12:52 pm
Location: New Jersey
Thanked: 76 times

by truplayer256 » Fri Jan 01, 2010 2:16 pm
I think he makes these up on his own but here's how I did the problem.

PS= The price of each pen.

PE=The price of each pencil.

E=The price of each eraser.

5PS+7PE+4E=p

6PS+14PE+8E=3p/2

Notice that 14PE+8E=2(7PE+4E)

7PE+4E=p-5PS

6PS+2(p-5PS)=3p/2

-4PS=-p/2

p=8PS

5PS/8PS=5/8=0.625
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 1302
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 2:13 pmFollowed by: 164 members
Location: Toronto
Thanked: 539 times
GMAT Score:800

by Testluv » Fri Jan 01, 2010 2:24 pm
I think he makes these up on his own but here's how I did the problem.
I think you're right!
Kaplan Teacher in Toronto
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1