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
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
Start free 5-day trial
Read 559 reviewsTarget Test Prep

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

Is |x – 5| < 5?

Expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Legendary Member
Posts: 641
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2012 3:52 pmFollowed by: 8 members
Thanked: 11 times
by gmattesttaker2 » Thu May 15, 2014 8:29 am
Hello,

For the following:

Is |x - 5| < 5?

(1) x < -4
(2) x < 4

OA: A


I first tried to simplify:

|x - 5| < 5 ?

Is, |x - 5| < 5 ?
=> + or - (x - 5) < 5?
=> (x - 5) < 5 or -(x - 5) < 5 ?
=> (x - 5) < 5 or (x - 5) > -5 ?
=> x-5+5 < 5+5 or x-5+5 > -5+5?
=> x < 10 or x > 0 ?

My question here was does this mean that x could be less than 10 or x could be greater than 0? (For instance x could be 20 since it is greater than 0) or does it mean that x has to be between 0 and 10?

Thanks a lot,
Sri
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Source: — Data Sufficiency |
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1556
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 11:18 pmFollowed by: 34 members
Thanked: 448 times
GMAT Score:650

by theCodeToGMAT » Thu May 15, 2014 8:41 am
To find: |x - 5 | < 5

In other words : is x > 0 & x <= 5 & x => 5 & < 10

Statement 1:
x < -4 ..
SUFFICIENT

Statement 2:
x < 4
X can be 1,2,3 or -1-2-3...
INSUFFICIENT

[spoiler]{A}[/spoiler]
Last edited by theCodeToGMAT on Thu May 15, 2014 8:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
R A H U L
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 2095
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 3:22 pmFollowed by: 247 members
Thanked: 1443 times

by ceilidh.erickson » Thu May 15, 2014 8:47 am
My question here was does this mean that x could be less than 10 or x could be greater than 0? (For instance x could be 20 since it is greater than 0) or does it mean that x has to be between 0 and 10?
Your first interpretation is correct. When you have a closed range (greater than a smaller number, less than a larger number), it makes more sense to combine into a 3-part inequality:
0 < x < 10
In other words: is x between 0 and 10?

If you had the opposite (greater than a larger number, less than a smaller number), as in |x - 5| > 5, you would interpret this as:
x < 0 or x > 10
Since those are two non-overlapping ranges, we have to think in terms of "or."


Is |x - 5| < 5?
Rephrase: Is x between 0 and 10?

(1) x < -4
Sufficient. If x is less than -4, it's definitely not between 0 and 10, so we have a definitive "no" answer to the question.

(2) x < 4
Insufficient. Some values less than 4 are between 0 and 10; some are not.
Ceilidh Erickson
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
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 » Thu May 15, 2014 12:23 pm
gmattesttaker2 wrote:Hello,

For the following:

Is |x - 5| < 5?

(1) x < -4
(2) x < 4
|a-b| = the DISTANCE between a and b on the number line.

|x-5| = the distance between x and 5 on the number line.
Question stem, rephrased:
On the number line, is the distance between x and 5 less than 5?

Since 0 is 5 places to the left of 5, while 10 is 5 places to the right of 5, we need to determine whether x is within the following range in red:
0<----less than 5 places----5----less than 5 places---->10

Statement 1: x<-4
Since x is negative, it cannot be within the required range.
SUFFICIENT.

Statement 2: x<4
It's possible that x=3, which is within the required range.
It's possible that x=-1, which is NOT within the required range.
INSUFFICIENT.

The correct answer is A.
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

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
Elite Legendary Member
Posts: 10392
Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:38 pmFollowed by: 511 members
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Thanked: 2867 times
GMAT Score:800

by [email protected] » Thu May 15, 2014 7:00 pm
Hi Sri,

You could leave the question as is and TEST VALUES.

Is |X - 5| < 5? This is a YES/NO question.

Fact 1: X < -4

From Fact 1, we know that X is "more negative" than -4, so it could be -5, -6, -7, etc. X could also be a non-integer, such -4.01.

If X = -5, then |-5 - 5| = 10 < 5? The answer is NO.
If X = -6, then |-6 - 5| = 11 < 5? The answer is NO.
If X = -4.01, then |-4.01 - 5| = 9.01 < 5? The answer is NO.
Fact 1 is SUFFICIENT

Fact 2: X < 4

Notice how all of the values that "fit" Fact 1 also fit Fact 2?
If X = -5, the answer is NO.

If X = 3, then |3 - 5| = 2 < 5? The answer is YES.
Fact 2 INSUFFICIENT.

Final Answer: A

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Contact Rich at [email protected]
Image
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1