Last visit was: 21 May 2026, 20:25 It is currently 21 May 2026, 20:25
Home
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
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.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
Back to Forum
Create Topic
   1   2 
User avatar
KarishmaB
User avatar
Joined: 16 Oct 2010
Last visit: 21 May 2026
Posts: 16,477
Own Kudos:
79,689
Given Kudos: 485
Location: Pune, India
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 16,477
Kudos: 79,689
Three people each took 5 tests. If the ranges of their score 21 Feb 2022, 23:21
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
him0559
KarishmaB
Cant there be negative marking in case of calculating max range
Show more

Where it will be relevant, the question will mention the scoring pattern (maximum, minimum scores possible, negative marking, the way negative marking is calculated etc).
User avatar
Goldenfuture
User avatar
Joined: 24 Dec 2024
Last visit: 29 Jan 2026
Posts: 150
Own Kudos:
13
Given Kudos: 48
Posts: 150
Kudos: 13
Three people each took 5 tests. If the ranges of their score 13 Jan 2026, 10:54
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
explain this part: P.S. Notice that max range for the original question is not limited when the max # of people in all 3 groups for revised question is 17+28+35 (in case there is 0 overlap between the 3 groups).
Bunuel


Consider this as an overlapping sets problem:

  • The number of people in Group A is 17.
  • The number of people in Group B is 28.
  • The number of people in Group C is 35.

What is the minimum number of total people possible in all three groups? Clearly, if the two smaller groups A and B are subsets of the larger group C (meaning all people in A and all in B are also in C), then the total number of people across all three groups would be 35. The minimum total cannot possibly be less than 35, as there are already 35 people in group C.

Answer: C.

Hope it's clear.

P.S. Note that the maximum range for the original question is not limited, whereas the maximum number of people in all three groups for my revised question is 17 + 28 + 35, which occurs if there is zero overlap between the groups.
Show more
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 21 May 2026
Posts: 110,769
Own Kudos:
816,233
Given Kudos: 106,353
Products:
GMAT Club Tests Forum Quiz
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 110,769
Kudos: 816,233
Three people each took 5 tests. If the ranges of their score 13 Jan 2026, 10:59
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Goldenfuture
explain this part: P.S. Notice that max range for the original question is not limited when the max # of people in all 3 groups for revised question is 17+28+35 (in case there is 0 overlap between the 3 groups).

Show more
The point is simply this:

In the overlapping-sets example, the total has a clear maximum of 17 + 28 + 35 when there is no overlap.
In the original score-range problem, there is no such upper limit, because scores can be spread arbitrarily far apart on the number line.
User avatar
luisdicampo
User avatar
Joined: 10 Feb 2025
Last visit: 30 Apr 2026
Posts: 480
Own Kudos:
82
Given Kudos: 328
Products:
My Reviews
Posts: 480
Kudos: 82
Three people each took 5 tests. If the ranges of their score 16 Jan 2026, 02:43
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Deconstructing the Question
Given ranges of scores for three people:
1. Person A: Range = 17
2. Person B: Range = 28
3. Person C: Range = 35

Target: Find the minimum possible range of the scores for the combined group.

Step 1: Understand the Constraint
The range of a dataset is defined as \(Max - Min\).
Let the set of all scores be \(S\).
Since Person C's scores are a subset of \(S\), and Person C has a range of 35, the set \(S\) must contain at least two values, \(x\) and \(y\), such that \(|x - y| = 35\).

Therefore, the range of the entire set \(S\) must be at least 35.
Mathematically: \(Range_{total} \ge \max(Range_A, Range_B, Range_C)\).

Step 2: Test for Minimum Possibility
To minimize the total range, we assume complete overlap of the score intervals.
Let's assign hypothetical scores to verify if a total range of 35 is possible:
- Person C scores: {0, ..., 35} -> Range is 35.
- Person B scores: {0, ..., 28} -> Range is 28. (Fits inside [0, 35])
- Person A scores: {0, ..., 17} -> Range is 17. (Fits inside [0, 35])

In this scenario:
Global Max = 35
Global Min = 0
Global Range = 35.

Thus, the minimum possible range is determined by the largest individual range.

Answer: C
User avatar
luisdicampo
User avatar
Joined: 10 Feb 2025
Last visit: 30 Apr 2026
Posts: 480
Own Kudos:
82
Given Kudos: 328
Products:
My Reviews
Posts: 480
Kudos: 82
Three people each took 5 tests. If the ranges of their score 16 Jan 2026, 07:21
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Deconstructing the Question
Given ranges of scores for three people:
1. Person A: Range = 17
2. Person B: Range = 28
3. Person C: Range = 35

Target: Find the minimum possible range of the scores for the combined group.

Step 1: Understand the Constraint
The range of a dataset is defined as \(Max - Min\).
Let the set of all scores be \(S\).
Since Person C's scores are a subset of \(S\), and Person C has a range of 35, the set \(S\) must contain at least two values, \(x\) and \(y\), such that \(|x - y| = 35\).

Therefore, the range of the entire set \(S\) must be at least 35.
Mathematically: \(Range_{total} \ge \max(Range_A, Range_B, Range_C)\).

Step 2: Test for Minimum Possibility
To minimize the total range, we assume complete overlap of the score intervals.
Let's assign hypothetical scores to verify if a total range of 35 is possible:
- Person C scores: {0, ..., 35} -> Range is 35.
- Person B scores: {0, ..., 28} -> Range is 28. (Fits inside [0, 35])
- Person A scores: {0, ..., 17} -> Range is 17. (Fits inside [0, 35])

In this scenario:
Global Max = 35
Global Min = 0
Global Range = 35.

Thus, the minimum possible range is determined by the largest individual range.

Answer: C
User avatar
bishal128
User avatar
Joined: 30 May 2025
Last visit: 21 May 2026
Posts: 17
Own Kudos:
3
Given Kudos: 35
Posts: 17
Kudos: 3
Three people each took 5 tests. If the ranges of their score 21 May 2026, 19:26
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Please help me understand:
Suppose Test Takes scores are
A-{0,0,0,0,17}
B-{0,0,0,0,28}
C-{35,35,35,35,70}

In this case, set of total scores are {0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,17,28, 35,35,35, 35, 70} and the minimum range of total set would be |70-0|=70

Bunuel please help me straight my thinking!
Bunuel


Your example:
{17, 17, 17, 17, 34} --> range=17;
{7, 7, 7, 7, 35} --> range=28;
{0, 0, 0, 0, 35} --> range=35.

All 15 scores: {0, 0, 0, 0, 7, 7, 7, 7, 17, 17, 17, 17, 34, 35, 35} --> range=35-0=35, not 7.

Hope it's clear.
Show more
   1   2 
Moderators:
Bunuel
Math Expert
110769 posts
Krunaal
Tuck School Moderator
852 posts