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

This problem is insane!!

Expert replies
by Tame the CAT » Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:35 pm
Not sure how to attack this problem

Eighty percent of the lights at Hotel California are on at 8 p.m. a certain evening. However, forty percent of the lights that are supposed to be off are actually on and ten percent of the lights that are supposed to be on are actually off. What percent of the lights that are on are supposed to be off?

A 22(2/9)%

B 16(2/3)%

C 11(1/9)%

D 10%

E 5%
Join the discussion
Source: — Problem Solving |

Re: This problem is insane!!

by Neo2000 » Thu Apr 26, 2007 6:56 pm
Tame the CAT wrote:Not sure how to attack this problem
Eighty percent of the lights at Hotel California are on at 8 p.m. a certain evening. However, forty percent of the lights that are supposed to be off are actually on and ten percent of the lights that are supposed to be on are actually off. What percent of the lights that are on are supposed to be off?

A 22(2/9)%

B 16(2/3)%

C 11(1/9)%

D 10%

E 5%
Let there be 100 bulbs
80% implies 80 are On and therefore 20 are Off
40% that are supposed to be off are on implies 40% of 20 = 8
ten percent of the lights that are supposed to be on are actually off =10% of 80 = 8

Number of lights that are on but supposed to be Off = 8
Number of lights that are on = 80
Required Percentage = 8/80 = 10%
Join the discussion

by Cybermusings » Sat Apr 28, 2007 2:27 am
Hi Neo...I do not agree with the solution for one basic reason....lights which are "off" (20 in your solution) does not represent the total number of lights supposed to be off...How can we use it interchangebly?
Join the discussion

by mschling52 » Sat Apr 28, 2007 5:23 am
I used a table type set-up to try to solve this problem. For each light, there are four possible situations:

(1) Supposed to be on, Is on
(2) Supposed to be on, Is off
(3) Supposed to be off, Is on
(4) Supposed to be off, Is off

If we assume 100 lights, we know the actual on and actual off are 80 and 20. Then if we let X be the number supposed to be on and Y be the number supposed to be off, we can fill in a grid like this...

______________Supposed____________
__________ON__________OFF_______
A
c___ON____0.9X_________0.4Y________80
t
u___OFF___0.1X_________0.6Y________20
a
l__________X_____________Y________100

Now, we can get 2 equations, such as

X + Y = 100
0.1X + 0.6Y = 20,

which we can solve for Y=20, X=80. Then the grid can be filled in as

______________Supposed____________
__________ON__________OFF_______
A
c___ON____72____________8________80
t
u___OFF____8____________12________20
a
l__________80____________20________100

Then, we are interested in the percent of lights that are actually on (80) that are supposed to be off ( 8 ). So 10%.
Join the discussion

by f2001290 » Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:07 am
Beautiful approach to this problem. I like this tabular format.
Join the discussion

by goutamn » Mon Apr 30, 2007 8:02 am
Let the % of lights that are supposed to be on = x
Then the lights that are supposed to be off = 100-x
Also it says that 40% of lights that are supposed to be
off are on , i.e 40*(100-x)
& 10% of those supposed to be on are off , ie , 90% of them are on
ie, 90x. Totally 80% are on.
That is , 40*(100-x) + 90x = 80

Solving for x , you get x = 80%
ie 80 % are supposed to be on & 20 % are to be off.
Next it says "forty percent of the lights that are supposed to be off are actually on" or 40% of 20% = 8% of total lights.
Question is " What percent of the lights that are on are supposed to be off?", which is equal to 8 % / 80 % = 10%
Option D is the correct answer.
Join the discussion