For each of three years and five survey prompts, the table shows the

Essentially, the question is testing you on your rounding basics. Diff in percentage points from one year to another was calculated. If it was more than x, a +/- was put. If it was less than x, it was left blank. 
Then the given values in the table were rounded. So each given value, say 63% could actually be anything from 62.5% (including) to 63.5%(excluding).

Focus on the values where the difference is smallest possible but 'significant'.
In 14-15, 82% - 83% is significant. Here the actual difference could be 81.5% to a little less than 83.5%. So the maximum actual difference could be slightly less than 2. So x can be slightly less than 2 but it cannot be 2. If x were 2, then this would have been 'not significant.'

Focus on the values where the difference is largest possible but 'not significant'.
In 14-15, 69% - 70% is not significant­
These could be a little less than 69.5% and 69.5% so the minimum value of x could be very little (slightly more than 0).
Say actual values here could be 69.4% - 69.5%. Then if x = 0.1, even then these would be 'not significant'.

Hence x can easily take very small values so 0.9 and 1.4 are both acceptable. 

­Hi KarishmaB,
Lets Focus on the year 14-15 for Point no 3.

Here values can be 54.5 ( inclusive ) and 57.5 (exclusive)

So the values can be anything between 0 and 3. 

So all the options are possible.

Please guide.

Regards


 

A possible value of x should work for the entire table. If there is even one reading for which it doesn't work, then that value is not possible. x = 3 does not work for 82% - 83% being significant. If x = 3, this CANNOT be significant and the table becomes false. This is not acceptable.


­­

Can someone explain the highlighted part to me ? This question is so hard to understand . TargetTestPrep  gmatophobia

­

Few things to notice in this ques:
1.If we look in the table carefully only prompt 5 has both + and - signs which means that the difference in both the cases is significant.
2. It is a could be true question so the answer need not be true in every scenario, so if we can pick one prompt and can get most of our answer it would work for us.

Now, if we check for min and max difference in both the cases with minimum value of 2014 figure we'll get an idea
Min(84-82)=1.1 ------>(83.5-82.4) [Note same would be value of 82 when using it for '14 '15 difference]
Max(84-82) = 2.9 ------>(84.4-81.5) [Note same would be value of 82 when using it for '14 '15 difference]

Min(83-82)= 0.1 (82.5-82.4)
Max(83-82)= 1.9(83.4-81.5)

Case:1
When 82 is min then values are 1.1&0.1(Any value less than 1.1&0.1 could be the value of X hence 0.9can be the value of X)
Case:2
When 82 is max then values are 2.9&1.9 (Any value less than 2.9&1.9 could be the value of X hence 1.4can be the value of X)
Rest in all cases when we'll be satisfying values one part will always be greater than 2 as in Case:2
Hence, 2 cannot be the value of x

chetan2u KarishmaB Bunuel any suggestion for this approach

I did not understand the question at first. Even after making an attempt with the online question bank I ended up spending 4 mins and 46 seconds, not sure the question was clear enough for me.

I am wondering if I am missing anything or the question has some ambiguity if you are doing it for the first time...