Last visit was: 12 Jul 2025, 15:02 It is currently 12 Jul 2025, 15:02
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.
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 12 Jul 2025
Posts: 102,636
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 98,172
Products:
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 102,636
Kudos: 740,759
 [20]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
18
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Most Helpful Reply
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 12 Jul 2025
Posts: 102,636
Own Kudos:
740,759
 [1]
Given Kudos: 98,172
Products:
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 102,636
Kudos: 740,759
 [1]
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
General Discussion
avatar
chrisjonatan
Joined: 24 Mar 2021
Last visit: 12 Feb 2023
Posts: 20
Own Kudos:
42
 [1]
Given Kudos: 35
Location: Indonesia
Concentration: Finance, General Management
GMAT 1: 590 Q47 V25
GMAT 1: 590 Q47 V25
Posts: 20
Kudos: 42
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
zhanbo
Joined: 27 Feb 2017
Last visit: 07 Jul 2024
Posts: 1,468
Own Kudos:
2,417
 [2]
Given Kudos: 114
Location: United States (WA)
GMAT 1: 760 Q50 V42
GMAT 2: 760 Q50 V42
GRE 1: Q169 V168
GRE 2: Q170 V170
Expert
Expert reply
GMAT 2: 760 Q50 V42
GRE 1: Q169 V168
GRE 2: Q170 V170
Posts: 1,468
Kudos: 2,417
 [2]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
My answer is (D) even though it is actually not needed to believe the conclusion.

Pre-thinking: search users would benefit from taking the time to learn how to opt out of search history tracking. Why? Possible answers:
1. They value their privacy and won't want to get tracked.
2. They have the tendency to buy relevant products. Not seeing those ads helps them not to squander they hard earned money to enrich the wallets of both manufactures and search engines.
3. With enough people opting out, consumers might eventually be paid to agree to be tracked.

Now check answer choices.
(A) Does not need to be assumed. Search engine can do pretty well with just a month's data.

(B) "not inconvenient" = "acceptable". Whether users find it acceptable about receiving ads is not relevant here. After opting-out, they will still be bombarded with non-targeted ads.

(C) Not relevant here. Non-targeted ads are still ads.

(D) Not a strong answer. The motivation to opt out may have nothing to do with the time saved. Still, keep for now.

(E) It attacks the greedy motives of search engine companies, but its relationship with user's benefit is tenuous at best.

Finally, (D) is deemed to be relevant even though many users may still benefit from opt-out even though they spend more time learning how to opt out.
User avatar
gmatlover1010
User avatar
Forum Quiz PM
Joined: 02 Oct 2020
Last visit: 02 Jun 2024
Posts: 54
Own Kudos:
48
 [2]
Given Kudos: 80
Concentration: Strategy, General Management
GMAT 1: 660 Q47 V34
GMAT 1: 660 Q47 V34
Posts: 54
Kudos: 48
 [2]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
A - This is not must. Users could have a problem with even a minor amount of data being collected. OUT
B - This is a trap. If not inconvenient then there is no benefit in avoiding tracking. OUT
C - Changes to regular advertising.. OUT
D - This could be a valid assumption. If ignoring is less time consuming then why bother taking time out to learn to opt out? - Our Answer
E - Irrelevant information.
User avatar
Archit3110
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 18 Aug 2017
Last visit: 12 Jul 2025
Posts: 8,347
Own Kudos:
4,822
 [1]
Given Kudos: 243
Status:You learn more from failure than from success.
Location: India
Concentration: Sustainability, Marketing
GMAT Focus 1: 545 Q79 V79 DI73
GPA: 4
WE:Marketing (Energy)
GMAT Focus 1: 545 Q79 V79 DI73
Posts: 8,347
Kudos: 4,822
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Premise : nternet search engines record the search history of users, unless a user follows a specific set of frequently complex steps to opt out of such tracking
Users who do not successfully complete these steps can find themselves subjected to regular, targeted advertising in search results based on their search histories

