Events & Promotions
|
|
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
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Apr 2301:30 AM EDT
-02:30 AM EDT
Struggling with GMAT Verbal as a non-native speaker? Harsh improved his score from 595 to 695 in just 45 days—and scored a 99 %ile in Verbal (V88)! Learn how smart strategy, clarity, and guided prep helped him gain 100 points.
Apr 2308:00 PM PDT
-09:00 PM PDT
Video explanations + diagnosis of 10 weakest areas + 150+ short videos + study plan!
Apr 2512:30 AM EDT
-01:30 AM EDT
At one point, she believed GMAT wasn’t for her. After scoring 595, self-doubt crept in and she questioned her potential. But instead of quitting, she made the right strategic changes. The result? A remarkable comeback to 695. Check out how Saakshi did it.
Apr 2610:00 AM EDT
-11:00 AM EDT
The Target Test Prep course represents a quantum leap forward in GMAT preparation, a radical reinterpretation of the way that students should study. Try before you buy with a 5-day, full-access trial of the course for FREE!
Apr 2711:00 AM EDT
-12:00 PM EDT
Prefer video-based learning? The Target Test Prep OnDemand course is a one-of-a-kind video masterclass featuring 400 hours of lecture-style teaching by Scott Woodbury-Stewart, founder of Target Test Prep and one of the most accomplished GMAT instructors
Apr 2808:00 AM PDT
-11:00 AM PDT
Whether you are just beginning your MBA journey or fine-tuning your path to a 700+ score, GMAT Day is designed to give you a competitive edge.
13 May 2011, 15:21
Kudos
Bookmarks
C
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
95%
(hard)
Question Stats:
35% (02:46) correct
65%
(02:59)
wrong
based on 303
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
At the post office, a letter must go through a sorting process with four distinct steps. Step 1: Mail is picked up every half hour, beginning at 6:00 am. Step 2: Mail is dropped off at the sorting center \(\frac{1}{4}\) hour later. Step 3: Mail is sorted by zip code and stamped every \(1\) hour, beginning at 7:00 am, and sent to regional sorting centers \(\frac{1}{3}\) hour later. Step 4: At the regional sorting centers, incoming mail is put into the system every \(30\) minutes, beginning at 8:00 am, and sent to individual mail carriers \(45\) minutes later. Assuming that all mail is picked up, sorted, and dropped off on time, what is the least total amount of time that it could take the letter to go through all four steps?
(A) \(2\) hours \(45\) minutes
(B) \(2\) hours \(15\) minutes
(C) \(1\) hour \(45\) minutes
(D) \(1\) hour \(20\) minutes
(E) \(1\) hour \(15\) minutes
Let's see who comes up with the best way to solve this.
(A) \(2\) hours \(45\) minutes
(B) \(2\) hours \(15\) minutes
(C) \(1\) hour \(45\) minutes
(D) \(1\) hour \(20\) minutes
(E) \(1\) hour \(15\) minutes
Let's see who comes up with the best way to solve this.
Show SpoilerKnewton's OE
When faced with a complicated word problem, we must make sure we determine precisely what we are looking for and how all the pieces (or steps, in this case) relate to one another. In this problem, we’re asked to figure out the least amount of time it takes for a letter to go through the entire sorting process.
First, let's convert all of the units to minutes in order to avoid confusion later on. We need to convert \(\frac{1}{4}\) hour, \(\frac{1}{3}\) hour, and a half-hour. Since there are \(60\) minutes in an hour:
\(\frac{1}{4} \hspace{2} hour=\frac{1}{4} *60 \hspace{2} minutes=15 \hspace{2} minutes\)
\(\frac{1}{3} \hspace{2} hour=\frac{1}{3} *60 \hspace{2} minutes=20 \hspace{2} minutes\)
\(\frac{1}{2} \hspace{2} hour=\frac{1}{2} *60 \hspace{2} minutes=30 \hspace{2} minutes\)
Next, let's list each step, the times when it can happen, and the time required in a clear list.
Mail picked up. Every \(30\) minutes, starting at 6:00 am.
Dropped off. \(15\) minutes after pick up.
Sorted and stamped. Every \(60\) minutes, starting at 7:00 am.
Sent to regional center. \(20\) minutes after stamp.
Put in system. Every \(30\) minutes, starting at 8:00 am.
Sent to carrier. \(45\) minutes after put in system.
Since mail is picked up every \(30\) minutes beginning at 6:00 am, the process can begin either on the hour (e.g., 6:00 am) or on the half hour (e.g., 6:30 am). This is the only thing that can change — all the subsequent steps are dependent only on whether the mail was picked up on the hour or on the half hour. So, we'll try an example of each. We will begin with a time later in the day, so that we are not constrained by the times that the processes begin (for example, we do not want to wait until 8:00 am for mail to be put into the system if we can avoid doing so).
