A sporting goods company is considering redesigning the soccer section

Question

A sporting goods company is considering redesigning the soccer section or the baseball section of its Web site. Internal studies suggest that a redesign of the baseball section will have a bigger positive effect on sales than a redesign of the soccer section. Therefore, in order to achieve the greatest possible increase in its sales as soon as possible, the company has decided to redesign the baseball section this year, rather than the soccer section.

Indicate two different statements as follows: one statement identifies an  assumption required  by the company’s decision, and the other identifies a  possible fact  that, if true, would provide significant logical support for the required assumption. Make only two selections, one in each column.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

The company has chosen to proceed with the baseball redesign only, in order to maximize its sales as soon as possible. An underlying assumption is that doing both redesigns would not have a better result, or that it would not be possible. The latter part of the assumption is articulated in choice (A). Choice (B), if anything, would undermine the company’s decision. Choice (C) merely reinforces the validity of the “internal studies” mentioned in the prompt, but it is not a necessary assumption: Baseball need not be more popular than soccer in order to affect sales more positively. (For instance, it could be that baseball equipment sells for more than soccer equipment.) This statement is also not a fact supporting the necessary assumption. As for choice (D), it talks about costs, but the company’s decision is geared towards sales—so cost does not come into play.

The correct answer is (A).

The possible fact that supports the assumption stated in choice (A) is provided by choice (E). If either of the two redesigns will take the development team at least ten months to complete, then the company cannot undertake both of them in the same year.

The correct answer is (E).

DishaAgarwal12 · Answer

I knew that that the answer would be A and E but I had a tough time getting confused between which one is an assumption and which one is the fact. 
A- "The company cannot redesign both sections this year" seems like the fact which is supported by the assumption E- "The company’s Web site development team will need at least ten months in order to complete the redesign of either the baseball or the soccer section." AND vice versa

gmatblaze · Answer

DishaAgarwal12 
Here, the logical fact provides support to the assumption required. So, try to fit both in this format, "logical fact" so "assumption required". Then check which makes most sense.

According to me, "The company’s Web site development team will need at least ten months in order to complete the redesign of either the baseball or the soccer section." so "The company cannot redesign both sections this year" only makes sense here.

niggesh · Answer

Why can't B or C also be possible strengthener for the same assumption?

Bunuel · Answer

A sporting goods company is considering redesigning the soccer section or the baseball section of its Web site. Internal studies suggest that a redesign of the baseball section will have a bigger positive effect on sales than a redesign of the soccer section. Therefore, in order to achieve the greatest possible increase in its sales as soon as possible, the company has decided to redesign the baseball section this year, rather than the soccer section.

Indicate two different statements as follows: one statement identifies an assumption required by the company’s decision, and the other identifies a possible fact that, if true, would provide significant logical support for the required assumption. Make only two selections, one in each column.

Assumption required: The company cannot redesign both sections this year.

Possible fact: The company’s Web site development team will need at least ten months in order to complete the redesign of either the baseball or the soccer section.

Why: The company chooses baseball rather than soccer, so the argument assumes it cannot simply redesign both this year. If either redesign takes at least ten months, then completing both in the same year would not be realistically possible, which supports that assumption.

niggesh

Why can't B or C also be possible strengthener for the same assumption?

B and C may support choosing baseball over soccer, but they do not support the specific assumption that the company cannot redesign both sections this year.

B says the soccer World Cup is later this year. That actually could make the soccer redesign more urgent, so it does not support the idea that both sections cannot be redesigned.

C says baseball is more popular with the company’s customers than soccer. That may help explain why baseball could have a bigger sales effect, but it says nothing about whether the company has enough time, staff, or resources to redesign both sections this year.

The assumption is about feasibility of doing both, so only the statement about needing at least ten months directly supports it.

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A sporting goods company is considering redesigning the soccer section

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assumption required	possible fact
		The company cannot redesign both sections this year.
		The soccer world cup is going to take place later this year.
		Baseball is more popular with the company’s customers than is soccer.
		The soccer section redesign will cost more than the baseball section redesign.
		The company’s Web site development team will need at least ten months in order to complete the redesign of either the baseball or the soccer section.

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A sporting goods company is considering redesigning the soccer section

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