Critical Reasoning

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.


















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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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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