Conclusion : Therefore, internet search users would benefit from taking the time to learn how to opt out of search history tracking
need to weaken the conclusion based on fact of taking the time to learn how to opt out of search history tracking

we need to find assumption of the argument use negation test to weaken the conclusion

A. Search engines are capable of recording an unlimited amount of any individual’s search history.1

Search engines are not capable of recording an unlimited amount of any individual’s search history ; does not weaken the conclusion

B. Internet users find it not inconvenient to receive advertising in their search results.
Internet users find it inconvenient to receive advertising in their search results. does not weaken the conclusion

C. Regular advertising in search results is a frequent complaint of many internet users.
Regular advertising in search results is not a frequent complaint of many internet users. does not weaken the conclusion

D. Ignoring targeted advertising is not significantly less time consuming than learning how to opt out of such advertising.

Ignoring targeted advertising is significantly less time consuming than learning how to opt out of such advertising.
weakens the conclusion correct option

E. The complexity of search engine opt out steps is intentionally high, since search engines derive revenues from the number of viewers they deliver to advertisers.
argument does not discuss about revenues ; not correct

OPTION D is correct


Bunuel
Internet search engines record the search history of users, unless a user follows a specific set of frequently complex steps to opt out of such tracking. Users who do not successfully complete these steps can find themselves subjected to regular, targeted advertising in search results based on their search histories. Therefore, internet search users would benefit from taking the time to learn how to opt out of search history tracking.

Which of the following must be assumed to believe the conclusion about opting out of search history tracking?


A. Search engines are capable of recording an unlimited amount of any individual’s search history.1

B. Internet users find it not inconvenient to receive advertising in their search results.

C. Regular advertising in search results is a frequent complaint of many internet users.

D. Ignoring targeted advertising is not significantly less time consuming than learning how to opt out of such advertising. I

E. The complexity of search engine opt out steps is intentionally high, since search engines derive revenues from the number of viewers they deliver to advertisers.



 


This question was provided by GMAT Club
for the GMAT Club Olympics Competition

Win over $40,000 in prizes such as Courses, Tests, Private Tutoring, and more

 

User avatar
sumitkrocks
Joined: 02 Jul 2017
Last visit: 22 Aug 2023
Posts: 639
Own Kudos:
863
 [2]
Given Kudos: 333
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, Technology
GMAT 1: 730 Q50 V39
GMAT 2: 710 Q50 V36
Products:
GMAT 2: 710 Q50 V36
Posts: 639
Kudos: 863
 [2]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
(D) is the answer IMO

Conclusion : Internet search users would benefit from taking the time to learn how to opt out of search history tracking.


A. Search engines are capable of recording an unlimited amount of any individual’s search history.

Let us take a case when search engines are capable of recording a one day's search history data of users. so, after day 1 user might not be tracked but we can't say with surety that they would not be targeted. They may be targeted with the older data history and that is even worst and individual would not get benefitted in that case .

Argument says : Users who do not successfully complete these steps can find themselves subjected to regular, targeted advertising in search results based on their search histories.

Argument says only about users who do not do some setting changes in their system but does not mention about those who do: we can not infer that users who complete these steps would not be targeted frequently.

Very tempting option but not correct unfortunately.
Eliminate


B. Internet users find it not inconvenient to receive advertising in their search results.

If users do not mind receiving advertisement so there could not be much benefit by avoiding such advertisements - Eliminate

C. Regular advertising in search results is a frequent complaint of many internet users.

what if regular advertising is not a frequent complain, Still internet users can be benefitted from opting out of search history tracking.- Eliminate

D. Ignoring targeted advertising is not significantly less time consuming than learning how to opt out of such advertising.

Conclusion mentions taking time to learn how to opt out of search history tracking would benefit users

Say learning how to opt out of search history tracking would take 100 hrs; however, overall users get disturbed by such advertisment costing them only 2 hrs in the entire lifecycle.

