Last visit was: 25 Apr 2026, 18:57 It is currently 25 Apr 2026, 18:57
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
Swagatalaxmi
User avatar
Joined: 05 Sep 2023
Last visit: 17 Dec 2025
Posts: 133
Own Kudos:
1,076
 [36]
Given Kudos: 332
Location: India
Concentration: Healthcare, General Management
Schools: Wharton '27 (D) Columbia '27 (D) Booth '27 (WL) MIT '27 (D) Kellog '27 (D) Stern '27 (WL) Yale '27 (D) Fuqua '27 (D) Ross '27 (A$) Stanford '27 (S) Darden '27 (II)
GMAT Focus 1: 695 Q85 V88 DI80
GPA: 3.19
WE:Medicine and Health (Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals)
Products:
My Reviews
Schools: Wharton '27 (D) Columbia '27 (D) Booth '27 (WL) MIT '27 (D) Kellog '27 (D) Stern '27 (WL) Yale '27 (D) Fuqua '27 (D) Ross '27 (A$) Stanford '27 (S) Darden '27 (II)
GMAT Focus 1: 695 Q85 V88 DI80
Posts: 133
Kudos: 1,076
 [36]
Next semester, Professors A and B will each teach two of the four nono 09 May 2024, 11:16
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
34
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
00:00
Start Timer
Pause Timer
Resume Timer
Show Answer
Hide Answer
Hide
Show
History
Gives least PI: 8:00 and 10:00 Gives greatest PI: 9:00 and 11:00
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!

Difficulty:

75% (hard)

Question Stats:

62% (03:18) correct 38% (03:10) wrong based on 1282 sessions

History

Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
­Next semester, Professors A and B will each teach two of the four nonoverlapping sections of Econ 107, with no section taught by both professors. The sections will begin at 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, and 11:00. At their department chair's request, Professors A and B ranked their preferences for these sections on a 1 (greatest) to 4 (least) scale. For the beginning times 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, and 11:00, the rankings for Professor A were, respectively, 1, 2, 3, and 4, and the rankings for Professor B were, respectively, 4, 1, 3, and 2. For each teaching assignment of Econ 107, the department chair computed the preference index (PI)-the sum of all 4 rankings associated with that teaching assignment. For example, if Professor A teaches Econ 107 at 9:00 and 10:00 (and thus Professor B teaches Econ 107 at 8:00 and 11:00), then the PI would be (2+3) + (4+2) = 11.

Based on the information provided, select for Gives least Pl a choice of sections for Professor A to teach such that the associated PI is least, and select for Gives greatest PI a choice of sections for Professor A to teach such that the associated PI is greatest. Make only two selections, one in each column.
Gives least PI Gives greatest PI
8:00 and 9:00
8:00 and 10:00
8:00 and 11:00
9:00 and 10:00
9:00 and 11:00
10:00 and 11:00
Submit Answer
Start the Timer above, select the radio buttons, and click "Submit" to add this question to your Error log.
ShowHide Answer
Official Answer
Gives least PI: 8:00 and 10:00 Gives greatest PI: 9:00 and 11:00
Trying to understand why the right answer is right? GMAT Club Tests explanations walk through concepts, shortcuts, and common traps on many questions. See how →
User avatar
chetan2u
User avatar
GMAT Expert
Joined: 02 Aug 2009
Last visit: 25 Apr 2026
Posts: 11,229
Own Kudos:
45,020
 [2]
Given Kudos: 335
Status:Math and DI Expert
Location: India
Concentration: Human Resources, General Management
GMAT Focus 1: 735 Q90 V89 DI81
Products:
My Reviews
Expert
Expert reply
GMAT Focus 1: 735 Q90 V89 DI81
Posts: 11,229
Kudos: 45,020
 [2]
Next semester, Professors A and B will each teach two of the four nono 09 May 2024, 19:14
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Swagatalaxmi
­Next semester, Professors A and B will each teach two of the four nonoverlapping sections of Econ 107, with no section taught by both professors. The sections will begin at 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, and 11:00. At their department chair's request, Professors A and B ranked their preferences for these sections on a 1 (greatest) to 4 (least) scale. For the beginning times 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, and 11:00, the rankings for Professor A were, respectively, 1, 2, 3, and 4, and the rankings for Professor B were, respectively, 4, 1, 3, and 2. For each teaching assignment of Econ 107, the department chair computed the preference index (PI)-the sum of all 4 rankings associated with that teaching assignment. For example, if Professor A teaches Econ 107 at 9:00 and 10:00 (and thus Professor B teaches Econ 107 at 8:00 and 11:00), then the PI would be (2+3) + (4+2) = 11.

