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 →

Percentages - Query

Expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 83
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 11:22 amFollowed by: 1 member
Thanked: 1 times
by MI3 » Sun May 22, 2011 2:30 am
Q. Henry purchased 3 items during a sale. He received a 20 percent discount off the regular price of the most expensive item of a 10 percent discount off the regular price of each of the other 2 items. Was the total discount of these three items greater than 15 percent of the sum of the regular prices of the 3 items?
(1) The regular price of the most expensive item was $50, and the regular price of the next most expensive item was $20
(2) The regular price of the least expensive item was $15

IMO answer should be A, am i correct?

Thanks,
M
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Source: — Data Sufficiency |
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 » Sun May 22, 2011 4:08 am
MI3 wrote:Q. Henry purchased 3 items during a sale. He received a 20 percent discount off the regular price of the most expensive item of a 10 percent discount off the regular price of each of the other 2 items. Was the total discount of these three items greater than 15 percent of the sum of the regular prices of the 3 items?
(1) The regular price of the most expensive item was $50, and the regular price of the next most expensive item was $20
(2) The regular price of the least expensive item was $15

IMO answer should be A, am i correct?

Thanks,
M
This is a weighted average question. Very little math is needed.
If we replace discount with solution, here is the same question:

A 20% solution is combined with a 10% solution. Is the percentage in the resulting mixture greater than 15%?

If we use equal amounts of the 20% solution and the 10% solution, the resulting solution will be exactly 15%.
Thus, to yield a solution that is more than 15%, we must use more of the 20% solution and less of the 10% solution.

Applying the same logic to the DS question above, in order for the total discount to be greater than 15%, the price of the most expensive item (the "20% solution") must be greater than the sum of the prices of the other 2 items (the "10% solution").

Rephrased, the question is asking:

Was the price of the most expensive item greater than the sum of the prices of the other 2 items?

Statement 1: The regular price of the most expensive item was $50, and the regular price of the next most expensive
item was $20.
The combined prices of the other 2 items cannot be greater than 20+20 = 40.
Thus, the $50 price of the most expensive item is greater than the sum of the prices of the other 2 items.
Sufficient.

Statement 2: The regular price of the least expensive item was $15.
No way to determine whether the price of the most expensive item is greater than the sum of the prices of the other 2 items.
Insufficient.

The correct answer is A.
Last edited by GMATGuruNY on Sun May 22, 2011 6:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
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
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 26
Joined: Sat May 08, 2010 7:29 am

by badresh70 » Sun May 22, 2011 5:30 am
Hi Mitch,

Can you please explain it in some different manner or may be with another example.
I did not understood from the current example.

Thanks,
Badresh
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 » Sun May 22, 2011 6:16 am
badresh70 wrote:Hi Mitch,

Can you please explain it in some different manner or may be with another example.
I did not understood from the current example.

Thanks,
Badresh
To illustrate why statement 1 is sufficient:
The most expensive item = 50.
20% discount = .2*50 = 10.

The maximum sum of the prices of the 2 other items = 20+20 = 40.
10% discount = .1*40 = 4.
20% discount + 10% discount = 10+4 = 14.
Total of the regular prices = 50+20+20 = 90.
A 15% discount would be = .15*90 = 13.5.
Since 14>13.5, the total discount is greater than 15%.

The prices of the other 2 items can only be decreased, since the next most expensive item can't be more than $20.

Let the sum of the prices of the 2 other items = 20+10 = 30.
10% discount = .1*30 = 3.
20% discount + 10% discount = 10+3 = 13.
Total of the regular prices = 50+20+10 = 80.
A 15% discount would be = .15*80 = 12.
Since 13>12, the total discount is greater than 15%.

Notice that as the sum of the prices of the other 2 items decreases, the difference between the total discount and the 15% discount increases.

Thus, the total discount will always be greater than 15%.
Last edited by GMATGuruNY on Mon May 23, 2011 11:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
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
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 83
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 11:22 amFollowed by: 1 member
Thanked: 1 times

by MI3 » Mon May 23, 2011 11:15 am
Thank you for both the explanations, very useful.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1