Last visit was: 03 Sep 2026, 10:29 It is currently 03 Sep 2026, 10:29
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
User avatar
Kaushik786
User avatar
Joined: 20 May 2018
Last visit: 13 Dec 2023
Posts: 71
Own Kudos:
300
 [8]
Given Kudos: 71
Location: India
Schools: Booth '22 Anderson '22 CBS '22 Johnson '22
GMAT 1: 740 Q50 V41
Schools: Booth '22 Anderson '22 CBS '22 Johnson '22
GMAT 1: 740 Q50 V41
Posts: 71
Kudos: 300
 [8]
A recent study released by the government examined geographic patterns 29 Oct 2021, 02:45
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
5
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
00:00
Start Timer
Pause Timer
Resume Timer
Show Answer
Hide
Show
History
B
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!

Difficulty:

25% (medium)

Question Stats:

75% (01:23) correct 25% (01:37) wrong based on 525 sessions

History

Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
A recent study released by the government examined geographic patterns among energy use in the U.S. According to the study's results, monthly energy bills for homeowners in the eastern part of the country are higher on average than those for homeowners residing in the western U.S. Based on this finding, the study's authors concluded that homeowners in the eastern part of the country use more energy than those in the west.

Which of the following is an important assumption for the conclusion above to be true?

A. Fluctuations in monthly energy bills (e.g., based on weather) were similar among the eastern and western homeowners studied.
B. The unit cost of energy in the eastern and western parts of the country is the same.
C. Monthly energy costs for renters in the eastern part of the U.S. are higher than those for renters in the west.
D. The average sizes of homes in the eastern and western parts of the country are significantly different.
E. Sources of energy (e.g., electricity, natural gas, etc.) used are proportionately similar in the eastern and western U.S.
ShowHide Answer
Official Answer
B
User avatar
Sloth45
User avatar
Joined: 28 Oct 2020
Last visit: 25 Feb 2023
Posts: 18
Own Kudos:
26
 [2]
Given Kudos: 29
Location: Nepal
Schools:  (S)
GPA: 3.5
WE:Business Development (Commercial Banking)
Schools:  (S)
Posts: 18
Kudos: 26
 [2]
A recent study released by the government examined geographic patterns 02 Nov 2021, 06:31
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Question type: Assumption

Premise: Average energy bills for homeowners in Eastern part is higher than those for homeowners in Western part.

Conclusion: Homeowners in eastern part use more energy than those in the west.

We can use the Negation technique to see if the premise and conclusion holds true for the given statements:

A. Change in energy bills in East and West are different ( if one rises by $100, another falls by $100 and vv). It has nothing to do with the conclusion.

B. Unit cost of energy is different. If the unit cost of energy is higher in eastern part, average energy bills will be obviously higher even if they are using less
energy. This statement hurts the argument. So, this is the assumption.

C. Monthly energy costs for renters are lower in eastern part than those for renters in west.It doesn't hurt the conclusion.

D. The average size of home in east and west are same. It doesn't hurt the conclusion.

E.Sources of energy used are different. It doesn't hurt the conclusion.
User avatar
G780MAT
User avatar
Joined: 09 Dec 2024
Last visit: 03 Sep 2026
Posts: 19
Own Kudos:
9
Given Kudos: 40
Location: India
Concentration: Organizational Behavior, International Business
Schools: IIM Booth '27 IIM
WE:Human Resources (Consulting)
Schools: IIM Booth '27 IIM
Posts: 19
Kudos: 9
A recent study released by the government examined geographic patterns 25 Aug 2026, 05:05
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I doubt with option C, please can anyone explain better?
User avatar
guddo
User avatar
Joined: 25 May 2021
Last visit: 03 Sep 2026
Posts: 1,825
Own Kudos:
14,343
 [1]
Given Kudos: 32
Posts: 1,825
Kudos: 14,343
 [1]
A recent study released by the government examined geographic patterns 25 Aug 2026, 06:15
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
A recent study released by the government examined geographic patterns among energy use in the U.S. According to the study's results, monthly energy bills for homeowners in the eastern part of the country are higher on average than those for homeowners residing in the western U.S. Based on this finding, the study's authors concluded that homeowners in the eastern part of the country use more energy than those in the west.

Which of the following is an important assumption for the conclusion above to be true?

The argument moves from higher energy bills to greater energy use. The key assumption is that the higher bills are not simply caused by higher prices per unit of energy in the East.

(A) Fluctuations in monthly energy bills (e.g., based on weather) were similar among the eastern and western homeowners studied.

Incorrect. Seasonal fluctuations do not have to be identical for the conclusion to hold.

(B) The unit cost of energy in the eastern and western parts of the country is the same.

Correct. If energy costs more per unit in the East, eastern homeowners could have higher bills even while using the same amount of energy, or even less energy. The argument therefore needs to rule out that possibility.

(C) Monthly energy costs for renters in the eastern part of the U.S. are higher than those for renters in the west.

Incorrect. The argument concerns homeowners, not renters.

(D) The average sizes of homes in the eastern and western parts of the country are significantly different.

Incorrect. Different home sizes might help explain different energy use, but the conclusion does not require homes to differ in size.

(E) Sources of energy (e.g., electricity, natural gas, etc.) used are proportionately similar in the eastern and western U.S.

Incorrect. The regions could use different energy sources and still differ in total energy use. What matters is whether higher bills actually reflect greater quantity consumed.

Answer: (B)
User avatar
egmat
User avatar
e-GMAT Representative
Joined: 02 Nov 2011
Last visit: 03 Sep 2026
Posts: 6,289
Own Kudos:
33,896
Given Kudos: 715
GMAT Date: 08-19-2020
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 6,289
Kudos: 33,896
A recent study released by the government examined geographic patterns 26 Aug 2026, 07:15
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi G780MAT,

Good question. The quickest way to see why C fails is to check what the conclusion is actually about.

The author concludes something about homeowners: "homeowners in the eastern part of the country use more energy than those in the west." Every piece of the argument - the premise about higher monthly bills and the conclusion about higher usage - is about homeowners.

Now look at C:"Monthly energy costs for renters in the eastern part of the U.S. are higher than those for renters in the west."

C switches the group to renters. That's the slip to catch - the conclusion never mentions renters, so anything about them lands outside the scope of the argument.

Here's the test for an assumption: the conclusion must depend on it. Ask yourself - does the claim "eastern homeowners use more energy" need renters' bills to behave a certain way?

- If renters' costs were higher in the east - the homeowner conclusion is unaffected.
- If renters' costs were lower in the east - the homeowner conclusion is still unaffected.

Since the conclusion holds up either way, C is not required. It's a true-or-false statement about a different group, doing nothing to the homeowner link. Contrast that with B (unit cost of energy is the same): negate it - if energy costs more per unit in the east - and the bills-to-usage jump collapses. That dependence is exactly what makes B the assumption and C irrelevant.

A quick habit to lock this in: whenever a choice quietly swaps the subject the conclusion is about - homeowners - renters, one city - the whole country - flag it. A fact about a group the argument never discusses can't be something the argument needs.

Answer: B

G780MAT
I doubt with option C, please can anyone explain better?
Show more
Moderators:
GMATNinja
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
7399 posts
AbhishekP220108
Verbal Forum Moderator
705 posts