GMAT Math : Data Interpretation

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GMAT Math

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Example Questions

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Example Question #1 : Dsq: Understanding Diagrams

The above is the menu at Monorail Sandwich Shop.

Julie and Janice are each ordering four sandwiches from the above menu. Julie works at Monorail and is entitled to a 25% employee discount; Janice does not work at Monorail.

Who will pay more for her sandwiches, ignoring tax?

Statement 1: Janice is ordering four veggie sandwiches.

Statement 2: Julie is ordering four beef sandwiches.

Possible Answers:

BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question.

Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 1 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.

BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.

EITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.

Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 2 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.

Correct answer:

BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.

Explanation:

DO NOT calculate how much Janice and Julie will pay! It's extra work that will slow you down on test day. We don't actually need to determine which of the two women will pay more - we only need to decide if it is possible to figure out who will pay more. Obviously neither statement alone tells us enough. Together, however, the two statements tell us exactly what Janice and Julie ordered. Therefore, using both statements, we have enough information to answer the question.

 

Example Question #71 : Data Sufficiency Questions

Runoff

Four candidates - two boys named Patrick and Quincy, and two girls named Rhonda and Sally - ran for student body president. By the rules, the candidate who wins more than half the ballots cast wins the election outright; if no candidate wins more than half, there must be a runoff between the two top vote-getters. You may assume that no other names were written in.

As can be seen in the figure above, which reflects the share of the vote each candidate won, there will be a runoff. Which two candidates will face each other?

Statement 1: Candidates A and B are both girls.

Statement 2: Candidate B and C are Rhonda and Patrick, respectively.

Possible Answers:

STATEMENT 2 ALONE provides sufficient information to answer the question, but STATEMENT 1 ALONE does NOT provide sufficient information to answer the question.

BOTH STATEMENTS TOGETHER do NOT provide sufficient information to answer the question.

STATEMENT 1 ALONE provides sufficient information to answer the question, but STATEMENT 2 ALONE does NOT provide sufficient information to answer the question.

EITHER STATEMENT ALONE provides sufficient information to answer the question.

BOTH STATEMENTS TOGETHER provide sufficient information to answer the question, but NEITHER STATEMENT ALONE provides sufficient information to answer the question.

Correct answer:

STATEMENT 1 ALONE provides sufficient information to answer the question, but STATEMENT 2 ALONE does NOT provide sufficient information to answer the question.

Explanation:

Candidates A and B are the top two vote-getters, so we must establish which two candidates are A and B.

Statement 1 does just that by identifying them as Rhonda and Sally. It does not identify which one is which, but it is not necessary to know that.

Statement 2 identifies Rhonda as Candidate B, but only Patrick can be eliminated as Candidate A. 

Example Question #72 : Data Sufficiency Questions

Runoff

Four candidates - two boys named Mickey and Oswald, and two girls named Nora and Phyllis - ran for student body president. By the rules, the candidate who wins more than half the ballots cast wins the election outright; if no candidate wins more than half, there must be a runoff between the two top vote-getters. You may assume that no other names were written in.

As can be seen in the figure above, which reflects the share of the vote each candidate won, there will be a runoff. Which two candidates will face each other?

Statement 1: Nora is candidate B and Oswald is Candidate C.

Statement 2: Candidates A and C are boys.

Possible Answers:

BOTH STATEMENTS TOGETHER provide sufficient information to answer the question, but NEITHER STATEMENT ALONE provides sufficient information to answer the question.

STATEMENT 1 ALONE provides sufficient information to answer the question, but STATEMENT 2 ALONE does NOT provide sufficient information to answer the question.

STATEMENT 2 ALONE provides sufficient information to answer the question, but STATEMENT 1 ALONE does NOT provide sufficient information to answer the question.

BOTH STATEMENTS TOGETHER do NOT provide sufficient information to answer the question.

EITHER STATEMENT ALONE provides sufficient information to answer the question.

Correct answer:

BOTH STATEMENTS TOGETHER provide sufficient information to answer the question, but NEITHER STATEMENT ALONE provides sufficient information to answer the question.

Explanation:

Candidates A and B are the top two vote-getters, so we must establish which two candidates are A and B.

Statement 1 alone establishes that Nora is Candidate B, making her one of the top two vote-getters. Oswald is not one of the top two, since he is Candidate C, but neither Mickey nor Phyllis can be eliminated as Candidate A.

Statement 2 alone established that one boy is Candidate A, one of the top two vote-getters. Since the other boy is Candidate C, then the other one of the top two, Candidate B, is a girl. However, it does not establish the identity of any of them.

Now, assume both statements to be true. By Statement 2, the top two are a boy and a girl. Statement 1 establishes that the girl is Nora. Since Statement 1 also establishes that Oswald is not the boy, the boy is Mickey, and it follows that Mickey and Nora will face each other in the runoff.

Example Question #73 : Data Sufficiency Questions

Runoff

Four candidates - Anya, Barry, Carla, and David - ran for student body president. By the rules, the candidate who wins more than half the ballots cast wins the election outright; if no candidate wins more than half, there must be a runoff between the two top vote-getters. You may assume that no other names were written in.

As can be seen in the figure above, which reflects the share of the vote each candidate won, there will be a runoff. Which two candidates will face each other?

Statement 1: Neither Barry nor Carla is Candidate D.

Statement 2: Anya is candidate C.

Possible Answers:

BOTH STATEMENTS TOGETHER provide sufficient information to answer the question, but NEITHER STATEMENT ALONE provides sufficient information to answer the question.

BOTH STATEMENTS TOGETHER do NOT provide sufficient information to answer the question.

STATEMENT 2 ALONE provides sufficient information to answer the question, but STATEMENT 1 ALONE does NOT provide sufficient information to answer the question.

STATEMENT 1 ALONE provides sufficient information to answer the question, but STATEMENT 2 ALONE does NOT provide sufficient information to answer the question.

EITHER STATEMENT ALONE provides sufficient information to answer the question.

Correct answer:

BOTH STATEMENTS TOGETHER provide sufficient information to answer the question, but NEITHER STATEMENT ALONE provides sufficient information to answer the question.

Explanation:

Candidates A and B are the top two vote-getters, so we must establish which two candidates are A and B.

Neither statement alone is sufficient to answer the question. 

Assume Statement 1 alone. Barry and Carla could be Candidates A and B, respectively, in which case they would be the runoff candidates; also they could be Candidates B and C, respectively, in which case, Barry and one of the other two would be the runoff candidates. 

Statement 2 alone only knocks Anya out of the runoff election; it leaves the other three as possible candidates.

Assume both statements to be true. Anya is Candidate C. Candidate D, being neither Barry nor Carla, is David. Therefore, Candidates A and B are Barry and Carla; it is unclear which is which, but it is irrelevant; either way, they are the top two vote-getters, and they will participate in the runoff.

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