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22 May 2025, 00:30
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E
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
55%
(hard)
Question Stats:
53% (01:12) correct
47%
(01:09)
wrong
based on 165
sessions
History
Date
Time
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Not Attempted Yet
The GMAT is written in English. However, the average score of native English speakers is below 550, which is considered a relatively low score on a scale of 200-800.
Which of the following does LEAST to resolve the above paradox?
(A) The GMAT does not test English knowledge but skills such as analytical skills and logic.
(B) The GMAT includes a quantitative section, which tests mathematical skills.
(C) GMAT scores are calculated to create a bell-shaped normal Gaussian distribution, so scores are relative to others' performance.
(D) The GMAT has a severe time limit, and for many test takers, time ends before they have solved all the questions.
(E) About 60% of GMAT test-takers are American.
Which of the following does LEAST to resolve the above paradox?
(A) The GMAT does not test English knowledge but skills such as analytical skills and logic.
(B) The GMAT includes a quantitative section, which tests mathematical skills.
(C) GMAT scores are calculated to create a bell-shaped normal Gaussian distribution, so scores are relative to others' performance.
(D) The GMAT has a severe time limit, and for many test takers, time ends before they have solved all the questions.
(E) About 60% of GMAT test-takers are American.
23 May 2025, 02:18
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Paradox: Native English speakers should do well since the GMAT is in English, but their average score is low. We need something that doesn’t explain this gap.
(A) GMAT tests analytical skills and logic, not English knowledge.
This explains the paradox: native speakers’ English skills don’t help much if the test isn’t about language. Resolves well.
(B) GMAT has a quantitative section testing math skills.
This explains: native speakers might struggle with math, not language, lowering their scores. Resolves well.
(C) GMAT scores form a bell-shaped curve, so scores depend on others’ performance.
This explains: if others (non-native speakers) score higher, native speakers’ relative scores drop, even with language skills. Resolves well.
(D) GMAT has a severe time limit, and many run out of time.
This explains: native speakers might not finish due to time, not language issues, lowering scores. Resolves well.
(E) 60% of GMAT test-takers are American.
This doesn’t explain why native speakers score low. It just says many test-takers are American (likely native speakers), but doesn’t address their low scores. Least resolving.
Answer: E
(A) GMAT tests analytical skills and logic, not English knowledge.
This explains the paradox: native speakers’ English skills don’t help much if the test isn’t about language. Resolves well.
(B) GMAT has a quantitative section testing math skills.
This explains: native speakers might struggle with math, not language, lowering their scores. Resolves well.
(C) GMAT scores form a bell-shaped curve, so scores depend on others’ performance.
This explains: if others (non-native speakers) score higher, native speakers’ relative scores drop, even with language skills. Resolves well.
(D) GMAT has a severe time limit, and many run out of time.
This explains: native speakers might not finish due to time, not language issues, lowering scores. Resolves well.
(E) 60% of GMAT test-takers are American.
This doesn’t explain why native speakers score low. It just says many test-takers are American (likely native speakers), but doesn’t address their low scores. Least resolving.
Answer: E
01 Jun 2025, 10:00
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Bunuel
Official Explanation
The GMAT is written in English. However, the average score of native English speakers is below 550, which is considered a relatively low score on a scale of 200-800.
Which of the following does LEAST to resolve the above paradox?
(A) The GMAT does not test English knowledge but skills such as analytical skills and logic.
Incorrect.
This is a Paradox question, so it is made up of premises only; you need to find the one new premise which does not resolve the apparent discrepancy between the existing premises (or does the least to resolve it compared to the others):
Premise A: the GMAT is in English
✖
Premise B: the average score of native English speakers is below 550
Resolving Premise: ?
This answer choice does resolve the paradox because as perfect as one's English may be, if one does not possess strong analytical skills and logic, one will not do well on the GMAT.
(B) The GMAT includes a quantitative section, which tests mathematical skills.
Incorrect.
This answer choice does resolve the paradox as it tells us that one section of the GMAT has little to do with English language mastery. Thus, the fact that one is a native English speaker is far from being enough to get a high score in the quantitative section, and therefore in the test as a whole.
(C) GMAT scores are calculated to create a bell-shaped normal Gaussian distribution, so scores are relative to others' performance.
Incorrect.
This answer choice does resolve the paradox as it states that scores are calculated not only on the basis of testees' performance but also on the basis of their relative scores to one another. Thus, on a scale of 200-800, The average score in case of a normal distribution is 500 - lower than 550.
(D) The GMAT has a severe time limit, and for many test takers, time ends before they have solved all the questions.
Incorrect.
This answer choice does resolve the paradox. It does so by adding a factor relevant to testees' success on the GMAT other than their mastery of the English language: speed. Thus, slow test takers, no matter how perfect their English is, will not get a high score on the GMAT because they will run out of time before seeing all the questions or will have to select answers before they have had enough time to think about the question.
(E) About 60% of GMAT test-takers are American.
This answer choice does nothing to resolve the paradox. The argument deals with native English speakers who may be British, Australian, South African, Canadian etc. The fact that 60% of the test-takers are American cannot help resolve the paradox that native English speakers don't necessarily get very high grades on the GMAT. Since the question asks for the answer choice that does LEAST to resolve the paradox, this is the correct answer.
