Change in Ratio - Boarders:Day Scholars

This topic has expert replies
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2015 5:43 pm

Change in Ratio - Boarders:Day Scholars

by sitar » Tue Jan 26, 2016 9:07 pm
Forgive my stupidity. But I am not getting this correct at all.
My answer is is 120, and the answer choices don't have it.
I got this question in LBS practice test:

The ratio of boarders to day scholars at a school is 7 to 16. However, after a few new students join the initial 560 boarders, the ratio changed to 1 to 2, respectively. If no boarders became day scholars and vice versa, and no students left the school, how many boarders joined the school?
A)44
B)64
C)70
D)80 (Correct Answer as per practice test)
E)84

User avatar
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 10:24 am
Location: San Francisco,CA
Thanked: 2 times
GMAT Score:760

by Testtrainer » Tue Jan 26, 2016 10:16 pm
B/A = 7/16 = 560/(16 * 80)

New B/A = (560 + x)/(16 * 80) = 1/2

x = 80
I can't make you smarter, just a whole lot faster

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
Followed by:1906 members
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Wed Jan 27, 2016 3:10 am
The ratio of boarders to day scholars at a school is 7 to 16. However, after a few new students join the initial 560 boarders, the ratio changed to 1 to 2, respectively. If no boarders became day scholars and vice versa, and no students left the school, how many boarders joined the school?

A) 48

B) 64

C) 70

D) 80

E) 84
Let b = borders and d = day scholars.

Original ratio:
Here, b/d = 7/16.
Since the actual value of b is 560, and 7*80 = 560, the multiplier for the ratio is 80:
b/d = (80*7)/(80*16) = 560/1280.
Thus:
b=560, d=1280, total number of students = 560+1280 = 1840.

New ratio:
Here, b/d = 1/2.
Thus, of every 3 students, 1 is a boarder and 2 are day scholars, implying that the 1280 day scholars must be equal to 2/3 of the new total:
1280 = (2/3)x
x = 1920.
Thus, after the new boarders join the school, the new total number of students = 1920.

Thus:
New boarders = (new total) - (old total) = 1920 - 1840 = 80.

The correct answer is D.
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

Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2015 5:43 pm

by sitar » Wed Jan 27, 2016 4:01 am
Thanks very much.

I was doing so silly mistake -> 640-560 = 80 (and i was doing this simple subtraction and getting answer as 120). So silly of me.

GMAT Instructor
Posts: 2630
Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2012 3:32 pm
Location: East Bay all the way
Thanked: 625 times
Followed by:119 members
GMAT Score:780

by Matt@VeritasPrep » Fri Jan 29, 2016 4:58 pm
I'd think of it as

(7x + y)/(16x) = 1/2

and

7x = 560

Then you can solve it algebraically without too much fuss: the numbers are more manageable.