BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Software Tutorial - Difficult/Confusing Question

Expert replies
by apoorva.rattan » Fri Aug 16, 2013 1:44 pm
A recent tracking survey has shown that the vast majority of users of Haplosoft's new text-editing software ignored the recommended tutorial that comes with the software. Some representatives of Haplosoft's marketing team expressed concern that the company would need to develop more attention-grabbing tutorial materials, or else users would fail to know how best to use the software. However, their concerns were assuaged when a Haplosoft engineer pointed out that ___________________.

A. most users look to the software to accomplish a limited range of tasks because that is all they know how to do.
B. the software packaging contains an instruction manual, which has most of the same content as the tutorial.
C. the tutorial is based on a rewritten version of specifications given to the marketing team by Haplosoft's engineers.
D. the tutorial contains information standard to most text-editing software and with which most users are already familiar.
E. historically, very few users have contacted Haplosoft's technical support line with questions about how to use the text editor.

Source: Grockit
OA : D

Need to help to understand why D is the right answer and NOT B. Option B explains another reason or cause which might cause people to not refer to the online tutorial. Doesn't Option D come with an additional assumption that the software is same as other standard text-editing software. In fact, the statement and concern of the marketing team suggests that there is a value(or reason) to read the manual.
Join the discussion
Source: — Critical Reasoning |

by melguy » Fri Aug 16, 2013 9:47 pm
B. the software packaging contains an instruction manual, which has most of the same content as the tutorial.

Instruction manual is out of scope. We cant even assume if people ever open the instruction manual or any thing about the manual.

D. the tutorial contains information standard to most text-editing software and with which most users are already familiar.

If the contents are already standard information with which most users are already familiar, no matter how much attention-grabbing tutorial materials is made the users would not be able to make the best use of the software.
Join the discussion

by Nitin.811g » Sun Aug 25, 2013 6:48 am
A. most users look to the software to accomplish a limited range of tasks because that is all they know how to do. --> Does not relate to more attention grabbing tutorials
B. the software packaging contains an instruction manual, which has most of the same content as the tutorial. --> So what if the instruction manual is available, there could still be a need of a more grabbing tutorials
C. the tutorial is based on a rewritten version of specifications given to the marketing team by Haplosoft's engineers. --> Irrelevant
D. the tutorial contains information standard to most text-editing software and with which most users are already familiar. --> If users are already familiar with the contents of the manual, making the manual more attention grabbing is not going to help and hence this could be an answer.
E. historically, very few users have contacted Haplosoft's technical support line with questions about how to use the text editor. --> Does not relate to more attention grabbing tutorials

Based on above analysis, IMO OA is (D)
Join the discussion

by [email protected] » Mon Aug 26, 2013 1:47 pm
Hi apoorva.rattan,

This is an example of a "fill in the blank" inference question. This variation isn't very common on Test Day, although you could see one. The way to answer it is to figure out what would logically complete the paragraph, based on the information/clues that you're given.

The main idea in the prompt focuses on one thing: there's a concern that without tutorial materials, "users would fail to KNOW how best to use the software." The last sentence tells us that there's no reason to be concerned because an engineer pointed out ____________.

The blank has to contain an answer to explains WHY the users KNOW how to use the software.

Answer B gives us another way for the user to potentially learn how to use the software, but it doesn't address how the user might already KNOW.

Answer D gives us what we need, info about how/why a user would already KNOW how to use the program.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Contact Rich at [email protected]
Image
Join the discussion