Last visit was: 18 Nov 2025, 14:15 It is currently 18 Nov 2025, 14:15
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
GMATBusters
User avatar
GMAT Tutor
Joined: 27 Oct 2017
Last visit: 14 Nov 2025
Posts: 1,924
Own Kudos:
6,646
 [24]
Given Kudos: 241
WE:General Management (Education)
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 1,924
Kudos: 6,646
 [24]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
22
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
avatar
Shubhranil
Joined: 11 Nov 2016
Last visit: 12 Dec 2022
Posts: 14
Own Kudos:
4
 [2]
Given Kudos: 3
Posts: 14
Kudos: 4
 [2]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
nkin
Joined: 09 Jun 2018
Last visit: 25 Jan 2022
Posts: 170
Own Kudos:
524
 [3]
Given Kudos: 86
Location: United States
GMAT 1: 730 Q50 V39
GPA: 4
WE:Operations (Manufacturing)
Products:
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
2
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
Manat
Joined: 11 Jun 2018
Last visit: 22 Feb 2020
Posts: 121
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 79
GMAT 1: 500 Q39 V21
GMAT 1: 500 Q39 V21
Posts: 121
Kudos: 72
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
@VeritasKarishma:-is there a faster approach for such questions? or we always need to list down the options first
User avatar
exc4libur
Joined: 24 Nov 2016
Last visit: 22 Mar 2022
Posts: 1,686
Own Kudos:
1,447
 [1]
Given Kudos: 607
Location: United States
Posts: 1,686
Kudos: 1,447
 [1]
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
gmatbusters
Tina randomly selects two distinct numbers from the set { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 }, and Sergio randomly selects a number from the set { 1, 2, ..., 10}. What is the probability that Sergio's number is larger than the sum of the two numbers chosen by Tina?

A) 2/5
B) 9/20
C) 1/2
D) 11/20
E) 24/25

Total cases: {1 to 5}C2*{1 to 10}C1 = 100

Favorable cases:
Tina: 1+2;+3;+4;+5 scores [3;4;5;6];
Sergios must score: [>3={4 to 10}=7; >4…=6; 5; 4] subtotal=[7,6,5,4]=22

Tina: 2+3;+4;+5 scores [5;6;7]
Sergios must score: [>5={6 to 10}=5; 4; 3] subtotal=[5,4,3]=12

Tina: 3+4;+5 scores [7;8]
Sergios must score: [3; 2] subtotal=[3,2]=5

Tina: 4+5 scores [9]
Sergios must score: [>9={10}=1] subtotal=[1]=1

Favorable cases: 22+12+5+1=40

Probability: Fav/Total=40/100=2/5

Ans (A)
avatar
ruisaraiva99
Joined: 18 Dec 2019
Last visit: 26 Feb 2020
Posts: 2
Own Kudos:
1
 [1]
Posts: 2
Kudos: 1
 [1]
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
The way i did it was:
By choosing two different numbers out of her set and adding them together, Tina can get one of the following results:
3,4,5,6,7,8,9.
If you list them in a matrix, it will be easy to understand that each has different probabilities of being the result
Using those results, and knowing that Sergio's probability of choosing any given element of his set is 1/10, we know that each number Sergio chooses will have different odds of being greater than Tina's added choices, those being:

Numbers 1,2 and 3 will always be smaller, so the probability of being picked and being higher than Tina's choices is zero.

And for the following numbers we go by the logic:

There are 2 possible results (2,1) or (1,2) out of 20 for, given that Sergio chooses 4, this result to be smaller than Sergio's option.
The same thought process can be used to get to the following probabilities:

4/20 for the number 5
8/20; 12/20; 16/20; 18/20 and 20/20 for the numbers 6,7,8,9 and 10, respectively.

So now, if we multiply these odds by the one of choosing each number (1/10), we get:

P(Sergio picking a higher number than the sum of Tina's choices)=1/10*(2/20+4/20+8/20+12/20+....+20/20)=2/5

Answer A
avatar
ruisaraiva99
Joined: 18 Dec 2019
Last visit: 26 Feb 2020
Posts: 2
Own Kudos:
Posts: 2
Kudos: 1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
The way i did it was:
By choosing two different numbers out of her set and adding them together, Tina can get one of the following results:
3,4,5,6,7,8,9.
If you list them in a matrix, it will be easy to understand that each has different probabilities of being the result
Using those results, and knowing that Sergio's probability of choosing any given element of his set is 1/10, we know that each number Sergio chooses will have different odds of being greater than Tina's added choices, those being:

Numbers 1,2 and 3 will always be smaller, so the probability of being picked and being higher than Tina's choices is zero.

And for the following numbers we go by the logic:

There are 2 possible results (2,1) or (1,2) out of 20 for, given that Sergio chooses 4, this result to be smaller than Sergio's option.
The same thought process can be used to get to the following probabilities:

4/20 for the number 5
8/20; 12/20; 16/20; 18/20 and 20/20 for the numbers 6,7,8,9 and 10, respectively.

So now, if we multiply these odds by the one of choosing each number (1/10), we get:

P(Sergio picking a higher number than the sum of Tina's choices)=1/10*(2/20+4/20+8/20+12/20+....+20/20)=2/5

Answer A
User avatar
Iq
Joined: 06 Oct 2014
Last visit: 30 Nov 2021
Posts: 9
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 7
Posts: 9
Kudos: 7
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
My approach:

Tina's Set: {1,2,3,4,5}

Selecting 2 no.s = 5C2 = 10 combinations

Probability of selecting one of the combinations = (1/10)

Min. sum that can be selected by Tina : 3
Possible sums that Tina can pick: 3,4,5,6,7,8,9

Sergio's set: {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10}

Min. no. Sergio can pick is 4. Basically, Sergio can effectively pick from: 4,5,6,7,8,9,10 i.e. 7 possible no.s

When Tina picks a sum of 3, Sergio can pick from all the 7 possible options
When Tina picks a sum of 4, Sergio can pick from 6 possible options i.e from 5,6,7,8,9,10
.
.
.
When Tina picks a sum of 9, Sergio has to pick only 10 i.e. he can pick only 1 option out of 7

So, total probalibity for Sergio to pick a number > the sum of numbers picked by Tina:

(1/10) * [1 + (6/7) + (5/7) + (4/7) + ....(1/7)]

= 2/5

(A)
User avatar
samarpan.g28
Joined: 08 Dec 2023
Last visit: 18 Nov 2025
Posts: 324
Own Kudos:
125
 [1]
Given Kudos: 1,236
Location: India
Concentration: General Management, Human Resources
GPA: 8.88
WE:Engineering (Technology)
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
GMATBusters

GMATbuster's Weekly Quant Quiz#9 Ques #3


For Questions from earlier quizzes: Click Here

Tina randomly selects two distinct numbers from the set { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 }, and Sergio randomly selects a number from the set { 1, 2, ..., 10}. What is the probability that Sergio's number is larger than the sum of the two numbers chosen by Tina?

A) 2/5
B) 9/20
C) 1/2
D) 11/20
E) 24/25
­Tina has to select two distinct numbers from { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 } and Sergio has to select one number from { 1, 2, ..., 10 }.

If Tina selects {1,2} then Sergio should pick any of {4,...,10} - i.e. in 7 ways.
If Tina selects {1,3} then Sergio should pick any of {5,...,10} - i.e. in 6 ways.
If Tina selects {1,4} then Sergio should pick any of {6,...,10} - i.e. in 5 ways.
If Tina selects {1,5} then Sergio should pick any of {7,...,10} - i.e. in 4 ways.

If Tina selects {2,3} then Sergio should pick any of {6,...,10} - i.e. in 5 ways.
If Tina selects {2,4} then Sergio should pick any of {7,...,10} - i.e. in 4 ways.
If Tina selects {2,5} then Sergio should pick any of {8,...,10} - i.e. in 3 ways.

If Tina selects {3,4} then Sergio should pick any of {8,...,10} - i.e. in 3 ways.
If Tina selects {3,5} then Sergio should pick any one of {9,10} - i.e. in 2 ways.

If Tina selects {4,5} then Sergio should pick only 10 - i.e. in 1 way.

Total number of ways: 7+6+5+4+5+4+3+3+2+1=40.
If there were no restrictions then Tina and Sergio could pick in 5C2 * 10C1=100 ways.

Therefore, 40/100=2/5. Option (A) is correct.
User avatar
bumpbot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 09 Sep 2013
Last visit: 04 Jan 2021
Posts: 38,586
Own Kudos:
Posts: 38,586
Kudos: 1,079
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hello from the GMAT Club BumpBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.
Moderators:
Math Expert
105355 posts
Tuck School Moderator
805 posts