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12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 8: IT Consultant: In the

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HarshaBujji

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25 Dec 2024, 12:22

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Bunuel

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(A) Most of the IT support calls related to software issues occurred during business hours when the volume of software use was highest. Irrelevant.

(B) The affordable update subscriptions were offered equally to all business sectors, including both small and large companies. OFS, Large companies are OFS won't have any impact.

(C) IT support companies noted that calls about software integration issues were more frequent during major software release cycles. So what, This slightly strengthens by saying that some upgrade occurred.

(D) Throughout the 2010s, regulatory requirements for data security in software were more strictly enforced than policies on software update compliance. Irrelevant.

(E) The number of small businesses in the region increased significantly during the 2010s. Hmm, The increase in freq could be BCS of increase in the number of SMBs rather than the rate at which SMBs update software increased.

IMO E

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25 Dec 2024, 12:34

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Hi everyone

This is a weakening question.
Our goal is to identify the option that most seriously weakens the conclusion that the rate of software updates among small businesses significantly increased.

A - This does not address whether more small businesses updated their software. Eliminate.
B - The argument focuses on small businesses, not on how updates were offered across sectors. Eliminate.
C - If the calls were due to integration issues during major releases, it does not necessarily indicate an increase in the rate of updates overall. However, it doesn’t fully disprove the conclusion. Eliminate.
D - This discusses data security enforcement but does not directly impact the argument about the rate of updates. Eliminate.
E - The conclusion assumes that the frequency of calls directly correlates with higher update rates among existing businesses. If the increase in calls is due to there being more businesses, the argument is undermined because the calls don’t reflect an increase in update rates. Correct.

E is our answer.

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Bunuel

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IT Consultant: In the late 2000s, surveys indicated that many small businesses were not updating their software regularly due to high costs. Consequently, software companies began offering affordable subscriptions that had new version updates included into them. By the late 2010s, IT support companies reported a higher frequency of calls from small businesses related to software updates. Therefore, despite the potential ongoing cost concerns, the rate of software updates among small businesses must have increased significantly over the decade.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?

(A) Most of the IT support calls related to software issues occurred during business hours when the volume of software use was highest.

(B) The affordable update subscriptions were offered equally to all business sectors, including both small and large companies.

(C) IT support companies noted that calls about software integration issues were more frequent during major software release cycles.

(D) Throughout the 2010s, regulatory requirements for data security in software were more strictly enforced than policies on software update compliance.

(E) The number of small businesses in the region increased significantly during the 2010s.

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Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?

(A) Most of the IT support calls related to software issues occurred during business hours when the volume of software use was highest. Out of scope

(B) The affordable update subscriptions were offered equally to all business sectors, including both small and large companies. Out of scope

(C) IT support companies noted that calls about software integration issues were more frequent during major software release cycles. This gives us one more angle that might have led to increase in call frequency which may be due to more software integration issues even in existing software rather than new updates which can weaken the given conclusion

(D) Throughout the 2010s, regulatory requirements for data security in software were more strictly enforced than policies on software update compliance. Out of scope

(E) The number of small businesses in the region increased significantly during the 2010s. Even though number of small businesses increased, this doesn't help us answer why the frequency increased and whether that was due to frequent software updates

Answer: C

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25 Dec 2024, 12:48

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The conclusion is based on the assumption that the frequency of IT support calls related to software updates is an indicator of more frequent software updates. So, an option choice which states that the increased frequency of IT support calls was not the only reason would weaken this conclusion.

(A) Most of the IT support calls related to software issues occurred during business hours when the volume of software use was highest. This doesn't weaken the argument because it just talks about when the calls happened not why they happened.

(B) The affordable update subscriptions were offered equally to all business sectors, including both small and large companies.
We're only concerned about rate of software updates from small businesses.

(C) IT support companies noted that calls about software integration issues were more frequent during major software release cycles. This weakens the argument because it suggests that more calls could be about specific problems during updates not an increase in the frequency of updates themselves.

(D) Throughout the 2010s, regulatory requirements for data security in software were more strictly enforced than policies on software update compliance. This talks about data security regulations but how it leads to increased software update isn't supported.

(E) The number of small businesses in the region increased significantly during the 2010s. The number of small businesses increase doesn't directly imply that more small businesses opted for updates.

IMO C

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A. Incorrect. it does not matter when exactly the calls came in
B. Incorrect. This information does challenge the conclusion in any way it just provides additional information
C Incorrect. like in A the timing of the calls does not matter
D. Correct. from this it could be maybe the calls were about data security in the software not necessarily software updates
E. Incorrect. this tells us nothing about software uptake and update by the new businesses

Bunuel

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(A) Most of the IT support calls related to software issues occurred during business hours when the volume of software use was highest.

(B) The affordable update subscriptions were offered equally to all business sectors, including both small and large companies.

(C) IT support companies noted that calls about software integration issues were more frequent during major software release cycles.

(D) Throughout the 2010s, regulatory requirements for data security in software were more strictly enforced than policies on software update compliance.

