Live GMAT classes with Target Test Prep start Nov 21 and Nov 22. First class free.

See classes
Target Test Prep · GMAT

Choose how you want to prepare

Learn live with an expert or move at your own pace. Every option includes the complete TTP study system.

Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards 2026 winner: Target Test Prep, #1 Test Prep

Target Test Prep was voted #1 Best Test Prep in the 2026 Newsweek Readers’ Choice™ Awards.

★★★★★5.0563 reviews
GMATLiveTeachStarts Nov 22
Josh Braslow, Target Test Prep GMAT expert
LIVE ONLINE CLASSES

Get Ready for GMAT Test Day Faster with Live Online Classes

with Josh Braslow, 20+ years in test prep

Nov 22 · Josh Braslow
Sun · 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM ET
Included
40 hours of live online classes + 6 months of TTP OnDemand
  • Attend the first class for free
  • Every class is recorded, so you never fall behind
View classes & enroll
Limited seats availableTarget Test Prep
EALiveTeachOnDemandStart anytime
EXECUTIVE ASSESSMENT

Target Test Prep EA OnDemand

Self-paced EA prep. Study on your schedule.

EXECUTIVE ASSESSMENT

with

165+ EA score guarantee
$05-day trial no automatic billing
Schedule
Included
40 hours of live online classes plus six months of access to the complete TTP EA OnDemand course.
  • 165+ EA Score Guarantee
  • 4,100+ Quant, Verbal, and Integrated Reasoning practice questions
  • 400+ hours of in-depth video lessons
  • 3,000+ step-by-step video solutions
View EA class & enroll Start free 5-day trial
Limited cohort · enrollment openTrial includes full course accessTarget Test Prep
GMATOnDemandStart anytime
SELF-PACED MASTERCLASS

Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand

Complete access from day one. Study on your schedule.

715+ score guarantee
$0to start then $127/mo
  • Personalized study plan and analytics
  • Thousands of lessons and practice questions

The mean of set S does not exceed mean of any subset of...

Expert replies
by BTGmoderatorLU » Mon Mar 12, 2018 2:27 pm
The mean of set S does not exceed mean of any subset of set S. Which of the following must be true about set S?

I. Set S contains only one element.
II. All elements in set S are equal.
III. The median of set S equals the mean of set S.

A. None of the three qualities is necessary
B. II only
C. III only
D. II and III only
E. I, II, and III

The OA is D.

I'm really confused by this PS question. Experts, any suggestion about how can I solve it? Thanks in advance.
Join the discussion
Source: — Problem Solving |

by ErikaPrepScholar » Tue Mar 13, 2018 5:32 am
We'll think about this question logically.

If our set is, for example, 2 4 6 8, the mean of the set is 5. If we take subset 2 8 or 4 6, the mean will still be 5. However, if we take subset 2 4 6, the mean will be 4. If we take subset 4 6 8, the mean will be 6. We should note that if our subset only eliminates numbers above the mean, we will get a subset mean that is less than the original mean; if our subset only eliminates numbers below the mean, we will get a subset mean that is greater than the original mean.

We want to find a set where the mean of every possible subset is the same as the mean of the set. If the numbers in our set are different, we will always be able to pick a subset that eliminates more of the higher numbers or more of the lower numbers, yielding a smaller or larger mean. However, if all of the numbers in our set are the same, we can eliminate as many of them as we'd like, and our mean will be the same. For example, in set 4 4 4 4 4, our mean is 4. If we take subset 4 4 4, our mean is still 4.

Knowing that, we'll look at our options.

I. If the original set contains only one element, all subsets will be the same as the original set, which will result in the same mean. However, we established that this doesn't *need* to be true — we can have multiple elements, as long as they have the same value. We can eliminate answer choice E.

II. This is exactly what we stated must be true. We can eliminate A and C.

III. If all numbers in a set or subset are the same, the median will have the same value as the numbers. For instance, in our hypothetical 4 4 4 4 4 set AND our 4 4 4 subset, the median is 4. So since all of the numbers in the set and all of its possible subsets must be the same, the median must also be the same. This must be true, so the correct answer is II and III, or D.
Image

Erika John - Content Manager/Lead Instructor
https://gmat.prepscholar.com/gmat/s/

Get tutoring from me or another PrepScholar GMAT expert: https://gmat.prepscholar.com/gmat/s/tutoring/

Learn about our exclusive savings for BTG members (up to 25% off) and our 5 day free trial

Check out our PrepScholar GMAT YouTube channel, and read our expert guides on the PrepScholar GMAT blog
Join the discussion

by Scott@TargetTestPrep » Wed Mar 14, 2018 3:31 pm
LUANDATO wrote:The mean of set S does not exceed mean of any subset of set S. Which of the following must be true about set S?

I. Set S contains only one element.
II. All elements in set S are equal.
III. The median of set S equals the mean of set S.

A. None of the three qualities is necessary
B. II only
C. III only
D. II and III only
E. I, II, and III
If the mean of set S does not exceed the mean of any subset of set S, then all the elements in S must be equal. That is because if there is an element that is not equal to the others, then the mean of S will exceed the mean of at least one subset of S. For example, if S = {1, 4, 4}, we see that the mean of S is 3, and the mean of a subset of S, say {1, 4}, is only 2.5.

Thus, we see that Roman numeral II is true. Furthermore, if all the elements in S are equal, then the median of S equals the mean of S, so Roman numeral III is true also.

Answer: D

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder and CEO
[email protected]

Image

See why Target Test Prep is rated 5 out of 5 stars on BEAT the GMAT. Read our reviews

ImageImage
Join the discussion