It is currently 17 Dec 2017, 04:14

### GMAT Club Daily Prep

#### Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

# Events & Promotions

###### Events & Promotions in June
Open Detailed Calendar

# A team has a record of 12 wins and 13 losses for the season.

Author Message
TAGS:

### Hide Tags

Senior Manager
Joined: 18 Aug 2009
Posts: 299

Kudos [?]: 374 [2], given: 9

A team has a record of 12 wins and 13 losses for the season. [#permalink]

### Show Tags

01 Nov 2009, 03:16
2
KUDOS
7
This post was
BOOKMARKED
00:00

Difficulty:

45% (medium)

Question Stats:

58% (00:43) correct 42% (01:06) wrong based on 383 sessions

### HideShow timer Statistics

A team has a record of 12 wins and 13 losses for the season. Three games remain. If the probability of winning each remaining game is 1/2, and there are no draws, what is the probability that the team will finish the season with a winning record ?

A. 1/8
B. 1/4
C. 3/8
D. 1/2
E. 5/8
[Reveal] Spoiler: OA

Attachments

clubPlaceholder.JPG [ 20.55 KiB | Viewed 6731 times ]

Last edited by Bunuel on 11 Dec 2013, 01:13, edited 1 time in total.
Renamed the topic, edited the question and added the OA.

Kudos [?]: 374 [2], given: 9

Manager
Joined: 22 Jul 2008
Posts: 95

Kudos [?]: 243 [0], given: 11

Location: Bangalore,Karnataka
Re: Probability of team's winning [#permalink]

### Show Tags

01 Nov 2009, 03:25
must be 1/8 since there are three games left and each game's win probability is 1/2 for three games its 1/8 (A)

Kudos [?]: 243 [0], given: 11

Senior Manager
Joined: 18 Aug 2009
Posts: 299

Kudos [?]: 374 [0], given: 9

Re: Probability of team's winning [#permalink]

### Show Tags

01 Nov 2009, 03:44
kirankp wrote:
must be 1/8 since there are three games left and each game's win probability is 1/2 for three games its 1/8 (A)

hmm.. the answer is correct, but the derivation is not
hint: think of the possible scenarios with the 3 games

Kudos [?]: 374 [0], given: 9

Manager
Joined: 29 Oct 2009
Posts: 209

Kudos [?]: 1673 [0], given: 18

GMAT 1: 750 Q50 V42
Re: Probability of team's winning [#permalink]

### Show Tags

01 Nov 2009, 04:02
the only way the team can end with a winning record is if they win all 3 games.

winning 2 games or less can in no way make wins>losses (which is necessary for condition of winning record).

therefore the probability of ending with a winning record = probability of winning all 3 games = (1/2)*(1/2)*(1/2) = 1/8

Ans: A (1/8)
_________________

Click below to check out some great tips and tricks to help you deal with problems on Remainders!
http://gmatclub.com/forum/compilation-of-tips-and-tricks-to-deal-with-remainders-86714.html#p651942

1) Translating the English to Math : http://gmatclub.com/forum/word-problems-made-easy-87346.html

Kudos [?]: 1673 [0], given: 18

Senior Manager
Joined: 18 Aug 2009
Posts: 299

Kudos [?]: 374 [0], given: 9

Re: Probability of team's winning [#permalink]

### Show Tags

02 Nov 2009, 23:19
anyone else wants to give it a try before the OA?

Kudos [?]: 374 [0], given: 9

Joined: 31 Dec 1969

Kudos [?]: [0], given:

Location: Russian Federation
GMAT 3: 740 Q40 V50
GMAT 4: 700 Q48 V38
GMAT 5: 710 Q45 V41
GMAT 6: 680 Q47 V36
GMAT 9: 740 Q49 V42
GMAT 11: 500 Q47 V33
GMAT 14: 760 Q49 V44
WE: Supply Chain Management (Energy and Utilities)
Re: Probability of team's winning [#permalink]

### Show Tags

03 Nov 2009, 06:37
IMO 1/8

As the team will win the series only by winnning three games(even if it wins 2 or 1 game it will lose)

What is the OA

Kudos [?]: [0], given:

Senior Manager
Joined: 18 Aug 2009
Posts: 299

Kudos [?]: 374 [1], given: 9

Re: Probability of team's winning [#permalink]

### Show Tags

07 Nov 2009, 07:53
1
KUDOS
Oops forgot to post the OA for this one: $$A$$

All of you got it right, and there are so many ways to reach a probability solution.. here is the official approach given:
Total possible outcomes: WWW, WWL, WLW, LWW, LWL, LLW, WLL, LLL. Total 8.
Favorable outcomes: WWW. Total 1.

Probablity=1/8

Kudos [?]: 374 [1], given: 9

Manager
Joined: 27 Oct 2009
Posts: 142

Kudos [?]: 114 [0], given: 18

Location: Montreal
Schools: Harvard, Yale, HEC
Re: Probability of team's winning [#permalink]

### Show Tags

07 Nov 2009, 09:05
just want to comment on gmattokyo solution: you forget to add the fact that we need 3 wins to get the wining seasons. lets say if they have 12 L and 12 W and 3 to go, all they need is 2 W and the prob is 1/4.