Based on the information provided, select for Gives least Pl a choice of sections for Professor A to teach such that the associated PI is least, and select for Gives greatest PI a choice of sections for Professor A to teach such that the associated PI is greatest. Make only two selections, one in each column.
Show more

Least PI would be when we are able to take the least possible rankings for both, so we should try and contain 1 and 2 for each if possible.
The rankings are:
1,2,3,4
4,1,3,2
We can choose only one of the two in each column.
Let us pick 1,2 for professor A, then left for B are 3 and 2….Total 1+2+3+2 or 8
Let us pick 1,2 for professor B, then left for A are 1 and 3….Total 1+2+1+3 or 7
So answer is 1 and 3 for A or 8:00 and 10:00

Greatest PI would be when we are able to take the max possible rankings for both, so we should try and contain 3 and 4 for each if possible.
The rankings are:
1,2,3,4
4,1,3,2
We can choose only one of the two in each column.
Let us pick 3,4 for professor A, then left for B are 4 and 1….Total 12
Let us pick 3,4for professor B, then left for A are 2 and 4….Total 13
So answer is 2 and 4 for A or 9:00 and 11:00

Posted from my mobile device
User avatar
sayan640
User avatar
Joined: 29 Oct 2015
Last visit: 25 Apr 2026
Posts: 1,118
Own Kudos:
862
Given Kudos: 790
GMAT 1: 570 Q42 V28
Products:
My Reviews
GMAT 1: 570 Q42 V28
Posts: 1,118
Kudos: 862
Next semester, Professors A and B will each teach two of the four nono 23 May 2024, 16:28
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
The timings :-

8 9 10 11
1 2 3 4          Ranking based on preference
4 1 3 2

For the least , try with (1,2) and then (1,3) and then (1,4). Check the corresponding values , add and compare.

For the greatest , try with (4,3) and then (4,2) and then (4,1). Check the corresponding values , add and compare.­
User avatar
Freddy12
User avatar
Joined: 23 Dec 2023
Last visit: 21 Dec 2025
Posts: 31
Own Kudos:
15
Given Kudos: 308
GMAT Focus 1: 655 Q90 V81 DI77
GMAT 1: 600 Q47 V27
GMAT Focus 1: 655 Q90 V81 DI77
GMAT 1: 600 Q47 V27
Posts: 31
Kudos: 15
Next semester, Professors A and B will each teach two of the four nono 26 Jun 2024, 01:00
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
chetan2u KarishmaB MartyTargetTestPrep GMATNinja Bunuel How do we solve such Qs under 2 min? It took me a total of 4 min to get the correct answer!

2 min for reading the passage & comprehending it
and 2 min for substituting various options­
User avatar
KarishmaB
User avatar
Joined: 16 Oct 2010
Last visit: 23 Apr 2026
Posts: 16,441
Own Kudos:
79,413
 [4]
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: 16,441
Kudos: 79,413
 [4]
Next semester, Professors A and B will each teach two of the four nono 26 Jun 2024, 02:45
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Swagatalaxmi
­Next semester, Professors A and B will each teach two of the four nonoverlapping sections of Econ 107, with no section taught by both professors. The sections will begin at 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, and 11:00. At their department chair's request, Professors A and B ranked their preferences for these sections on a 1 (greatest) to 4 (least) scale. For the beginning times 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, and 11:00, the rankings for Professor A were, respectively, 1, 2, 3, and 4, and the rankings for Professor B were, respectively, 4, 1, 3, and 2. For each teaching assignment of Econ 107, the department chair computed the preference index (PI)-the sum of all 4 rankings associated with that teaching assignment. For example, if Professor A teaches Econ 107 at 9:00 and 10:00 (and thus Professor B teaches Econ 107 at 8:00 and 11:00), then the PI would be (2+3) + (4+2) = 11.

Based on the information provided, select for Gives least Pl a choice of sections for Professor A to teach such that the associated PI is least, and select for Gives greatest PI a choice of sections for Professor A to teach such that the associated PI is greatest. Make only two selections, one in each column.
Show more
­
I strongly advise against using option in two part analysis until and unless you are stuck. There are too many to try.

Key points:

For the beginning times 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, and 11:00,
the rankings for Professor A were, respectively, 1, 2, 3, and 4, 
the rankings for Professor B were, respectively, 4, 1, 3, and 2.

Calculation of PI: if Professor A teaches Econ 107 at 9:00 and 10:00 (and thus Professor B teaches Econ 107 at 8:00 and 11:00), then the PI would be (2+3) + (4+2) = 11.