(E) The number of small businesses in the region increased significantly during the 2010s.

Answer C points out that the increased number of calls could be due to integration issues during times of new software releases, hindering the subscription impulse on demand the argument holds.

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The argument is, given the more affordable packages, more demand from small businesses and backed by evidence from higher frequency of calls related to software updates.

Now A: if it does really anything at all, is not weakening it.
B: Unrelated to the question.
C: Interesting.
D: Out of scope.
E: Interesting.

Now here is a 50/50 choice, I see that both hinder the statement but clearly one is a more critical point than the other. The fact that more small businesses increased or not in the region does not fully translate into pure demand, or it might. Given this, answer B is CORRECT.

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(A) Most of the IT support calls related to software issues occurred during business hours when the volume of software use was highest.
×Wrong. This somehow supports.

(B) The affordable update subscriptions were offered equally to all business sectors, including both small and large companies. Wrong.
×This actually supports

(C) IT support companies noted that calls about software integration issues were more frequent during major software release cycles. ×Irrelevant

(D) Throughout the 2010s, regulatory requirements for data security in software were more strictly enforced than policies on software update compliance. ×Out of context. Explicitly mentioned calls about updates

(E) The number of small businesses in the region increased significantly during the 2010s.
*Correct. As number of business increased, calls increased but rate may not have increased.

Answer E

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To weaken the argument that the rate of software updates among small businesses must have increased in the 2010s due to affordable subscriptions, we need to identify an alternative explanation for the increase in IT support calls.

(A) Irrelevant: Timing of calls doesn’t indicate update frequency.
(B) Irrelevant: Equal availability of subscriptions doesn’t refute small business update trends.
(C) Partially weakens: Higher calls during release cycles suggest issues with new versions, not increased updates.
(D) Irrelevant: Data security regulations don’t directly affect update frequency.
(E) Strongly weakens: More small businesses explain higher calls without implying increased updates.

Answer: E

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25 Dec 2024, 22:28

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Break this down:
The argument claims that more IT support calls about updates = Higher rate of software updates
Basic flaw: Just because there are more calls about updates doesn't necessarily mean more businesses are updating.
Let's evaluate the options:
A) Time of calls isn't relevant to update rates
B) Equal offering to all businesses doesn't affect the conclusion
C) Doesn't weaken the argument - explains when calls happen
D) Not relevant to whether businesses are updating more
E) THIS WEAKENS THE ARGUMENT ✓

If there are more businesses in total, this could explain why there are more update-related calls
Even if individual businesses aren't updating more frequently, more total businesses = more calls
This breaks the connection between "more calls" and "higher update rates"

Answer: E

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The argument concludes that the rate of software updates among small businesses must have increased significantly over the decade, based on the observation that IT support companies reported a higher frequency of calls related to software updates. To weaken this argument, we need an alternative explanation for the increased frequency of IT support calls that does not involve an increase in the rate of software updates. On analyzing the options from (A) to (E)

Analyze the Options:

(A) Most of the IT support calls related to software issues occurred during business hours when the volume of software use was highest.
This is irrelevant to the argument. The timing of IT support calls does not address whether the frequency of calls is linked to the rate of software updates. Eliminate

(B) The affordable update subscriptions were offered equally to all business sectors, including both small and large companies.
This does not weaken the argument. The fact that subscriptions were offered to all business sectors does not affect the claim that small businesses updated software more frequently.Eliminate

(C) IT support companies noted that calls about software integration issues were more frequent during major software release cycles.
This weakens the argument because it suggests that the increased IT support calls may be related to integration issues during major updates rather than an overall increase in the rate of updates. If the calls are concentrated around specific release cycles, it implies the overall rate of updates might not have increased significantly. Keep this option

(D) Throughout the 2010s, regulatory requirements for data security in software were more strictly enforced than policies on software update compliance.
This is irrelevant. The argument is about the frequency of software updates, not compliance with regulatory requirements. Eliminate

(E) The number of small businesses in the region increased significantly during the 2010s.
This weakens the argument because it provides an alternative explanation for the increase in IT support calls. But this statement does not address the frequency of updates per business. Eliminate

Hence the correct answer is option (C)

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option C) is the most weaken because it suggests that the rise in IT support calls is likely due to integration issues during major software releases, not necessarily due to an increase in the rate of software updates.

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26 Dec 2024, 00:14

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Hi All,

IMO

Answer should be C

as C tells us that its not that the small businesses have accepted the new software updates , increased no of calls were due to integrations issues in the new software cycle.

and hence our answer

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I would say answer E

We are looking for something weakening the assumption that the rate of software updates among small businesses must have increased significantly over the decade

If the number of small businesses have increased, this weakened the argument since we are talking about the rate!