Kudos [?]: 114 [0], given: 18

Current Student
Joined: 06 Sep 2013
Posts: 1965

Kudos [?]: 759 [0], given: 355

Concentration: Finance
Re: Probability of team's winning [#permalink]

### Show Tags

10 Dec 2013, 09:16
sriharimurthy wrote:
the only way the team can end with a winning record is if they win all 3 games.

winning 2 games or less can in no way make wins>losses (which is necessary for condition of winning record).

therefore the probability of ending with a winning record = probability of winning all 3 games = (1/2)*(1/2)*(1/2) = 1/8

Ans: A (1/8)

I too agree with this approach. They obviously need to win the three games.

Cheers!
J

Kudos [?]: 759 [0], given: 355

Intern
Joined: 20 Nov 2013
Posts: 11

Kudos [?]: 7 [0], given: 0

Location: Italy
GPA: 3.6
Re: A team has a record of 12 wins and 13 losses for the season. [#permalink]

### Show Tags

11 Dec 2013, 03:55
The team will have a positive record only by winning all the three matches remained. So it's just 1/2^3 right?

Kudos [?]: 7 [0], given: 0

Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 42646

Kudos [?]: 135935 [0], given: 12716

Re: A team has a record of 12 wins and 13 losses for the season. [#permalink]

### Show Tags

11 Dec 2013, 03:57
Downunder87 wrote:
The team will have a positive record only by winning all the three matches remained. So it's just 1/2^3 right?

Yes, that is correct.
_________________

Kudos [?]: 135935 [0], given: 12716

Manager
Status: Work hard in silence, let success make the noise
Joined: 25 Nov 2013
Posts: 157

Kudos [?]: 85 [0], given: 84

Location: India
Concentration: Finance, General Management
GMAT 1: 540 Q50 V15
GMAT 2: 640 Q50 V27
GPA: 3.11
WE: Consulting (Computer Software)
Re: A team has a record of 12 wins and 13 losses for the season. [#permalink]

### Show Tags

11 Dec 2013, 04:43
All the 3 games need to be won in order to get a winning streak.
So, required probability = 1/2 * 1/2 * 1/2 = 1/8

So, the correct answer is A.
_________________

Sahil Chaudhary
If you find this post helpful, please take a moment to click on the "+1 KUDOS" icon.
My IELTS 7.5 Experience
From 540 to 640...Done with GMAT!!!
http://www.sahilchaudhary007.blogspot.com

Kudos [?]: 85 [0], given: 84

Intern
Joined: 23 Aug 2013
Posts: 45

Kudos [?]: 11 [0], given: 8

Re: A team has a record of 12 wins and 13 losses for the season. [#permalink]

### Show Tags

19 Feb 2014, 04:29
Well the question asks "winning record". If I'm not wrong, winning record would mean winning the last game. Now everyone here is speaking of winning more than 14 games out of a total of 28 or winning 3 consecutive games. However, the question stem never mentions that "winning record" means the team must fulfil either of the two conditions (Winning 3 games consecutively or winning >14 games). If a layman is to be asked, what a "finishing the season with a winning record" means, isn't the expected answer be "Winning the last game".
Can I be kindly guided by the experts regarding the ambiguity I'm facing (the ambiguity regardind the question).

Kudos [?]: 11 [0], given: 8

Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 42646

Kudos [?]: 135935 [1], given: 12716

Re: A team has a record of 12 wins and 13 losses for the season. [#permalink]

### Show Tags

19 Feb 2014, 08:51
1
KUDOS
Expert's post
sgangs wrote:
Well the question asks "winning record". If I'm not wrong, winning record would mean winning the last game. Now everyone here is speaking of winning more than 14 games out of a total of 28 or winning 3 consecutive games. However, the question stem never mentions that "winning record" means the team must fulfil either of the two conditions (Winning 3 games consecutively or winning >14 games). If a layman is to be asked, what a "finishing the season with a winning record" means, isn't the expected answer be "Winning the last game".
Can I be kindly guided by the experts regarding the ambiguity I'm facing (the ambiguity regardind the question).

The question implies that winning record is winning more games than loosing. Since the current score is 12:13, then the team must win all of its 3 remaining games in order to achieve that.

Hope it's clear.
_________________

Kudos [?]: 135935 [1], given: 12716

Intern
Joined: 23 Aug 2013
Posts: 45

Kudos [?]: 11 [0], given: 8

Re: A team has a record of 12 wins and 13 losses for the season. [#permalink]

### Show Tags

19 Feb 2014, 15:17
Bunuel wrote:
sgangs wrote:
Well the question asks "winning record". If I'm not wrong, winning record would mean winning the last game. Now everyone here is speaking of winning more than 14 games out of a total of 28 or winning 3 consecutive games. However, the question stem never mentions that "winning record" means the team must fulfil either of the two conditions (Winning 3 games consecutively or winning >14 games). If a layman is to be asked, what a "finishing the season with a winning record" means, isn't the expected answer be "Winning the last game".
Can I be kindly guided by the experts regarding the ambiguity I'm facing (the ambiguity regardind the question).