The minimum PI will be 6 (1 + 2 + 1 + 2) such that both get their top 2 choices. But that is not possible because both have 9:00 am in their top 2 choices. 
Next best would be 7 and that works A (1, 3) and B (1, 2)
ANSWER: So A gets 8:00 am and 10:00 am

The maximum PI would be (4 + 3 + 4 + 3) = 14. But this is not possible because both 3s are at 10:00 am. 
Next would be 13 if we select 2 for one of them which works A (2, 4) and B(4, 3)
ANSWER: So A gets 9:00 am and 11:00 am

Here is a discussion on Two Part Analysis: https://youtu.be/O-iV8Vv4svY
 ­
avatar
Purple_Wizard
avatar
Joined: 20 Dec 2023
Last visit: 02 Sep 2024
Posts: 14
Own Kudos:
6
 [1]
Given Kudos: 25
Location: India
WE:Corporate Finance (Consumer Packaged Goods)
Posts: 14
Kudos: 6
 [1]
Next semester, Professors A and B will each teach two of the four nono 02 Jul 2024, 01:38
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
KarishmaB

Swagatalaxmi
­Next semester, Professors A and B will each teach two of the four nonoverlapping sections of Econ 107, with no section taught by both professors. The sections will begin at 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, and 11:00. At their department chair's request, Professors A and B ranked their preferences for these sections on a 1 (greatest) to 4 (least) scale. For the beginning times 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, and 11:00, the rankings for Professor A were, respectively, 1, 2, 3, and 4, and the rankings for Professor B were, respectively, 4, 1, 3, and 2. For each teaching assignment of Econ 107, the department chair computed the preference index (PI)-the sum of all 4 rankings associated with that teaching assignment. For example, if Professor A teaches Econ 107 at 9:00 and 10:00 (and thus Professor B teaches Econ 107 at 8:00 and 11:00), then the PI would be (2+3) + (4+2) = 11.

Based on the information provided, select for Gives least Pl a choice of sections for Professor A to teach such that the associated PI is least, and select for Gives greatest PI a choice of sections for Professor A to teach such that the associated PI is greatest. Make only two selections, one in each column.
­
I strongly advise against using option in two part analysis until and unless you are stuck. There are too many to try.

Key points:

For the beginning times 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, and 11:00,
the rankings for Professor A were, respectively, 1, 2, 3, and 4, 
the rankings for Professor B were, respectively, 4, 1, 3, and 2.

Calculation of PI: if Professor A teaches Econ 107 at 9:00 and 10:00 (and thus Professor B teaches Econ 107 at 8:00 and 11:00), then the PI would be (2+3) + (4+2) = 11.

The minimum PI will be 6 (1 + 2 + 1 + 2) such that both get their top 2 choices. But that is not possible because both have 9:00 am in their top 2 choices. 
Next best would be 7 and that works A (1, 3) and B (1, 2)
ANSWER: So A gets 8:00 am and 10:00 am

The maximum PI would be (4 + 3 + 4 + 3) = 14. But this is not possible because both 3s are at 10:00 am. 
Next would be 13 if we select 2 for one of them which works A (2, 4) and B(4, 3)
ANSWER: So A gets 9:00 am and 11:00 am

Here is a discussion on Two Part Analysis: https://youtu.be/O-iV8Vv4svY
 ­
Show more
­
chetan2u and KarishmaB - I find this question to be flawed because of the language, the Q stem states that least PI is when it is highest in absolute value and greatest PI is when it is least in absolute value. If we have to get the 'least' PI it means the highest abs. value i.e., 8 and 10am for the Professor A and vice versa. When I was solving this Q it was not tough but I chose reverse options because of this nuanced understanding, there is so much of word play in the GMAT universe, so I wanted to make sure I think through what I select. 

Given such sort of Qs I am really confused, should we read into the finer details on GMAT FE Qs or just use common sense / logic i.e., least means lowest absolute value and greatest means highest absolute value. 

MartyMurray and GMATNinja it would be great to understand your take on this too! Thanks a lot in advance to you all. 
 ­
User avatar
KarishmaB
User avatar
Joined: 16 Oct 2010
Last visit: 23 Apr 2026
Posts: 16,441
Own Kudos:
79,413
 [1]
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: 16,441
Kudos: 79,413
 [1]
Next semester, Professors A and B will each teach two of the four nono 02 Jul 2024, 01:59
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Purple_Wizard

KarishmaB

Swagatalaxmi
­Next semester, Professors A and B will each teach two of the four nonoverlapping sections of Econ 107, with no section taught by both professors. The sections will begin at 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, and 11:00. At their department chair's request, Professors A and B ranked their preferences for these sections on a 1 (greatest) to 4 (least) scale. For the beginning times 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, and 11:00, the rankings for Professor A were, respectively, 1, 2, 3, and 4, and the rankings for Professor B were, respectively, 4, 1, 3, and 2. For each teaching assignment of Econ 107, the department chair computed the preference index (PI)-the sum of all 4 rankings associated with that teaching assignment. For example, if Professor A teaches Econ 107 at 9:00 and 10:00 (and thus Professor B teaches Econ 107 at 8:00 and 11:00), then the PI would be (2+3) + (4+2) = 11.

