Each month, Jim receives a base salary plus a 10 percent commission on

To show Jim’s salary and commissions last month, we can create an equation in which n = his base salary and p = his total car sales:

Total salary = n + 0.1p

Total = n + 0.1p

Statement One Alone:

Last month, Jim's base salary was $3,000.

We have:

Total = 3,000 + 0.1p

Since we cannot determine his total car sales, statement one alone is not sufficient to answer the question.

Statement Two Alone:

Last month, Jim sold 3 cars whose prices totaled $60,000 and 5 cars whose prices totaled $120,000.

Since we are given information about only 8 of the 15 cars, we do not know the total sales of the remaining 7 cars, and thus we don’t know the value of p. Furthermore, we do not know the value of n. Thus, statement two alone is not sufficient to answer the question.

Statements One and Two Together:

Using the statements together, we still cannot determine the value of p, and thus we cannot determine his total salary last month.

Answer: E

The whole trick is that:
you shouldn't be mistaken and consider 8 cars as the whole number of cars Jim sold, as the stem says Jim has sold 15.
The second Statement gives information only about 8 cars and nothing about the rest 7 cars.

Let \(B\) be his base salary and let \(S\) be his sales value. The original question is about his total salary: \(B+0.1S=?\)

1) We know that \(B=$3,000\), but no information is given about his sales value. Thus, we can't get a unique value to answer the original question. \(\implies\) Insufficient

2) We know some parts of his sales value, but no information is given about his base salary. Thus, we can't get a unique value to answer the original question. \(\implies\) Insufficient

1&2) Although we know the base salary, we still don’t know his total sales value. From 2), we know only the following about his sales value: \(S=$60,000+$120,000+unknown \ sales \ value \ of \ 7 \ other \ cars\). Thus, we can't get a unique value to answer the original question. \(\implies\) Insufficient

Answer: E

1) NO information about selling price of car(s); Insufficient
2) Information for 3 total cars selling price and 5 cars selling price is given. But their individual selling price is not given. The given rate is for each car's selling price; insufficient.

For same reason as mentioned in option 2 the both option will not work.

So the answer is E.

Answer: Option E

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