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

Redeem

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.

★★★★★5.0559 reviews
Vote for Target Test Prep, Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards 2026
NEWSWEEK READERS’ CHOICE 2026

BIG NEWS! Target Test Prep has been nominated, and they’d love your vote!

TTP has worked incredibly hard to build the best test prep experience possible, and winning Newsweek’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Award for Best Test Prep would mean a lot to them. If TTP has helped you, they’d be incredibly grateful for your vote. You can vote once each day through September 9.

Vote for TTP
GMATLiveTeach 7 seats left
Chris Peckover
NEXT LIVE COHORT

Oct 13 to Jan 7, 2027

with Chris Peckover

Schedule
Tue, Thu · 8:00 to 10:00 PM ET
Included
40 live hours + 6 months of GMAT OnDemand
  • Live instruction and real-time questions
  • Class recordings and assigned practice
View class & enroll
Limited cohort · enrollment openTarget Test Prep
EALiveTeach 5 seats left
Logan Thompson
EXECUTIVE ASSESSMENT

Sep 6 to Dec 6, 2026

with Logan Thompson

Schedule
Sun · 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM ET
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
Limited cohort · enrollment openTarget Test Prep
GMATOnDemand Start 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

Compare the format, schedule, and included access before enrolling. Prices and seat counts shown reflect the supplied offer details.

There are x people and y chairs in a room where x and y are

Expert replies
by BTGmoderatorDC » Mon Mar 25, 2019 4:31 am

Timer

00:00

Answers

A

B

C

D

E

Stats

Difficulty

There are x people and y chairs in a room where x and y are positive prime numbers. How many ways can the x people be seated in the y chairs (assuming that each chair can seat exactly one person)?

(1) x + y = 12

(2) There are more chairs than people.

OA A

Source: Manhattan Prep
Join the discussion
Source: — Data Sufficiency |

by Ian Stewart » Mon Mar 25, 2019 11:49 am
This question doesn't make any sense, at least if the OA is A. I can guess the logic they use to justify 'A' as the right answer -- using only Statement 1, there are only two primes that sum to 12, namely 5 and 7. If we want to seat 5 people in 7 chairs, there are 7*6/2! = 21 ways to choose the two empty chairs (we divide by 2! because the order of the 2 empty chairs doesn't matter), then 5! ways to arrange the people in our chosen chairs. Multiplying those two numbers gives the total. I'm sure they then claim that when we want to seat 7 people in 5 chairs, there are 7*6/2! ways to choose the two unused people, and again 5! ways to arrange them, so I imagine they claim the answer to either question is (7*6/2!)*5! = 2520.

But if you're asked "in how many ways can you seat 7 people in 5 chairs", the answer is "you can't -- you don't have enough chairs". The answer to that question is not 2520, unless you're misusing language. They mean to ask something more like "How many different seating arrangements could result when x people are seated in y chairs (if some of the people need not be seated at all)", but then the parenthetical comment would give away the 'trick' they're trying to use.
For online GMAT math tutoring, or to buy my higher-level Quant books and problem sets, contact me at ianstewartgmat at gmail.com

ianstewartgmat.com
Join the discussion