Based on the information provided, select for Gives least Pl a choice of sections for Professor A to teach such that the associated PI is least, and select for Gives greatest PI a choice of sections for Professor A to teach such that the associated PI is greatest. Make only two selections, one in each column.
­
I strongly advise against using option in two part analysis until and unless you are stuck. There are too many to try.

Key points:

For the beginning times 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, and 11:00,
the rankings for Professor A were, respectively, 1, 2, 3, and 4, 
the rankings for Professor B were, respectively, 4, 1, 3, and 2.

Calculation of PI: if Professor A teaches Econ 107 at 9:00 and 10:00 (and thus Professor B teaches Econ 107 at 8:00 and 11:00), then the PI would be (2+3) + (4+2) = 11.

The minimum PI will be 6 (1 + 2 + 1 + 2) such that both get their top 2 choices. But that is not possible because both have 9:00 am in their top 2 choices. 
Next best would be 7 and that works A (1, 3) and B (1, 2)
ANSWER: So A gets 8:00 am and 10:00 am

The maximum PI would be (4 + 3 + 4 + 3) = 14. But this is not possible because both 3s are at 10:00 am. 
Next would be 13 if we select 2 for one of them which works A (2, 4) and B(4, 3)
ANSWER: So A gets 9:00 am and 11:00 am

Here is a discussion on Two Part Analysis: https://youtu.be/O-iV8Vv4svY
 ­
­
chetan2u and KarishmaB - I find this question to be flawed because of the language, the Q stem states that least PI is when it is highest in absolute value and greatest PI is when it is least in absolute value. If we have to get the 'least' PI it means the highest abs. value i.e., 8 and 10am for the Professor A and vice versa. When I was solving this Q it was not tough but I chose reverse options because of this nuanced understanding, there is so much of word play in the GMAT universe, so I wanted to make sure I think through what I select. 

Given such sort of Qs I am really confused, should we read into the finer details on GMAT FE Qs or just use common sense / logic i.e., least means lowest absolute value and greatest means highest absolute value. 

MartyMurray and GMATNinja it would be great to understand your take on this too! Thanks a lot in advance to you all. 
 ­
Show more
I understand where you are coming from, but ­I am quite comfortable with the language of the question and did not think twice about it till you mentioned. 

...  Professors A and B ranked their preferences for these sections on a 1 (greatest) to 4 (least) scale. ...For each teaching assignment of Econ 107, the department chair computed the preference index (PI) -the sum of all 4 rankings associated with that teaching assignment.
Based on the information provided, select for Gives least Pl a choice of sections for Professor A to teach such that the associated PI is least,

On the scale of preference, least = greatest value and that is how it has been defined. Every scale clarifies this. Say a scale of 1 to 10 for job performance has to clarify whether 1 is the best or 10. Both work equally well. 

But all we know about the preference index is that it is calculated by adding all rankings. Hence when I read "such that the associated PI is least", I read it as least value of the PI. They are not looking for the least preferred index value. They are looking for the lowest value of the index. 
Though, take heart from the fact that in official questions (during experimental stage), if they find many people making such a mistake, they will clarify. ­
avatar
Purple_Wizard
avatar
Joined: 20 Dec 2023
Last visit: 02 Sep 2024
Posts: 14
Own Kudos:
6
 [1]
Given Kudos: 25
Location: India
WE:Corporate Finance (Consumer Packaged Goods)
Posts: 14
Kudos: 6
 [1]
Next semester, Professors A and B will each teach two of the four nono 02 Jul 2024, 03:46
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
KarishmaB

Purple_Wizard
chetan2u and KarishmaB - I find this question to be flawed because of the language, the Q stem states that least PI is when it is highest in absolute value and greatest PI is when it is least in absolute value. If we have to get the 'least' PI it means the highest abs. value i.e., 8 and 10am for the Professor A and vice versa. When I was solving this Q it was not tough but I chose reverse options because of this nuanced understanding, there is so much of word play in the GMAT universe, so I wanted to make sure I think through what I select. 

