Dean of Sciences: I want to replace the JS spectrometer in our lab wit

Question

Dean of Sciences: I want to replace the JS spectrometer in our lab with an IVA spectrometer.
Principal : Why?
Dean of Sciences: It costs 30 percent less to train new staff on the IVA spectrometer.
Principal : But that is not a good enough reason. We can simply hire only people who already know how to use the JS spectrometer.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the principal’s objection to the replacement of JS spectrometer with IVA spectrometer?

A The high costs of replacement parts make the IVA spectrometer more expensive to maintain than the JS spectrometer.
B Experienced users of JS spectrometers command much higher salaries than do prospective employees who have no experience in the use of spectrometers.
C Once staff learn how to use a spectrometer, they tend to change colleges more readily than before.
D Currently all staff in the college are required to attend workshops on how to use JS spectrometer in new applications.
E The average productivity of staff in the college is below the average productivity of the staff of its competitor colleges.

milanrajb · Answer

Is B the answer?

It brings a new prospective of cost ( new premise) to undermine the argument that hiring new people with experience in JS will solve problem.

work2 · Answer

how is B the answer? we're not talking about cost anywhere

guddo · Answer

Dean of Sciences: I want to replace the JS spectrometer in our lab with an IVA spectrometer.
 
 Principal: Why? 
 
Dean of Sciences: It costs 30 percent less to train new staff on the IVA spectrometer.
 
 Principal: But that is not a good enough reason. We can simply hire only people who already know how to use the JS spectrometer.
 
 Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the principal’s objection to the replacement of JS spectrometer with IVA spectrometer?

The principal says cheaper IVA training is not a good reason to switch, because the college can avoid JS training costs by hiring people who already know JS.  The best weakener  should show that this hiring plan has a serious  cost problem .

(A) The high costs of replacement parts make the IVA spectrometer more expensive to maintain than the JS spectrometer.

This strengthens the principal’s objection. It gives another reason not to switch to IVA.

(B) Experienced users of JS spectrometers command much higher salaries than do prospective employees who have no experience in the use of spectrometers.

This is correct. If JS-experienced employees require much higher salaries, then hiring only such people may be more expensive than hiring inexperienced people and training them on IVA. That undermines the principal’s objection.

(C) Once staff learn how to use a spectrometer, they tend to change colleges more readily than before.

This does not clearly favor IVA over JS. It applies generally to staff who learn spectrometers.

(D) Currently all staff in the college are required to attend workshops on how to use JS spectrometer in new applications.

This weakens the objection somewhat, because even JS users may still need training. But it does not attack the principal’s hiring solution as directly as (B).

(E) The average productivity of staff in the college is below the average productivity of the staff of its competitor colleges.

This is irrelevant. It does not show whether hiring JS-experienced staff is a good alternative to switching to IVA.

Answer: (B)

AllisonBell · Answer

Hey Work2,

It’s sneaky, but cost comes up in the Dean of Sciences’ reasoning:  It costs 30 percent less to train new staff on the IVA spectrometer.

The principal tries to refute this cost-based reasoning by finding a way out of the training expense by avoiding training altogether.

Choice (B) shows that the principal’s solution — to hire people who already know how to use the JS spectrometer — won’t actually alleviate the issue of cost, since the school will just end up paying more for those new staff’s salaries.

For more CR problems and explanations, check out ManhattanPrep’s   Free Starter Kit & QBank.

Best,

egmat · Answer

Hi work2,

I can see why B felt like it came out of nowhere, so let's back up to what the two people are actually arguing about.

Look again at the Dean's reason:  "It costs 30 percent less to train new staff on the IVA spectrometer."  The Dean's entire case for switching is a  cost  argument - cheaper training. So cost is on the table from the very first reason given.

Now the Principal's objection:  "We can simply hire only people who already know how to use the JS spectrometer."  Read what this is doing. The Principal is saying,  "We don't need the IVA's training savings - we can dodge training costs entirely by hiring people who are already trained on the JS."  His whole move is an attempt to erase the Dean's cost advantage.

So the question becomes:  is the Principal's alternative actually cheaper?  That's exactly where B lands:

- B says experienced JS users  "command much higher salaries"  than untrained new hires.
- So the Principal saves on training - but now pays a lot more in salaries.
- The savings he was counting on get eaten up, which is precisely what "undermines his objection" means.

B isn't introducing cost out of nowhere; it's showing that the Principal's cost-dodging plan has a hidden cost of its own.

Quick way to feel the same logic in a simpler case:

Your friend says, "Don't buy the cheaper printer - just keep your old one, so you pay nothing." You reply, "But the old one burns through expensive ink cartridges."

That reply doesn't change the subject - it shows the "free" option isn't really free. B does the identical thing to the Principal's "just hire pre-trained people" plan.

Answer: B

Dean of Sciences: I want to replace the JS spectrometer in our lab wit

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Dean of Sciences: I want to replace the JS spectrometer in our lab wit

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