12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 5: In a city's public

Question

12 Days of Christmas 🎅 GMAT Competition with Lots of Questions & Fun

In a city's public library system, librarians noticed that the number of visitors attending educational workshops significantly increased when the event descriptions highlighted practical skills and career advancement opportunities, rather than just the enjoyment of learning. Education specialists hypothesize that emphasizing practical outcomes makes participants more motivated to attend because it aligns with their goals of personal development and professional growth.

Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the education specialists’ interpretation of this increase in attendance?

(A) Many of the individuals who attended the workshops were seeking to acquire new skills for job advancement or career changes.

(B) Attendees often reported that they found the workshops enjoyable and intellectually stimulating, regardless of the focus on practical skills.

(C) Most of the library visitors who attended the workshops had previously shown interest in personal development seminars and career counseling.

(D) Libraries that offered a diverse range of workshops, including those focused on personal hobbies and interests, saw an overall increase in visitor numbers.

(E) The frequency of workshop attendance increased when librarians actively promoted events as opportunities for professional development and networking.

Bunuel · Accepted Answer

GMAT Club's Official Explanation:

E. The frequency of workshop attendance increased when librarians actively promoted events as opportunities for professional development and networking.
 - This choice directly supports the education specialists' hypothesis. It indicates that highlighting the workshops as opportunities for professional development and networking, which are practical outcomes, effectively increased attendance. This aligns with the idea that focusing on practical skills and career advancement resonates with the goals of the participants, thereby motivating them to attend.

The other options, while relevant, do not as directly support the hypothesis:

A. Many of the individuals who attended the workshops were seeking to acquire new skills for job advancement or career changes.
 - While this suggests that the attendees were interested in practical outcomes, it doesn't directly link the increase in attendance to the way the workshops were promoted (focusing on practical skills and career advancement).

B. Attendees often reported that they found the workshops enjoyable and intellectually stimulating, regardless of the focus on practical skills.
 - This indicates general satisfaction with the workshops but doesn't address the specific factor that increased attendance.

C. Most of the library visitors who attended the workshops had previously shown interest in personal development seminars and career counseling.
 - This suggests a pre-existing interest in personal development but doesn't specifically support the hypothesis about the effectiveness of emphasizing practical outcomes in the event descriptions.

D. Libraries that offered a diverse range of workshops, including those focused on personal hobbies and interests, saw an overall increase in visitor numbers.
 - This is about the diversity of workshops and the overall increase in visitors, but it doesn’t specifically support the hypothesis regarding the emphasis on practical skills and career advancement.

Therefore, (E) is the best answer as it most directly provides evidence for the hypothesis that emphasizing practical outcomes in the event descriptions led to increased workshop attendance.

vishal_gupta · Answer

In a city's public library system, librarians noticed that the number of visitors attending educational workshops significantly increased when the event descriptions highlighted practical skills and career advancement opportunities, rather than just the enjoyment of learning. Education specialists hypothesize that emphasizing practical outcomes makes participants more motivated to attend because it aligns with their goals of personal development and professional growth.

Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the education specialists’ interpretation of this increase in attendance?

(A) Many of the individuals who attended the workshops were seeking to acquire new skills for job advancement or career changes. (This also slightly strengthen but E is better.)

(B) Attendees often reported that they found the workshops enjoyable and intellectually stimulating, regardless of the focus on practical skills. (Opposite of conclusion)

(C) Most of the library visitors who attended the workshops had previously shown interest in personal development seminars and career counseling. (Most have done in the past doesn't mean they'll continue that in future.)

(D) Libraries that offered a diverse range of workshops, including those focused on personal hobbies and interests, saw an overall increase in visitor numbers. (Personal hobbies and interests may not be considered to result practical outcomes.) 
 
(E) The frequency of workshop attendance increased when librarians actively promoted events as opportunities for professional development and networking. (This strengthen the conclusion that people are aligned with their goals and personal development.)

missionmba2025 · Answer

Conclusion:  emphasizing   practical outcomes makes participants more motivated to attend because it aligns with their goals of personal development and professional growth.

We need to ensure that the correct option revolves around emphasizing practical outcomes as we have to strengthen the argument.

(A) Many of the individuals who attended the workshops were seeking to acquire new skills for job advancement or career changes.

This doesn't talk about the necessity of emphasis. This option is in fact a mild weakener as the option makes us believe that the individuals would have attended the workshop anyways as they were seeking new skills. The emphasis on practical outcome didn't really play a role here.

(B) Attendees often reported that they found the workshops enjoyable and intellectually stimulating, regardless of the focus on practical skills.

Out of scope. Doesn't help strengthen the argument. We can eliminate this option.

(C) Most of the library visitors who attended the workshops had previously shown interest in personal development seminars and career counseling.

Similar to option A. This option talks about that the people were generally interested. Hence the option doesn't give a strong reason to believe that emphasis placed a huge role. We can eliminate this option.

(D) Libraries that offered a diverse range of workshops, including those focused on personal hobbies and interests, saw an overall increase in visitor numbers.

We don't know if the overall increase was due to other workshops or because of people's interest in personal hobbies and interests. Hence, we can eliminate this option.

(E) The frequency of workshop attendance increased when librarians  actively promoted  events as opportunities for professional development and networking.

The word 'actively promoted' is the key here. This option gives us a reason to believe that when events such as opportunities for professional development and networking are actively promoted (i.e. when emphasized) the attendance increases. Hence, this strengthens the belief.

IMO E

12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 5: In a city's public

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12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 5: In a city's public

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