A new security software authenticates a person by scanning the person

Was thinking the same. The conclusion draws us to other means of authentication, when fingerprints are flawed as a result of chemotherapy which led me to choose option A as my answer...Please can we get an official explanation for option B

Posted from my mobile device

I was also stuck between A and B initially.
But conclusion is that: A new security software doesn't use fingerprints. Thus, to establish that we need to be sure of disease stage. Thus B is correct. As this will ensure the credibility of instrument
Statement A discusses about what lab test are checking; not about the software. Even then-it is not something we want to evaluate.

I think the quote " recent laboratory tests have shown that the software recognized and authenticated people whose information in the system was stored before they recently started suffering from chemotherapy-induced acral erythema" plays prominent role . So the software authenticated people associated with disease too, where their fingerprints are lost. What if people in the tests are those patients who are diagnosed with the disease but are in intial stages where they don't loose their finger prints but starts loosing the skin on their feet. Then it means the test sample is wrong. Option B states that exact reasoning.

Even I choose A, but thought of this reasoning after seeing the answer.

thinkvision - Any help on this?

GMATNinja nightblade354 . (Open to feedback from other experts as well.)

is this reasoning correct for A to be incorrect?

A states whether the laboratory tests checked for correlation between other measures such as x, y and z (even if we know correlation between x y and z, it doesn't help to evaluate the argument) - lets say the tests do check for correlation. This does not strengthen the argument that contains this: the software doesnt read fingerprints for authentication; nor does this weaken the argument.

Knowing an answer to B looks like useful tool to eavluate the argument. Lets say if the suffered people were in fact in the initial stage (where peeling is mostly limited to the feet) then the argument is weakened. The software does use fingerprints, and the disease hasn't yet affected fingerprints of the hands. However, if the answer the the question is No, people suffered are not in the initial stage, i.e the peeling has spread over to hands as well, then the argument is strengthened, i.e. the software doesn't use fingerprints.

Looking forward to receiving feedback.

deeeuce, I don’t analyze “other” source questions because the vast majority are not gmat like. Don’t break yourself trying analyze a question that might not be high quality because it will get you into poor habits and force mistakes on the real exam.

Posted from my mobile device

My take:

Q. analysis:

A new security software authenticates a person by scanning the person’s hand and matching the information obtained from the same with the information stored in the system.
General information,It matches hand(real) = hand(system) :It could be using finger prints,length/structure,identification marks etc.


Premise: However, recent laboratory tests have shown that the software recognized and authenticated people whose information in the system was stored before they recently started suffering from chemotherapy-induced acral erythema, a syndrome that is associated with pain and peeling on the palms and soles of the feet, which even leads to a loss of fingerprints.
Now we are narrowing down to finger prints,software recognizes your hand even if your finger prints are gone.

Therefore, it is likely that the security system does not use the finger-prints of a person as a metric for authentication.
Conclusion: Finger prints are not used because it worked on people suffering from chemotherapy-induced acral erythema

Assumption: target people(in recent laboratory tests on SW) lost there finger prints

now we need to find a choice which talks about assumption

lets analyze the choices given:


A. Whether the laboratory tests checked for correlation between other possible information gained from hand scans such as the length, width and thickness of the hand, fingers and joints
Here,even if software is checking for correlation between other information it doesn't mean finger print is not used.

B. Whether the people suffering from the syndrome were at an initial stage of the disease when the peeling of the skin is mostly limited to the feet
If the information is true then it weakens the conclusion and if it is false then it supports the conclusion

C. Whether people currently suffering from chemotherapy-induced acral erythema are likely to be authenticated by other security software such as facial and voice recognition software
It doesn't help in evaluating because we are concern about finger prints ,not concerned about other security software

D. Whether the software can be hacked by replicating features such as temperature and curvature of the hand
Out of scope

E. Whether the software alternatively uses foot prints to authenticate people
neither Premise nor conclusion talks about food prints

A new security software authenticates a person by scanning the person’s hand and matching the information obtained from the same with the information stored in the system. However, recent laboratory tests have shown that the software recognized and authenticated people whose information in the system was stored before they recently started suffering from chemotherapy-induced acral erythema, a syndrome that is associated with pain and peeling on the palms and soles of the feet, which even leads to a loss of fingerprints. Therefore, it is likely that the security system does not use the finger-prints of a person as a metric for authentication.

Which of the following would be most helpful to evaluate the argument?

A. Whether the laboratory tests checked for correlation between other possible information gained from hand scans such as the length, width and thickness of the hand, fingers and joints

B. Whether the people suffering from the syndrome were at an initial stage of the disease when the peeling of the skin is mostly limited to the feet

C. Whether people currently suffering from chemotherapy-induced acral erythema are likely to be authenticated by other security software such as facial and voice recognition software

D. Whether the software can be hacked by replicating features such as temperature and curvature of the hand

E. Whether the software alternatively uses foot prints to authenticate people

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As highlighted in bold it is mentioned that recently started suffering therefore this is a hint of what is to come
What if the system scanned the hands when the effect wasnt there?
option B mentions exactly the same reasoning