Percentage problem

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yvonne0923: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 96; Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2011 8:43 pmFollowed by: 1 member; Thanked: 1 times

by yvonne0923 » Sat May 07, 2011 12:23 pm

The proportion of minorities among families that own their own home has stayed virtually unchanged over the past 25 years. This can be partially demonstrated by the fact that in 1978, 44.8% of minority working families owned their own home, while in 2003, the home ownership rate of minority working families was 44.6%.

To evaluate the argument above, it would be most useful to compare 1978 and 2003 with regard to which of the following characteristics?

A. The percentage of minority working families who did not own their own home.
B. The number of minority working families who owned homes in 1978 and still owned homes in 2003
C. The percentage of minority working families whose property values increased.
D. The percentage of non-minority working families who owned their own home.
E. The percentage of non-minority working families who live in an apartment.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
I chose the right answer, but I have one more question about an extra choice. What if there's another choice, which gives us the total number of minority and non-minority families in 1978 and the total number of those in 2003, then this can be the right choice as well. Right?

[spoiler]O.A: D[/spoiler]

Thanks.

Source: Beat The GMAT — Critical Reasoning | Sat May 07, 2011 12:23 pm

Arcane66: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 81; Joined: Sat Aug 08, 2009 1:16 pm; Thanked: 2 times

by Arcane66 » Sat May 07, 2011 6:28 pm

Hey, I chose D as well as it was the only one that really stood out. I suppose your hypothetical would be correct, but I don't think the GMAT does this.

mundasingh123: Legendary Member; Posts: 2330; Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2010 5:14 amFollowed by: 26 members; Thanked: 56 times

by mundasingh123 » Sun May 08, 2011 9:52 am

yvonne0923 wrote:The proportion of minorities among families that own their own home has stayed virtually unchanged over the past 25 years. This can be partially demonstrated by the fact that in 1978, 44.8% of minority working families owned their own home, while in 2003, the home ownership rate of minority working families was 44.6%.

To evaluate the argument above, it would be most useful to compare 1978 and 2003 with regard to which of the following characteristics?

A. The percentage of minority working families who did not own their own home.
B. The number of minority working families who owned homes in 1978 and still owned homes in 2003
C. The percentage of minority working families whose property values increased.
D. The percentage of non-minority working families who owned their own home.
E. The percentage of non-minority working families who live in an apartment.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
I chose the right answer, but I have one more question about an extra choice. What if there's another choice, which gives us the total number of minority and non-minority families in 1978 and the total number of those in 2003, then this can be the right choice as well. Right?

[spoiler]O.A: D[/spoiler]

Thanks.

where did u et this question

I Seek Explanations Not Answers

yvonne0923: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 96; Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2011 8:43 pmFollowed by: 1 member; Thanked: 1 times

by yvonne0923 » Mon May 09, 2011 8:50 am

mundasingh123 wrote:
yvonne0923 wrote:The proportion of minorities among families that own their own home has stayed virtually unchanged over the past 25 years. This can be partially demonstrated by the fact that in 1978, 44.8% of minority working families owned their own home, while in 2003, the home ownership rate of minority working families was 44.6%.

To evaluate the argument above, it would be most useful to compare 1978 and 2003 with regard to which of the following characteristics?

A. The percentage of minority working families who did not own their own home.
B. The number of minority working families who owned homes in 1978 and still owned homes in 2003
C. The percentage of minority working families whose property values increased.
D. The percentage of non-minority working families who owned their own home.
E. The percentage of non-minority working families who live in an apartment.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
I chose the right answer, but I have one more question about an extra choice. What if there's another choice, which gives us the total number of minority and non-minority families in 1978 and the total number of those in 2003, then this can be the right choice as well. Right?

[spoiler]O.A: D[/spoiler]

Thanks.
where did u et this question

Veritas

yvonne0923: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 96; Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2011 8:43 pmFollowed by: 1 member; Thanked: 1 times

by yvonne0923 » Mon May 09, 2011 8:52 am

Arcane66 wrote:Hey, I chose D as well as it was the only one that really stood out. I suppose your hypothetical would be correct, but I don't think the GMAT does this.

Thanks, so when we encounter such problems, we can also treat them as math problems.

mundasingh123: Legendary Member; Posts: 2330; Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2010 5:14 amFollowed by: 26 members; Thanked: 56 times

by mundasingh123 » Mon May 09, 2011 9:32 am

yvonne0923 wrote:
Arcane66 wrote:Hey, I chose D as well as it was the only one that really stood out. I suppose your hypothetical would be correct, but I don't think the GMAT does this.
Thanks, so when we encounter such problems, we can also treat them as math problems.

You could solve this problem by Basic common sense . Phew what explanation Veritas give for this . I am skeptical ABOUT any mathematical approach to this CR

I Seek Explanations Not Answers

shayam: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 21; Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2011 12:31 pmFollowed by: 1 member; Thanked: 3 times

by shayam » Wed May 11, 2011 5:32 pm

D looks clear among all and I would bet on that.. though ,the percents given in problem refers to minority working group and the Question is on "minority families" and not on minority working families.

For your other part -If total number of minority and non-minority families in 1978 and the total number of those in 2003 is given.....

I think using above stmt,and given facts ,we still land into ambiguities. D option still looks more useful and clear.

ankurmit: Legendary Member; Posts: 516; Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2009 6:42 amFollowed by: 1 member; Location: Mumbai; Thanked: 14 times; GMAT Score:710

by ankurmit » Wed May 11, 2011 10:53 pm

I could not understand this quistion.Can anyone explain why D is ans.

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