Data Sufficiency

[GMAT math practice question]

What is the range of the 5 numbers x, y, 10, 15, and 20?

1) x and y lie between 10 and 20, inclusive.
2) The average (arithmetic mean) of the five numbers is 15

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Forget conventional ways of solving math questions. For DS problems, the VA (Variable Approach) method is the quickest and easiest way to find the answer without actually solving the problem. Remember that equal numbers of variables and independent equations ensure a solution.

Since we have 2 variables (x and y) and 0 equations, C is most likely to be the answer. So, we should consider conditions 1) & 2) together first. After comparing the number of variables and the number of equations, we can save time by considering conditions 1) & 2) together first.

Conditions 1) & 2):
Since we have 10 ≤ x ≤ 20 and 10 ≤ y ≤ 20 by condition 1), the maximum of the numbers is 20 and the minimum of the numbers is 10.
The range is the difference between the maximum and the minimum, which is 20 - 10 = 10.
Both conditions together are sufficient.

Since this question is a statistics question (one of the key question areas), CMT (Common Mistake Type) 4 (A) of the VA (Variable Approach) method tells us that we should also check answers A and B.

Condition 1)
Since 10 ≤ x ≤ 20 and 10 ≤ y ≤ 20 by condition 1), the maximum of the numbers is 20 and the minimum of the numbers is 10.
The range is the difference between the maximum and the minimum, which is 20 - 10 = 10.
Thus, condition 1) is sufficient.

Condition 2)
If x = 10 and y = 20, the range is 10.
If x = 9 and y = 21, the range is 12.
Since we don't have a unique solution, condition 2) is not sufficient.

Therefore, A is the answer.
Answer: A

Normally, in problems which require 2 equations, such as those in which the original conditions include 2 variables, or 3 variables and 1 equation, or 4 variables and 2 equations, each of conditions 1) and 2) provide an additional equation. In these problems, the two key possibilities are that C is the answer (with probability 70%), and E is the answer (with probability 25%). Thus, there is only a 5% chance that A, B or D is the answer. This occurs in common mistake types 3 and 4. Since C (both conditions together are sufficient) is the most likely answer, we save time by first checking whether conditions 1) and 2) are sufficient, when taken together. Obviously, there may be cases in which the answer is A, B, D or E, but if conditions 1) and 2) are NOT sufficient when taken together, the answer must be E.