Last visit was: 19 Nov 2025, 10:54 It is currently 19 Nov 2025, 10:54
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
Sub 505 Level|   Overlapping Sets|               
User avatar
GMATinsight
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 08 Jul 2010
Last visit: 19 Nov 2025
Posts: 6,839
Own Kudos:
16,354
 [19]
Given Kudos: 128
Status:GMAT/GRE Tutor l Admission Consultant l On-Demand Course creator
Location: India
GMAT: QUANT+DI EXPERT
Schools: IIM (A) ISB '24
GMAT 1: 750 Q51 V41
WE:Education (Education)
Products:
Expert
Expert reply
Schools: IIM (A) ISB '24
GMAT 1: 750 Q51 V41
Posts: 6,839
Kudos: 16,354
 [19]
Kudos
Add Kudos
19
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Most Helpful Reply
User avatar
GMATinsight
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 08 Jul 2010
Last visit: 19 Nov 2025
Posts: 6,839
Own Kudos:
16,354
 [5]
Given Kudos: 128
Status:GMAT/GRE Tutor l Admission Consultant l On-Demand Course creator
Location: India
GMAT: QUANT+DI EXPERT
Schools: IIM (A) ISB '24
GMAT 1: 750 Q51 V41
WE:Education (Education)
Products:
Expert
Expert reply
Schools: IIM (A) ISB '24
GMAT 1: 750 Q51 V41
Posts: 6,839
Kudos: 16,354
 [5]
5
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
General Discussion
User avatar
nick1816
User avatar
Retired Moderator
Joined: 19 Oct 2018
Last visit: 06 Nov 2025
Posts: 1,849
Own Kudos:
8,237
 [2]
Given Kudos: 707
Location: India
Posts: 1,849
Kudos: 8,237
 [2]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
BrentGMATPrepNow
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 12 Sep 2015
Last visit: 31 Oct 2025
Posts: 6,739
Own Kudos:
35,346
 [3]
Given Kudos: 799
Location: Canada
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 6,739
Kudos: 35,346
 [3]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
GMATinsight
There are 2 groups of students who took a history test. Was the average (arithmetic mean) score of the students in Group A higher than the average score of the students in Group B who took the test?

(1) Of the students who took the test, 10 were in Group A and 12 were in Group B.
(2) On the test, the highest score achieved was achieved by a Group B student and the lowest score achieved was achieved by a Group A student.
Target question: Was the average (arithmetic mean) score of the students in Group A higher than the average score of the students in Group B who took the test?

Statement 1: Of the students who took the test, 10 were in Group A and 12 were in Group B.
To calculate the average score for each group, we need:
- The sum of all scores in each group
- The number of students in each group

Statement 1 provides the number of students in each group, but we still don't know the sum of scores for each group.
Statement 1 is NOT SUFFICIENT

Statement 2: On the test, the highest score achieved was achieved by a Group B student and the lowest score achieved was achieved by a Group A student.
This just tells us about 1 student from each group.
Also, we still need to know the number of students in each group.
Statement 2 is NOT SUFFICIENT

Statements 1 and 2 combined
When we combine both statements, we know the total number of students in each group, and we know a TINY BIT about 1 score from each group.
As such, the combined statements are NOT SUFFICIENT

If you're not 100% convinced, consider the following scenarios that satisfy BOTH statements:
Case a: The Group A scores are {1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1} and the Group B scores are {5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,}. In this case, the answer to the target question is NO, Group A's average score is NOT greater than Group B's average score
Case b: The Group A scores are {1,99,99,99,99,99,99,99,99,99} and the Group B scores are {2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,10}. In this case, the answer to the target question is YES, Group A's average score IS greater than Group B's average score
Since we cannot answer the target question with certainty, the combined statements are NOT SUFFICIENT

Answer: E

Cheers,
Brent
User avatar
CrackverbalGMAT
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 03 Oct 2013
Last visit: 19 Nov 2025
Posts: 4,844
Own Kudos:
8,945
 [1]
Given Kudos: 225
Affiliations: CrackVerbal
Location: India
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 4,844
Kudos: 8,945
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Solution:

Let there be x students in Group A and y students in Group B.

Let sum of scores in Group A = a and that of Group B =b.

Hence the average of Group A = a/x and the average of Group B = b/x.

We are asked if average of Group A> average of Group B

or if a/x > b/x ?

St (1):- Of the students who took the test, 10 were in Group A and 12 were in Group B.

Given x=10,y=12 but we are not aware of the values of a and b. (Insufficient)

St(2):- On the test, the highest score achieved was achieved by a Group B student and the lowest score achieved was achieved by a Group A student.

No specific information regarding the value of a, b, x, y is provided. (Insufficient)

On combining both, we still do not have the specific values of a, b, x, y. (Insufficient)

Thus option (e)

Hope this helps :thumbsup:

Devmitra Sen (GMAT Quant Expert)
User avatar
bumpbot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 09 Sep 2013
Last visit: 04 Jan 2021
Posts: 38,589
Own Kudos:
Posts: 38,589
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
105390 posts
496 posts