I01-13

Question

https://gmatclub.com/gmat-focus-tests/resources/import/img/I14-16.png 
 
The graph above shows the number of boating casualties by vessel type for a given state in 2018, categorized as Deaths by Drowning, Other Deaths, and Non-Fatal Injuries.
 
From each drop-down menu, select the option that creates the most accurate statement based on the information provided.

In 2018, the probability of death from drowning was highest for  GRAPH_1_PLACEHOLDER  users, accounting for nearly  GRAPH_2_PLACEHOLDER  of all deaths in that category.

Bunuel · Answer

Official Solution:

Drop-down 1: 
 
From the graph, the highest ratio of drownings to (drownings + other deaths), so the highest ratio of the blue bar to (blue + orange bars) was for Canoe users.
 
 Drop-down 2: 
 
From the graph, the blue bar for Canoe is 100, and the orange bar is 20, giving the probability of death from drowning for Canoe users as  \frac{100}{100+20}\approx 85\% .

Correct answer:

Dropdown 1:  "Canoe"

Dropdown 2:  "85%"

Bunuel · Answer

I have revised the question, solution, and formatting by adding more details to enhance clarity

sophiamlenz · Answer

I think this is a  poor-quality  question and I agree with explanation. specify which category, deaths by drowning or canoe users

Bunuel · Answer

"The probability of death from drowning accounting for nearly 85% of all deaths in deaths by drowning" is nonsensical.

Therefore, in the original sentence:

"In 2018, the probability of death from drowning was highest for Canoe users, accounting for nearly 85% of all deaths in that category," "that" must logically refer to Canoe users, as it is the only interpretation that makes sense in context.

s160398j · Answer

I like the solution - it’s helpful.

tkkhhaarree · Answer

I like the solution - it’s helpful.

Py4041 · Answer

I did not quite understand the solution. why cant it be pontoon it looks awfully similar 20 for drowning and 25 for total deaths. how do we differentiate in such questions when options are close

Bunuel · Answer

Pontoon
 
 Deaths by Drowning (blue) ≈ 20 
 Other Deaths (orange) ≈ 10 
 Total Deaths = 20 + 10 = 30 
 Drowning Ratio = 20 / 30 = 66.7%

Canoe
 
 Deaths by Drowning (blue) ≈ 100 
 Other Deaths (orange) ≈ 20 
 Total Deaths = 100 + 20 = 120 
 Drowning Ratio = 100 / 120 = 83.3%

Pontoon is nowhere near Canoe in drowning ratio — it's about 67% vs 83%, so Canoe is clearly the highest.

Archesteolina · Answer

I don’t quite agree with the solution. The question isn't clearly worded; probability of death of drownings to overall incidences count, or to the deaths only.

Bunuel · Answer

The question refers specifically to  deaths by drowning , so the probability is calculated relative to  total deaths  only - that is, drownings divided by (drownings + other deaths).

Non-fatal injuries are not part of the denominator since the focus is on fatal cases.

sushmit187 · Answer

I don’t quite agree with the solution. Shouldn't the category be deaths by drowning rather than vessel type? So for second part, answer can be deaths by drowning by canoe upon all death by drowning? Picking this line from the question- "categorized as Deaths by Drowning, Other Deaths, and Non-Fatal Injuries"

Bunuel · Answer

You're misunderstanding the question.

The phrase  "accounting for nearly ___ of all deaths in that category"  refers to  all deaths for that specific vessel type , not all drowning deaths across vessel types.

So for canoes, the drowning deaths are about 100, and total deaths (drowning + other) are about 120, giving 100/120 ≈ 85%.

That’s why the correct answer is:

Drop-down 1: Canoe 
 Drop-down 2: 85%

Your interpretation is looking at drowning  by vessel across all categories , but the question is asking about drowning  within a vessel type .

Ayushi2000 · Answer

I don’t quite agree with the solution. Why are we considering that probability of death by drowning means probability out of all death types , and not casualties?
The part after comma, isn't that treated like a second question?
So when we consider In 2018, the probability of death from drowning was highest for x users - wouldnt it be out of all casualties?

Bunuel · Answer

This is addressed above. However here it is gain. In the sentence  "the probability of death from drowning was highest for X users, accounting for nearly Y of all deaths in that category,"  the key is that  both parts are referring to deaths only , not all casualties.

The phrase  "of all deaths in that category"  signals that we're comparing  drowning deaths vs total deaths , not vs total casualties. So the first clause must be read in the same scope.

So yes, it's a single statement, not two separate questions, and the probability is correctly calculated as Drownings/(Drownings + Other Deaths).

Sushi_545 · Answer

Hi  Bunuel ,

Its clear but still I am not convinced with the language of the question I could see so many of people facing same issue. The language of the question is poorly drafted making it unclear. This is my personal opinion

Bunuel · Answer

"That category" refers to the vessel type, so the sentence is comparing drowning deaths to total deaths within that vessel type. Both parts of the sentence are referring to deaths, not total casualties.

avellanjc · Answer

Bunuel,

The interpretation of Sushmit for the 2nd part of the question is also a valid one, especially when the wording of the prompt states categories as deaths by drowning, other deaths, and non fatal. Maybe the wording of the 2nd part pf the question can be improved so as to completely rule out this other valid ratio.

Regards,

Juan C. Avellan

Bunuel · Answer

You misunderstood the phrase. “That category” means deaths within a vessel type, not all drownings across vessels. Sorry, I don’t have anything more to add beyond what I’ve already said on the previous page.

kirtan9kapadiya · Answer

I like the solution - it’s helpful. i understand the question now, its language can be very confusing to understand. i understand the solution now

I01-13

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