So the huge investment that users are required to do is not advisable and certainly would not guarantee any benefits unless we are sure of other aspects such as impact on the equality of work they do while such advertisements pop up.

We can safely say, ignoring other parameters, the learning to stop being tracked would help only if investment of time in such learnings is less than the overall time one saves by implementing such learnings.


E. The complexity of search engine opt out steps is intentionally high, since search engines derive revenues from the number of viewers they deliver to advertisers.

Complexity is out of context- Eliminate
User avatar
cs15811581
Joined: 08 Aug 2021
Last visit: 23 Dec 2021
Posts: 31
Own Kudos:
120
 [1]
Given Kudos: 3
Location: India
Posts: 31
Kudos: 120
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Internet search engines record the search history of users, unless a user follows a specific set of frequently complex steps to opt out of such tracking. Users who do not successfully complete these steps can find themselves subjected to regular, targeted advertising in search results based on their search histories. Therefore, internet search users would benefit from taking the time to learn how to opt out of search history tracking.

Which of the following must be assumed to believe the conclusion about opting out of search history tracking?

The answer should be some relation between opting out and targeted advertisements.

A. Search engines are capable of recording an unlimited amount of any individual’s search history.
Does not effect the argument.

B. Internet users find it not inconvenient to receive advertising in their search results.
Then, there is no requirement of learning how to opt out.

C. Regular advertising in search results is a frequent complaint of many internet users.
Does not help in understanding the benefits of learning to opt out.

D. Ignoring targeted advertising is not significantly less time consuming than learning how to opt out of such advertising.
Correct. It talks of benefit in terms of time spent on these advertisements.

E. The complexity of search engine opt out steps is intentionally high, since search engines derive revenues from the number of viewers they deliver to advertisers.
Does not affect. May be a weakener if at all there is something to the option.


D
User avatar
JonShukhrat
Joined: 06 Jun 2019
Last visit: 01 Jul 2024
Posts: 313
Own Kudos:
988
 [1]
Given Kudos: 655
Location: Uzbekistan
Posts: 313
Kudos: 988
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
A. Search engines are capable of recording an unlimited amount of any individual’s search history.

Let’s negate this one: even if limited amount of search history is recorded, that can be enough reason to get rid of the targeted advertisement they lead. So, incorrect.

B. Internet users find it not inconvenient to receive advertising in their search results.

Let’s negate: user find it inconvenient to receive ad. Will this invalidate the conclusion above? Nope. So, incorrect.

C. Regular advertising in search results is a frequent complaint of many internet users.

Let’s negate: regular ad is NOT a frequent complaint of many users. Even if it’s not a frequent complaint, users still may benefit from learning how to do those steps. So, incorrect.

D. Ignoring targeted advertising is not significantly less time consuming than learning how to opt out of such advertising.

Let’s negate: ignoring is significantly less time consuming than learning those steps. This means that we are losing more than we are gaining.
If we believe the conclusion then we must benefit from learning those intricate steps.
After opting out of such recording, we probably must gain more than we lose. Opportunity cost as we say.
But what if we lose more than we gain?
What if simply not paying attention to the ad is much less time-consuming than learning those steps?
In this case we won’t end up with net benefit.
The choice that tackles this gap is D.

E. The complexity of search engine opt out steps is intentionally high, since search engines derive revenues from the number of viewers they deliver to advertisers.

Let’s negate: the complexity is not intentionally high. This has nothing to with the conclusion, hence out.

So D
User avatar
Pif96
Joined: 24 Sep 2024
Last visit: 09 Jul 2025
Posts: 16
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 262
Posts: 16
Kudos: 1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Very poor quality question. Nowhere the text suggests you that the benefit would be related to time consuming. So as many writes here that C is irrilevant, for the same reason, D can be irrilevant
Moderators:
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
7349 posts
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
235 posts