Last visit was: 24 Apr 2026, 00:40 It is currently 24 Apr 2026, 00:40
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.
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 23 Apr 2026
Posts: 109,802
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 105,868
Products:
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 109,802
Kudos: 810,908
 [19]
Kudos
Add Kudos
19
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
quantumliner
Joined: 24 Apr 2016
Last visit: 26 Sep 2018
Posts: 240
Own Kudos:
804
 [2]
Given Kudos: 48
Posts: 240
Kudos: 804
 [2]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
grichagupta
Joined: 13 Dec 2016
Last visit: 02 Sep 2018
Posts: 32
Own Kudos:
35
 [3]
Given Kudos: 570
Posts: 32
Kudos: 35
 [3]
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
IdiomSavant
Joined: 14 Sep 2016
Last visit: 03 May 2018
Posts: 45
Own Kudos:
47
 [3]
Given Kudos: 119
Concentration: Finance, Economics
Posts: 45
Kudos: 47
 [3]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Bunuel
At a certain company, operating expenses are measured as the sum of payroll expenses and infrastructure spending. During the last fiscal year, payroll expenses increased by 5 percent and infrastructure spending increased by 1 percent. If overall operating expenses increased by 2 percent during the fiscal year, then payroll expenses represented what percent of operating expenses at the beginning of the fiscal year?

A. 20%
B. 25%
C. 33%
D. 40%
E. 50%


Payroll
Weight 1: 105

Infrastructure
Weight 2: 101

Average: 102

105-102 / 102-101 = 3:1 ratio

Payroll is 25% of operating expense.
User avatar
ScottTargetTestPrep
User avatar
Target Test Prep Representative
Joined: 14 Oct 2015
Last visit: 23 Apr 2026
Posts: 22,283
Own Kudos:
26,532
 [1]
Given Kudos: 302
Status:Founder & CEO
Affiliations: Target Test Prep
Location: United States (CA)
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 22,283
Kudos: 26,532
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Bunuel
At a certain company, operating expenses are measured as the sum of payroll expenses and infrastructure spending. During the last fiscal year, payroll expenses increased by 5 percent and infrastructure spending increased by 1 percent. If overall operating expenses increased by 2 percent during the fiscal year, then payroll expenses represented what percent of operating expenses at the beginning of the fiscal year?

A. 20%
B. 25%
C. 33%
D. 40%
E. 50%

We can let the payroll expenses at the beginning of the year = p and the infrastructure spending at the beginning of the year = f.

We are given that payroll expenses increased by 5% and infrastructure spending increased 1%, causing an overall increase of 2%. Thus:

1.05p + 1.01f = 1.02(p + f)

105p + 101f = 102p + 102f

3p = f

Since operating expenses are represented by p + f, we have:

p/(p + f) = p/(p + 3p) = p/4p = 1/4 = 25%

Answer: B
avatar
amanguptaiitr
Joined: 21 Jun 2016
Last visit: 12 Jul 2019
Posts: 2
Given Kudos: 9
Posts: 2
Kudos: 0
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Lets take:
i = infrastructure expense
p = payroll
o = operating

Here is the info we have:
a) o = i + p (last fiscal)
b) 2% o = 1% i + 5% p (current fiscal)

Divide everything by o - total operating expense. We get
a) 1 = i/o + p/o --> i/o = 1 - p/o
b) 2 = i/o + 5 p/o --> i/o = 2 - 5 p/o

Equate a) and b)
--> 1 - p/o = 2 - 5 p/o
--> 4 p/o = 1
--> p/o = 1/4 = 25%
avatar
riyadhrazzaq
Joined: 05 Jul 2022
Last visit: 22 Jul 2022
Posts: 4
Given Kudos: 19
Posts: 4
Kudos: 0
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
# Backsolving
Let, total = 100
After 2% increase, total is = 102

## Option D, 40%
P = 40, I = 60
+5% on P is 40.8
+1% on I is 63.6
new total after the increment is 104.4, which is >102

## Option B, 25%
P = 25, I = 75
+5% on P is 26.25
+1% on I is 75.75
new total after the increment is 102, which is = 102

Therefore, correct ans is *B*
User avatar
naikabhishekjanu
Joined: 13 Jan 2021
Last visit: 09 Jan 2026
Posts: 9
Given Kudos: 122
Location: India
Concentration: Technology, Finance
GMAT 1: 660 Q48 V34
GMAT 1: 660 Q48 V34
Posts: 9
Kudos: 0
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Operating expense initially- OE= PE + IS (eqn 1)

Operating expense later on OE(102/100)=PE(105/100)+ IS(101/100) - eqn 2

Multiply equation 1 by 101 and the subtract it from equation 2

Thus final equation will be OE= 4PE or PE is 25 % of OE
User avatar
luisdicampo
Joined: 10 Feb 2025
Last visit: 19 Apr 2026
Posts: 480
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 328
Products:
Posts: 480
Kudos: 74
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Deconstructing the Question

Operating expenses consist of payroll expenses and infrastructure spending.

Payroll increased by \(5\%\) and infrastructure increased by \(1\%\).

The overall operating expenses increased by \(2\%\).

We want to find what percent of the operating expenses payroll represented initially.

Step-by-step

Let the initial fraction of payroll be

\(x\)

Then infrastructure represents

\(1-x\)

The overall percent increase is the weighted average of the two increases.

\(5x+1(1-x)=2\)

Simplify

\(5x+1-x=2\)

\(4x+1=2\)

\(4x=1\)

\(x=0.25\)

Thus payroll represented

\(25\%\)

of the operating expenses at the beginning of the year.

Answer B
User avatar
pappal
Joined: 24 Nov 2022
Last visit: 23 Apr 2026
Posts: 319
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 96
Products:
Posts: 319
Kudos: 109
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
given o=p+i or i=o-p
now from the given condition,
1.05p + 1.01(o-p)=1.02o
0.04p=0.01o
p/o=1/4=25%
so B
Moderators:
Math Expert
109802 posts
Tuck School Moderator
853 posts