MGMAT CAT's - My Scores so Far...

Hey guarav,

I have a very similar approach to CR and SC questions in that I think of the ideal correct answer before I read the options. Here’s how I approached this question:

First I read the prompt, analyzing the structure:

Rural households have more purchasing power than do urban or suburban households at the same income level, Ok this is presented to me as a fact, I accept it and prepare to receive an explanation as to what about rural households is different when COMPARED to suburban and urban households that would account for this fact. I’m already brainstorming differences between the two, picturing in my head a farm vs a city apt
…since some of the income urban and suburban households use for food and shelter can be used by rural households for other needs. So there’s that explanation I was looking for, rural households spend less on food and shelter than suburban/urban. For all intensive purposes, I assume everything else about these three types of households is equal across the board

Now I read the question stem

Which of the following inferences is best supported by the statement made above?
Well I’m fairly certain it’s going to be a statement about the cost of food/shelter in rural homes, because otherwise everything else is constant. I’m thinking maybe rural homes have lower rent or grow their own food, something like that.

I will now quickly skim the options, looking for a match to my own idea of a correct answer:

(A) The average rural household includes more people than does the average urban or suburban household.
(B) Rural households have lower food and housing costs than do either urban or suburban households.
(C) Suburban households generally have more purchasing power than do either rural or urban households.
(D) The median income of urban and suburban households is generally higher than that of rural households.
(E) All three types of households spend more of their income on food and housing than on all other purchases combined.
B immediately jumps out at me, it’s the only one to do with food and housing costs, what I believe to be the focus of the question.
Now I read all the other options, picking apart what is “wrong” with them

(A) The average rural household includes more people than does the average urban or suburban household. we’re looking at households as a whole, and if anything this would be weakened by our statement because we’re already told they’re at the same income level, so same amount of money/more people would be lower purchasing power
(B) Rural households have lower food and housing costs than do either urban or suburban households.
(C) Suburban households generally have more purchasing power than do either rural or urban households. Well this is the exact opposite of our “fact” part, so no
(D) The median income of urban and suburban households is generally higher than that of rural households. this just seems out of scope to me, now we’re talking about medians, and our statement holds income level constant
(E) All three types of households spend more of their income on food and housing than on all other purchases combined. Cool, but irrelevant

So I like B, hopefully that’s the right answer :p