The City Opera Company does not sell tickets to individual performance

Question

The City Opera Company does not sell tickets to individual performances; it sells only season tickets that admit the holders to all performances during a given season. Patrons who retain their tickets from one season to the next receive a 10% discount. From 1990 to 1994, attendance at the company’s performances during each season averaged 78% of the opera house’s capacity, and an average of 500 new (non-retained) season tickets were sold each season. From 1995 to 2000, average attendance rose to 85% of capacity, but the average number of new (non-retained) season tickets sold per year dropped to 300.

If the above statements are true, which one of the following can be properly inferred from them?

A. The average number of existing season ticket holders who retained their seats from year to year increased between 1994 and 2000.
B. The proportion of suburban residents among City Opera season ticket holders increased in the years between 1990-1995.
C. In 1995, the City Opera Company moved into a new opera house with a larger seating capacity than its old house.
D. In 1989, the City Opera Company moved into a new opera house with a smaller seating capacity than its old house.
E. Overall interest in attending opera performances rose between 1990 and 2000.

winterschool · Answer

tickets sales to new attendee was decreased but average attendance was increased. so we can say number of existing attendee was increased. Only only A express this discrepancy
Answer A

Rahul257 · Answer

But even option D gives an explanation for this change. If the opera moved to a smaller capacity stadium, even if the retainees decreased and even if new season ticket buyers decreased, it could be compensated by a smaller total seats.

Sk1003 · Answer

Quick doubt - Option A looks like a classic trap and is not completely inferrable on the basis of increase in occupany + decrease in new pass sales. What if the retained pass holders remained the same or even decreased, but the subset of pass holders simply started showing up more frequently to the opera?

I interpreted option E as "net-net" interest increased (either from more retention or more retained folks actually showing up) enough to offset the decrease of new pass sales such that overall interest grew.

What's wrong with this approach and why is A inferrable?

MartyMurray · Answer

(E) is about interest in opera in general, not just interest in the City Opera's performances.

At the same time, as you and someone else have pointed out, (A) is not inferable.

This question has no correct answer.

uc6868 · Answer

Option E is also supported but is a broader inference about overall interest, which, while likely true given the data, is not as directly connected to the specifics of ticket sales and retention.

Sk1003 · Answer

Aaah, you're right. I did not notice my mind filling in the blanks while reading option E there. It's too generalised.

Then I agree, this question has no right answer. Wonder what's the source on this, is it an official question..

Thanks for clarifying this. Although I was a bit taken aback on seeing 80% folks answering "correctly" as per the stats on this question.

Anyway, I hope the GMAT doesn't throw such things our way

anks2190 · Answer

I NEED TO UNDERSTAND, WHY WE CHOSE ANSWER A and NOT E

The City Opera Company does not sell tickets to individual performance

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Critical Reasoning (CR) Questions

The City Opera Company does not sell tickets to individual performance

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards