Last visit was: 19 Jul 2025, 23:51 It is currently 19 Jul 2025, 23:51
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: 19 Jul 2025
Posts: 102,627
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 98,235
Products:
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 102,627
Kudos: 742,834
 [63]
5
Kudos
Add Kudos
54
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Most Helpful Reply
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 19 Jul 2025
Posts: 102,627
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 98,235
Products:
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 102,627
Kudos: 742,834
 [14]
8
Kudos
Add Kudos
6
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 19 Jul 2025
Posts: 102,627
Own Kudos:
742,834
 [9]
Given Kudos: 98,235
Products:
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 102,627
Kudos: 742,834
 [9]
Kudos
Add Kudos
9
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
General Discussion
User avatar
him1985
Joined: 20 Jan 2014
Last visit: 12 Jul 2018
Posts: 108
Own Kudos:
199
 [1]
Given Kudos: 120
Location: India
Concentration: Technology, Marketing
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I incorrectly selected A.
i thought that

X is an integer so X-1, X-2 and X-3 are 3 consecutive numbers and since product of 3 numbers is >0 so all 3 numbers should be either positive or any two can be -ve.

No any 2 can not be negative cause they are consecutive. if 2 are -ve and one is +ve then it would be -2, -1 and 0 but it is given that product can not be zero.
So we ultimately left with one solution of all 3 +ve no hence.
and if the 3 consecutive number less than X are positive then X will be greater than 3.

I got the way you solved it. I understood it before in one of your post but it did not striked in my mind when i was giving test. Can you plese tell me that what is the flaw in my thinking.
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 19 Jul 2025
Posts: 102,627
Own Kudos:
742,834
 [3]
Given Kudos: 98,235
Products:
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 102,627
Kudos: 742,834
 [3]
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
him1985
I incorrectly selected A.
i thought that

X is an integer so X-1, X-2 and X-3 are 3 consecutive numbers and since product of 3 numbers is >0 so all 3 numbers should be either positive or any two can be -ve.

No any 2 can not be negative cause they are consecutive. if 2 are -ve and one is +ve then it would be -2, -1 and 0 but it is given that product can not be zero.
So we ultimately left with one solution of all 3 +ve no hence.
and if the 3 consecutive number less than X are positive then X will be greater than 3.

I got the way you solved it. I understood it before in one of your post but it did not striked in my mind when i was giving test. Can you plese tell me that what is the flaw in my thinking.

You assumed (incorrectly) that x is an integer.
avatar
p2bhokie
Joined: 23 Jan 2012
Last visit: 27 Sep 2015
Posts: 38
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 40
Posts: 38
Kudos: 66
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hello Bunuel. Can you please explain the solution in a more lay terms...i implemented similar logic as him1985. If x<3 then the product of the three terms will be negative - isn't it? and we are given that the product of these three terms is +ve...so doesn't that imply that x>3? Can you please point out the flaw in my logic? Thanks for your help.
avatar
Saurav Arora
Joined: 14 Jun 2015
Last visit: 11 Jan 2017
Posts: 5
Own Kudos:
2
 [2]
Given Kudos: 46
Posts: 5
Kudos: 2
 [2]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I think this is a high-quality question and I agree with explanation. Hi, i used following logic to solve this question. Pls let me know whether my logic seems ok.

Statement 1 implies x-3>0, x-2>0 and x-1>0, and hence x>3, x>2 and x>1. So, x could be more than 3 and less than/equal to 3 (e.g 2,3). Not sufficient

Statement 2: x>1. Not sufficient

Combine: x could be 2, 3 or more than three. Not sufficient
avatar
streetking
Joined: 21 Mar 2017
Last visit: 12 Apr 2018
Posts: 31
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 10
Location: Zimbabwe
Concentration: General Management, Entrepreneurship
GMAT 1: 680 Q45 V38
GMAT 2: 750 Q49 V42
GPA: 3.3
WE:Accounting (Accounting)
Products:
GMAT 2: 750 Q49 V42
Posts: 31
Kudos: 14
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
hi Bunuel

if the question had said x is an integer, confirm A would have been suffient?
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 19 Jul 2025
Posts: 102,627
Own Kudos:
742,834
 [1]
Given Kudos: 98,235
Products:
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 102,627
Kudos: 742,834
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
streetking
hi Bunuel

if the question had said x is an integer, confirm A would have been suffient?

Yes. (1) gives 1 < x < 2 or x > 3. If x were an integer then x could be 4, 5, 6, ... and in the case we would have an YES answer to the question whether x > 3.
User avatar
Terabyte
Joined: 31 Oct 2016
Last visit: 27 Nov 2023
Posts: 87
Own Kudos:
55
 [2]
Given Kudos: 91
Posts: 87
Kudos: 55
 [2]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
My solution. I always prefer to analyze from statement 2. So,

(2) Clearly insufficient. x>1 does not mean that x>3. X could be either 2 (the answer is no) or 4 (the answer is yes)
(1) Clearly insufficient. Roots of the polynomial are 1, 2 and 3. Could be less or greater than 3 as well.

(2)+(1). If x>1, it means that (x-3)(x-2) must be both positive or negative. If x=1.5, then (x-3)(x-2)>0. But x is less than 3, so the answer is NO. If x=4, then (x-3)(x-2) also greater than 0. And x greater than 3, so the answer is YES.

Answer: E
User avatar
PrayasT
Joined: 26 Feb 2018
Last visit: 22 Dec 2020
Posts: 41
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 43
Location: India
GMAT 1: 640 Q45 V34
GPA: 3.9
WE:Web Development (Computer Software)
GMAT 1: 640 Q45 V34
Posts: 41
Kudos: 57
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I think this is a high-quality question and I agree with explanation.
avatar
MWithrock
Joined: 13 Nov 2018
Last visit: 27 Apr 2019
Posts: 58
Own Kudos:
24
 [1]
Given Kudos: 19
Location: United States (PA)
GMAT 1: 650 Q39 V40
GMAT 2: 660 Q44 V37
GPA: 2.91
GMAT 2: 660 Q44 V37
Posts: 58
Kudos: 24
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I think this is a high-quality question and I agree with explanation. tricky. I never even thought about fractions.
User avatar
Salsanousi
Joined: 19 Oct 2013
Last visit: 29 Dec 2020
Posts: 399
Own Kudos:
345
 [3]
Given Kudos: 117
Location: Kuwait
GPA: 3.2
WE:Engineering (Real Estate)
Posts: 399
Kudos: 345
 [3]
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
From statement 1)

x cannot be 3 or 2 or 1 as it will be invalidate the statement.

Either all three are positive or two are negative.

If we take x = 3.1 then

(3.1 - 3) * (3.1 - 2) * (3.1 - 1) > 0 and the answer is yes x > 3

If we take x = 1.1

Then (1.1 - 3) * (1.1 - 2) * (1.1 - 1) > 0 and the answer is no. X is not > 3. So insufficient.

Moving to statement 2)

X > 1 this would mean x could be anything so insufficient.

Combining both we still could create the same scenario created while solving for statement 1.

The key point in solving this is not to assume that x must be an integer.

Posted from my mobile device
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 19 Jul 2025
Posts: 102,627
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 98,235
Products:
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 102,627
Kudos: 742,834
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I have edited the question and the solution by adding more details to enhance its clarity. I hope it is now easier to understand.
Moderators:
Math Expert
102627 posts
Founder
41115 posts