Last visit was: 08 Jun 2026, 09:52 It is currently 08 Jun 2026, 09:52
Home
Messages
MBA Fair
Tests
Schools
Events
Close
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
Your Progress

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
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
Back to Forum
Create Topic
555-605 (Medium)|   Algebra|      
User avatar
kevincan
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Joined: 04 Jul 2006
Last visit: 08 Jun 2026
Posts: 1,888
Own Kudos:
2,870
 [4]
Given Kudos: 238
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Posts: 1,888
Kudos: 2,870
 [4]
At Frutery, 3 bushels of peaches and 4 bushels of pears cost 30 Mar 2026, 04:58
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
2
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
00:00
Start Timer
Pause Timer
Resume Timer
Show Answer
Hide
Show
History
B
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!

Difficulty:

35% (medium)

Question Stats:

81% (03:05) correct 19% (03:15) wrong based on 83 sessions

History

Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
At Frutery, 3 bushels of peaches and 4 bushels of pears cost $26.50, and 5 bushels of peaches and 3 bushels of pears cost $35. What is the cost at Frutery of 1 bushel of peaches and 1 bushel of pears?

A. $7
B. $8
C. $9
D. $10
E. $11
ShowHide Answer
Official Answer
B
User avatar
obedear
User avatar
Joined: 05 Sep 2024
Last visit: 08 Jun 2026
Posts: 63
Own Kudos:
41
 [1]
Given Kudos: 12
Products:
Forum Quiz
Posts: 63
Kudos: 41
 [1]
At Frutery, 3 bushels of peaches and 4 bushels of pears cost 01 Apr 2026, 07:53
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I couldn't see the way to solve directly for what the question is asking for by multiplying each equation so I used a trick.
3x + 4y = 26.5
5x + 3y = 35

Add the two equations to get:
8x + 7y = 61.5

Divide by 7 to get:

8x/7 + y = 61.5/7

61.5/7 = 8 with some remainder. Since answers are all whole integers, it makes sense to choose answer 8 given that 8 with some remainder is comprised of 8/7 the cost of the peaches.
User avatar
kevincan
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Joined: 04 Jul 2006
Last visit: 08 Jun 2026
Posts: 1,888
Own Kudos:
2,870
 [1]
Given Kudos: 238
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Posts: 1,888
Kudos: 2,870
 [1]
At Frutery, 3 bushels of peaches and 4 bushels of pears cost 01 Apr 2026, 08:22
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
It makes a lot of sense to reflect on whether we can add or subtract linear equations to get what we want without having to solve for each variable. If we compare the difference of the coefficients in the two equations, it’s easier for us to spot what you were looking for: multiply the first equation by 2
User avatar
adipisfugat
User avatar
Joined: 31 Dec 2025
Last visit: 07 Jun 2026
Posts: 13
Own Kudos:
2
Given Kudos: 25
Location: India
Schools: Booth '27 CBS '27 HBS '27 Sloan '27 Wharton '27 Yale '27 Stanford '27
GPA: 7.96
Schools: Booth '27 CBS '27 HBS '27 Sloan '27 Wharton '27 Yale '27 Stanford '27
Posts: 13
Kudos: 2
At Frutery, 3 bushels of peaches and 4 bushels of pears cost 06 Jun 2026, 02:13
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Here is the simple and easy way to solve this problem, written in plain text so you can easily copy and paste it:

Let x = the cost of 1 bushel of peaches
Let y = the cost of 1 bushel of pears

Step 1: Write down the two clues from the problem
Clue 1: 3 bushels of peaches + 4 bushels of pears = $26.50
Equation 1: 3x + 4y = 26.50

Clue 2: 5 bushels of peaches + 3 bushels of pears = $35.00
Equation 2: 5x + 3y = 35.00

Step 2: Add the two equations together
If we add everything up, we get:
(3x + 5x) + (4y + 3y) = 26.50 + 35.00
8x + 7y = 61.50

Since 8x and 7y don't have matching numbers, let's try subtracting the smaller equation from the larger one to see if it helps us find a shortcut.

Step 3: Subtract Equation 1 from Equation 2
(5x - 3x) + (3y - 4y) = 35.00 - 26.50
2x - y = 8.50

Rearranging this gives us a simple value for y:
y = 2x - 8.50

Step 4: Substitute y into Equation 2 to find the cost of peaches (x)
5x + 3(2x - 8.50) = 35.00
5x + 6x - 25.50 = 35.00
11x - 25.50 = 35.00

Add 25.50 to both sides:
11x = 60.50

Divide by 11:
x = 5.50
So, 1 bushel of peaches costs $5.50.

Step 5: Find the cost of pears (y)
Plug x = 5.50 back into our simple equation for y:
y = 2(5.50) - 8.50
y = 11.00 - 8.50
y = 2.50
So, 1 bushel of pears costs $2.50.

Step 6: Find the total cost for 1 bushel of each
The question asks for the cost of 1 bushel of peaches and 1 bushel of pears together:
x + y = 5.50 + 2.50 = 8.00

The cost of 1 bushel of peaches and 1 bushel of pears is $8.00.
User avatar
kevincan
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Joined: 04 Jul 2006
Last visit: 08 Jun 2026
Posts: 1,888
Own Kudos:
2,870
 [1]
Given Kudos: 238
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Posts: 1,888
Kudos: 2,870
 [1]
At Frutery, 3 bushels of peaches and 4 bushels of pears cost 06 Jun 2026, 02:28
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
If we multiply the first equation by 2, we get 6x + 8y = 53

Then we can add the second equation, which is 5x + 3y = 35

We get 11x + 11y =88

Thus x + y = 8
Moderator:
Bunuel
Math Expert
111140 posts