Exactly 14% of the reporters for a certain wire service

Question

Exactly 14% of the reporters for a certain wire service cover
local politics in Country X. If 30% of the reporters who cover
politics for the wire service do not cover local politics in
Country X, what percent of the reporters for the wire service
do not cover politics?

(A) 20%
(B) 42%
(C) 44%
(D) 80%
(E) 84%

(A) 20%
(B) 42%
(C) 44%
(D) 80%
(E) 84%

Bunuel · Accepted Answer

Let's assume there are 100 reporters --> 14 reporters cover local politics.

Now, as 30% of the reporters who cover all politics do not cover local politics then the rest 70% of the reporters who cover politics do cover local politics, so if there are x reporters who cover politics then 70% of them equal to 14 (# of reporters who cover local politics): 0.7x=14 --> x=20, hence 20 reporters cover politics and the rest 100-20=80 reporters do not cover politics at all.

Answer: D.

KarishmaB · Answer

The wording does try to confuse you. Another method would be to take one sentence at a time and analyze its information. e.g.

Exactly 14% of the reporters for a certain wire service cover local politics in Country X

(14/100) * R = R_{LocPol}

If 30% of the reporters who cover politics for the wire service do not cover local politics in Country X 
(This means 30% politics reporters cover non-local politics)

(30/100) * R_{Pol} = R_{NonLocPol)

what percent of the reporters for the wire service do not cover politics?

We know,  R_{LocPol} + R_{NonLocPol} = R_{Pol}

So,  (\frac{14}{100})*R + (\frac{30}{100})*R_{Pol} = R_{Pol}  (Using left hand sides of equations above)
We get  R_{Pol} = (\frac{20}{100})*R 
So, 80% reporters do not cover Politics.

agdimple333 · Answer

Consider there are x reporters in wire service.

14% cover local politics i.e. = 0.14x

Consider there are 100 reporters covering politics; of which non-local politics = 30

0.14x + 30 = 100
x = 500 total reporters

# of reporters do not cover politics = 500-100 = 400

so # of reports do not cover politics / # of total reporters = 400/500 = 80%

puneetj · Answer

Let Total reporters = 100

Out of these 100 suppose 'x' cover politics
So 100-x do not cover politics

Now out of the ones who cover politics 70% cover local politics and 30% do not cover local politics
So number that covers local politics = 0.7x

0.7x = 14
so x = 20

So out of 100 there are 20 reporters that cover politics
so 80% do not cover politics

RSG · Answer

All Reporters (assume 100) = Cover Politics (assume x) + Do not Cover Politics (100 -x)
 
Cover Politics = Cover Local Politics (14% of all reporters or 70% of reporters covering politics) + Do not Cover Local Politics (30% of reporters covering politics, 30% of x)

So 14% of all reporters = 70% of x
14 = 70% of x
x = 20
Do not cover Politics = 100 -20 = 80…percentage 80%

pavanpuneet · Answer

Hi Bunuel...

Based on the attachment; what they are asking is .14x/.14x+.3x = .14/.17*100 = which is slightly less than 84%..thus, the answer choice 80%. Please let me know in case I have done anything wrong.

jlgdr · Answer

Yes I think that you are assuming that one can cover local politics and NOT cover politics at all which is a contradiction because from my understanding local politics is a SUBSET of politics not a separate group.

Would be great if anyone could clarify that this line of reasoning is sound

Cheers!
J

KarishmaB · Answer

You are correct. People who cover local politics are a subset of people who cover politics.

30% of reporters who cover politics do not cover local politics so 70% DO cover local politics.

Reporters covering  local politics  = 70% of reporters covering  politics  = 14% of  all reporters 
Reporters covering politics/All Reporters = 14/70 = 1/5
Reporters not covering politics/All Reporters = 4/5 = 80%

sanjoo · Answer

I dont know y m going so bad at overlapping and percetage questions which once was my strength..

I was doing..

assume reporters=100

86=30%x (x=who cover politics)

Bt m geting value in decimals of x..

KarishmaB · Answer

Note that 86% of total reporters is not equal to 30% of reporters who cover politics. 86% of a bigger set (all reporters) cannot be equal to 30% of a smaller set (reporters covering politics)

14% of total reporters cover local politics so 86% do not cover local politics but all 86 are not a part of the reporters who cover politics.

KarishmaB · Answer

And overlapping sets and percentage questions are all about reading the question carefully. If you do, they are very mechanical to solve.

Himanshu9818 · Answer

i think the question should be:
what is the MAXIMUM percent of the reporters for the wire service that do not cover politics because from the given information we are only able to find the maximum percentage

KarishmaB · Answer

People who cover local politics are a subset of people who cover politics. People who cover politics could cover either only local or only foreign or both. Keeping this in mind, you get an exact value for the % that do not cover politics.

30% of reporters who cover politics do not cover local politics so 70% DO cover local politics.

Reporters covering local politics = 70% of reporters covering politics = 14% of all reporters
Reporters covering politics/All Reporters = 14/70 = 1/5
Reporters not covering politics/All Reporters = 4/5 = 80%

JeffTargetTestPrep · Answer

We can let the the total number of reporters for the wire service = 100 and n = the number of reporters who cover politics. Thus (100 - n) reporters do not cover politics.

Since 30% of the reporters who cover politics for the wire service do not cover local politics, 0.3n who cover politics reporters do not cover local politics, but 0.7n do and we are given that 14% of 100 reporters, i.e., 14 of them do cover local politics. Thus we can create the equation:

0.7n = 14

n = 14/0.7 = 140/7 = 20

So we have 20 reporters who cover politics and hence 80 reporters or 80% of them don’t cover politics.

Answer: D

GMATinsight · Answer

Answer: Option D

Step-by-Step Video solution by  GMATinsight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0ilXLNjp1Q

HarshavardhanR · Answer

https://gmatclub.com/forum/download/file.php?id=88277 --- Harsha GMAT-Club-Forum-0qa1hyc2.png

Exactly 14% of the reporters for a certain wire service

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Exactly 14% of the reporters for a certain wire service

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

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