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(A): This does not address the argument. The timing of IT support calls (during business hours) does not explain why the frequency of calls increased.
(B): This is irrelevant because it does not indicate whether small businesses, specifically, adopted the subscriptions or increased their rate of software updates.
(C): While this suggests a reason for increased calls during specific periods, it does not challenge the idea that the overall rate of software updates increased among small businesses.
(D): This focuses on regulatory requirements for data security but does not directly address whether small businesses updated their software more frequently.
(E): This is the best answer because if the number of small businesses increased significantly, it could explain the higher frequency of IT support calls without requiring an increase in the rate of software updates per business.
Thus, (E) provides an alternative explanation for the observed increase in IT support calls, undermining the conclusion that software update rates among small businesses significantly increased.

Bunuel

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p1: in 2000s, small businesses were not updating their software regularly due to high costs.
p2: then software companies began offering affordable subscriptions that had new version updates included into them. p3: By the late 2010s, IT support companies reported a higher frequency of calls from small businesses related to software updates.
Conclusion: the software updates also increase over the decade.
we need to weaken it

(A) Most of the IT support calls related to software issues occurred during business hours when the volume of software use was highest.
(not Relevant at what time they called)

(B) The affordable update subscriptions were offered equally to all business sectors, including both small and large companies.
not Relevant, as calls from small business mentioned

(C) IT support companies noted that calls about software integration issues were more frequent during major software release cycles.
(it actually strengthens the answer, as those calls were not about the update but about the software integration, but integration after update so updates are going there)

(D) Throughout the 2010s, regulatory requirements for data security in software were more strictly enforced than policies on software update compliance.
(not Relevant)

(E) The number of small businesses in the region increased significantly during the 2010s.
(if the number increase, then may be calls also increased in the calls)
so true weakner

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26 Dec 2024, 01:49

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The correct answer is C

(A) Most of the IT support calls related to software issues occurred during business hours when the volume of software use was highest. - Out of context - Out

(B) The affordable update subscriptions were offered equally to all business sectors, including both small and large companies. - Not relevant - Out

(C) IT support companies noted that calls about software integration issues were more frequent during major software release cycles. - This weakens the argument as we can say that a higher frequency of calls from small businesses is not necessarily related to software updates, but due to software integration issues. - Keep

(D) Throughout the 2010s, regulatory requirements for data security in software were more strictly enforced than policies on software update compliance. - Out of context - Out

(E) The number of small businesses in the region increased significantly during the 2010s. - This can be one of the reasons for increased calls, but this does not say that the increased calls are attributed to software updates or not - Out

Bunuel

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Answer is E.

Argument: Rate of software updates among small businesses must have increased significantly because IT support companies reported a higher frequency of calls from small businesses related to software updates.

(A) Most of the IT support calls related to software issues occurred during business hours when the volume of software use was highest. Incorrect because irrelevant to rates of adoption.

(B) The affordable update subscriptions were offered equally to all business sectors, including both small and large companies. Incorrect because irrelevant to rates of adoption for specifically small businesses.

(C) IT support companies noted that calls about software integration issues were more frequent during major software release cycles. Incorrect because this would strengthen argument.

(D) Throughout the 2010s, regulatory requirements for data security in software were more strictly enforced than policies on software update compliance. Incorrect because irrelevant.

(E) The number of small businesses in the region increased significantly during the 2010s. Correct because presents alternative theory to argument that there are a higher frequency of calls because there are more businesses rather than rates of adoption increasing. The rate of software updates could have stayed the same or even decreased if the increase in number of businesses significantly outweighed rates.

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(A) Most of the IT support calls related to software issues occurred during business hours when the volume of software use was highest. The argument links an increase in IT support calls to an increase in software updates. However, this option merely discusses call timing and doesn't directly relate to the increase in software updates.

(B) The affordable update subscriptions were offered equally to all business sectors, including both small and large companies. The availability of the subscriptions to large businesses doesn't affect the assumption that small businesses were updating their software more frequently. So, this doesn't weaken the argument significantly.

(C) IT support companies noted that calls about software integration issues were more frequent during major software release cycles. This weakens the argument by showing that the increase in calls might not necessarily indicate regular updates, but rather concentrated updates around major releases. This is a strong potential weakening point.

(D) Throughout the 2010s, regulatory requirements for data security in software were more strictly enforced than policies on software update compliance. While it adds context about the regulatory environment, it doesn't strongly weaken the conclusion that software updates were occurring more frequently.

(E) The number of small businesses in the region increased significantly during the 2010s. Irrelevant

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26 Dec 2024, 03:22

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The prompt goes:
updates are switch to subscription => in a decade many more calls appeared related to updates => higher proportion of small businesses started to buy updates
To weaken this chain, we need to find another reason for the increase of update-related calls.

(A) Irrelevant as we have no information of when the calls were taken and how it matters. Eliminate.
(B) While this suggests that large businesses could benefit from the prices as much as small ones, it still doesn't guarantee that it's large businesses that are calling regarding updates. Eliminate.
(C) We don't know when the cycles happen and this may even be a strengthener, highlighting the number of update users. Eliminate.
(D) This is completely out of scope as data regulation is irrelevant. Eliminate.
(E) If more calls come from a larger number of businesses with the same proportion of updates, this accounts for the call center demand surge.

Therefore, the answer is E.