Given such sort of Qs I am really confused, should we read into the finer details on GMAT FE Qs or just use common sense / logic i.e., least means lowest absolute value and greatest means highest absolute value. 

MartyMurray and GMATNinja it would be great to understand your take on this too! Thanks a lot in advance to you all. 
 ­
I understand where you are coming from, but ­I am quite comfortable with the language of the question and did not think twice about it till you mentioned. 

...  Professors A and B ranked their preferences for these sections on a 1 (greatest) to 4 (least) scale. ...For each teaching assignment of Econ 107, the department chair computed the preference index (PI) -the sum of all 4 rankings associated with that teaching assignment.
Based on the information provided, select for Gives least Pl a choice of sections for Professor A to teach such that the associated PI is least,

On the scale of preference, least = greatest value and that is how it has been defined. Every scale clarifies this. Say a scale of 1 to 10 for job performance has to clarify whether 1 is the best or 10. Both work equally well. 

But all we know about the preference index is that it is calculated by adding all rankings. Hence when I read "such that the associated PI is least", I read it as least value of the PI. They are not looking for the least preferred index value. They are looking for the lowest value of the index. 
Though, take heart from the fact that in official questions (during experimental stage), if they find many people making such a mistake, they will clarify. ­
Show more
­Thanks a lot for your prompt response, KarishmaB! Your explanation is helpful, it makes sense when I think about scale being different from the index value. But given the time pressure on the exam day,  I hope I don't make any such mistakes. ­
User avatar
MartyMurray
User avatar
Joined: 11 Aug 2023
Last visit: 25 Apr 2026
Posts: 1,848
Own Kudos:
7,115
 [3]
Given Kudos: 213
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V51
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V51
Posts: 1,848
Kudos: 7,115
 [3]
Next semester, Professors A and B will each teach two of the four nono 02 Jul 2024, 08:11
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Purple_Wizard

KarishmaB

Purple_Wizard
chetan2u and KarishmaB - I find this question to be flawed because of the language, the Q stem states that least PI is when it is highest in absolute value and greatest PI is when it is least in absolute value. If we have to get the 'least' PI it means the highest abs. value i.e., 8 and 10am for the Professor A and vice versa. When I was solving this Q it was not tough but I chose reverse options because of this nuanced understanding, there is so much of word play in the GMAT universe, so I wanted to make sure I think through what I select. 

Given such sort of Qs I am really confused, should we read into the finer details on GMAT FE Qs or just use common sense / logic i.e., least means lowest absolute value and greatest means highest absolute value. 

MartyMurray and GMATNinja it would be great to understand your take on this too! Thanks a lot in advance to you all. 
 ­
I understand where you are coming from, but ­I am quite comfortable with the language of the question and did not think twice about it till you mentioned. 

...  Professors A and B ranked their preferences for these sections on a 1 (greatest) to 4 (least) scale. ...For each teaching assignment of Econ 107, the department chair computed the preference index (PI) -the sum of all 4 rankings associated with that teaching assignment.
Based on the information provided, select for Gives least Pl a choice of sections for Professor A to teach such that the associated PI is least,

On the scale of preference, least = greatest value and that is how it has been defined. Every scale clarifies this. Say a scale of 1 to 10 for job performance has to clarify whether 1 is the best or 10. Both work equally well. 

But all we know about the preference index is that it is calculated by adding all rankings. Hence when I read "such that the associated PI is least", I read it as least value of the PI. They are not looking for the least preferred index value. They are looking for the lowest value of the index. 
Though, take heart from the fact that in official questions (during experimental stage), if they find many people making such a mistake, they will clarify. ­
­Thanks a lot for your prompt response, KarishmaB! Your explanation is helpful, it makes sense when I think about scale being different from the index value. But given the time pressure on the exam day,  I hope I don't make any such mistakes. ­
Show more
­Just keep in mind that the questions likely will provide opportunities for you to reverse things said, and be careful not to put your own spin on the information provided.
User avatar
bumpbot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 09 Sep 2013
Last visit: 04 Jan 2021
Posts: 38,986
Own Kudos:
1,118
Posts: 38,986
Kudos: 1,118
Next semester, Professors A and B will each teach two of the four nono 24 Jul 2025, 18:34
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Automated notice from GMAT Club BumpBot:

A member just gave Kudos to this thread, showing it’s still useful. I’ve bumped it to the top so more people can benefit. Feel free to add your own questions or solutions.

This post was generated automatically.
Moderators:
Bunuel
Math Expert
109830 posts
kingbucky
498 posts
Gmat860sanskar
212 posts