The question implies that winning record is winning more games than loosing. Since the current score is 12:13, then the team must win all of its 3 remaining games in order to achieve that.

Hope it's clear.

Bunuel,
I have I doubt. How do we get to know whether its winning the last game or winning more games than losing the last one. I thought the GMAT was trying to lure us to 1/8 but since it asked for winning record (which I understood as winning the last game), it would be independent of the other two. Hence, the ans would be 1/2.
I do know that I'm wrong (I'm not questioning the OA, but I simply couldn't get the answer)

Kudos [?]: 11 [0], given: 8

Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 42646

Kudos [?]: 135935 [0], given: 12716

Re: A team has a record of 12 wins and 13 losses for the season. [#permalink]

### Show Tags

19 Feb 2014, 23:38
sgangs wrote:
Bunuel wrote:
sgangs wrote:
Well the question asks "winning record". If I'm not wrong, winning record would mean winning the last game. Now everyone here is speaking of winning more than 14 games out of a total of 28 or winning 3 consecutive games. However, the question stem never mentions that "winning record" means the team must fulfil either of the two conditions (Winning 3 games consecutively or winning >14 games). If a layman is to be asked, what a "finishing the season with a winning record" means, isn't the expected answer be "Winning the last game".
Can I be kindly guided by the experts regarding the ambiguity I'm facing (the ambiguity regardind the question).

The question implies that winning record is winning more games than loosing. Since the current score is 12:13, then the team must win all of its 3 remaining games in order to achieve that.

Hope it's clear.

Bunuel,
I have I doubt. How do we get to know whether its winning the last game or winning more games than losing the last one. I thought the GMAT was trying to lure us to 1/8 but since it asked for winning record (which I understood as winning the last game), it would be independent of the other two. Hence, the ans would be 1/2.
I do know that I'm wrong (I'm not questioning the OA, but I simply couldn't get the answer)

Finishing the season with a winning record, at least for me, naturally means winning more games than loosing...
_________________

Kudos [?]: 135935 [0], given: 12716

Intern
Joined: 22 Feb 2014
Posts: 2

Kudos [?]: [0], given: 2

Re: A team has a record of 12 wins and 13 losses for the season. [#permalink]

### Show Tags

24 Mar 2014, 07:08
I actually overlooked the fact that if they win only two, the third will automatically be a loss, which will increase the total losses. Sigh. Guess I have a looooong way to go...

Kudos [?]: [0], given: 2

Manager
Joined: 28 May 2014
Posts: 60

Kudos [?]: 2 [0], given: 31

Schools: NTU '16
GMAT 1: 620 Q49 V27
Re: A team has a record of 12 wins and 13 losses for the season. [#permalink]

### Show Tags

02 Aug 2014, 03:56
Bunuel you are correct. Then shouldn't we be looking at keeping more wins than loses? Team as of now has 12 wins and 13 loses. So shouldn't we look for winning 2 games rather than all three so that we just maintain the winning streak. Thinking in these lines i opted for answer 3/8 that is LWW, WLW and WWL. Please let me know where i am going wrong. Thanks in advance.

Kudos [?]: 2 [0], given: 31

Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 42646

Kudos [?]: 135935 [1], given: 12716

Re: A team has a record of 12 wins and 13 losses for the season. [#permalink]

### Show Tags

02 Aug 2014, 09:09
1
KUDOS
Expert's post
sri30kanth wrote:
Bunuel you are correct. Then shouldn't we be looking at keeping more wins than loses? Team as of now has 12 wins and 13 loses. So shouldn't we look for winning 2 games rather than all three so that we just maintain the winning streak. Thinking in these lines i opted for answer 3/8 that is LWW, WLW and WWL. Please let me know where i am going wrong. Thanks in advance.

The team must finish the whole season with a winning record, if it wins 2 and losses 1, then it finishes the season with 14 wins and 14 losses, which is NOT a winning record. Only winning all 3 games guarantees a winning record.

Hope it's clear.
_________________

Kudos [?]: 135935 [1], given: 12716

Manager
Joined: 22 Feb 2009
Posts: 207

Kudos [?]: 184 [0], given: 148

Re: A team has a record of 12 wins and 13 losses for the season. [#permalink]

### Show Tags

02 Aug 2014, 23:05
gmattokyo wrote:
A team has a record of 12 wins and 13 losses for the season. Three games remain. If the probability of winning each remaining game is 1/2, and there are no draws, what is the probability that the team will finish the season with a winning record ?

A. 1/8
B. 1/4
C. 3/8
D. 1/2
E. 5/8

I got 1/8. Came up with the same solution as everyone else. Thanks for the question.
_________________

.........................................................................
+1 Kudos please, if you like my post

Kudos [?]: 184 [0], given: 148

Re: A team has a record of 12 wins and 13 losses for the season.   [#permalink] 02 Aug 2014, 23:05

Go to page    1   2    Next  [ 21 posts ]

Display posts from previous: Sort by