If the mail is picked up at 9:00am, it will be dropped off \(15\) minutes later, at 9:15 am. It will be stamped and sorted at 10:00 am. It will be sent to the regional center \(20\) minutes later, at 10:20 am. It will be put in the system at 10:30 am. It will be sent to the carrier minutes later, at 11:15 am. The total time from 9:00 am to 11:15 am is \(2\) hours \(15\) minutes.
If the mail is picked up at 9:30am, it will be dropped off \(15\) minutes later, at 9:45 am. It will be stamped and sorted at 10:00 am. It will be sent to the regional center \(20\) minutes later, at 10:20 am. It will be put in the system at 10:30 am. It will be sent to the carrier \(45\) minutes later, at 11:15 am. The total time from 9:30 am to 11:15 am is \(1\) hour \(45\) minutes.
The least amount of time the entire process can take is \(1\) hour \(45\) minutes, so answer choice C is correct.
First, let's convert all of the units to minutes in order to avoid confusion later on. We need to convert \(\frac{1}{4}\) hour, \(\frac{1}{3}\) hour, and a half-hour. Since there are \(60\) minutes in an hour:
\(\frac{1}{4} \hspace{2} hour=\frac{1}{4} *60 \hspace{2} minutes=15 \hspace{2} minutes\)
\(\frac{1}{3} \hspace{2} hour=\frac{1}{3} *60 \hspace{2} minutes=20 \hspace{2} minutes\)
\(\frac{1}{2} \hspace{2} hour=\frac{1}{2} *60 \hspace{2} minutes=30 \hspace{2} minutes\)
Next, let's list each step, the times when it can happen, and the time required in a clear list.
Mail picked up. Every \(30\) minutes, starting at 6:00 am.
Dropped off. \(15\) minutes after pick up.
Sorted and stamped. Every \(60\) minutes, starting at 7:00 am.
Sent to regional center. \(20\) minutes after stamp.
Put in system. Every \(30\) minutes, starting at 8:00 am.
Sent to carrier. \(45\) minutes after put in system.
Since mail is picked up every \(30\) minutes beginning at 6:00 am, the process can begin either on the hour (e.g., 6:00 am) or on the half hour (e.g., 6:30 am). This is the only thing that can change — all the subsequent steps are dependent only on whether the mail was picked up on the hour or on the half hour. So, we'll try an example of each. We will begin with a time later in the day, so that we are not constrained by the times that the processes begin (for example, we do not want to wait until 8:00 am for mail to be put into the system if we can avoid doing so).
If the mail is picked up at 9:00am, it will be dropped off \(15\) minutes later, at 9:15 am. It will be stamped and sorted at 10:00 am. It will be sent to the regional center \(20\) minutes later, at 10:20 am. It will be put in the system at 10:30 am. It will be sent to the carrier minutes later, at 11:15 am. The total time from 9:00 am to 11:15 am is \(2\) hours \(15\) minutes.
If the mail is picked up at 9:30am, it will be dropped off \(15\) minutes later, at 9:45 am. It will be stamped and sorted at 10:00 am. It will be sent to the regional center \(20\) minutes later, at 10:20 am. It will be put in the system at 10:30 am. It will be sent to the carrier \(45\) minutes later, at 11:15 am. The total time from 9:30 am to 11:15 am is \(1\) hour \(45\) minutes.
The least amount of time the entire process can take is \(1\) hour \(45\) minutes, so answer choice C is correct.
fluke,
I seen a similar Kaplan problem and realized that it can be solved in very efficient way if I start with the last timetable first. I am not sure about the last step whether it is 45 mins later or it can be sent to individual at 8:45 - but the answer is either C or E depending upon when it is sent to the individual. 8:45 or 9:15
7:30 - picked
7:45 - dropped
8:00 - sorted and stamped
8:30 - put into the system
8:45 - sent to individual
total time = 1 hr 15 mins
Answer E
The trick is to match the time wrt to the last timetable first bcos it is going to take the max amount of time. E.g If you going to plan the trip - plan the last part first. Another example is if I have to reach offfice at 8:00 AM then I will reverse engineer the other times wrt 8:00 AM. The forward planning is not an option.
I seen a similar Kaplan problem and realized that it can be solved in very efficient way if I start with the last timetable first. I am not sure about the last step whether it is 45 mins later or it can be sent to individual at 8:45 - but the answer is either C or E depending upon when it is sent to the individual. 8:45 or 9:15
7:30 - picked
7:45 - dropped
8:00 - sorted and stamped
8:30 - put into the system
8:45 - sent to individual
total time = 1 hr 15 mins
Answer E
The trick is to match the time wrt to the last timetable first bcos it is going to take the max amount of time. E.g If you going to plan the trip - plan the last part first. Another example is if I have to reach offfice at 8:00 AM then I will reverse engineer the other times wrt 8:00 AM. The forward planning is not an option.
