Last visit was: 03 Sep 2026, 12:44 It is currently 03 Sep 2026, 12:44
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: 03 Sep 2026
Posts: 113,095
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 111,301
Products:
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 113,095
Kudos: 838,904
 [26]
4
Kudos
Add Kudos
22
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Most Helpful Reply
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 03 Sep 2026
Posts: 113,095
Own Kudos:
838,904
 [7]
Given Kudos: 111,301
Products:
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 113,095
Kudos: 838,904
 [7]
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
4
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
General Discussion
User avatar
Kinshook
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 03 Jun 2019
Last visit: 03 Sep 2026
Posts: 6,129
Own Kudos:
6,086
 [3]
Given Kudos: 164
Location: India
GMAT 1: 690 Q50 V34
WE:Engineering (Transportation)
Products:
GMAT 1: 690 Q50 V34
Posts: 6,129
Kudos: 6,086
 [3]
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
sanjitscorps18
Joined: 26 Jan 2019
Last visit: 03 Mar 2026
Posts: 722
Own Kudos:
757
 [1]
Given Kudos: 130
Location: India
Schools: IMD'26
Products:
Schools: IMD'26
Posts: 722
Kudos: 757
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Bunuel
12 Days of Christmas 🎅 GMAT Competition with Lots of Questions & Fun

George is at a location between his house and the concert hall. To reach the concert hall, he has two options, both taking the same amount of time: he can either walk directly there, or he can walk back to his house and then drive to the concert hall. If George drives 12 times as fast as he walks, what is the ratio of George's distance from his house to his distance from the concert hall?

A. 1:11
B. 11:12
C. 11:13
D. 13:11
E. 11:1


 


This question was provided by GMAT Club
for the 12 Days of Christmas Competition

Win $40,000 in prizes: Courses, Tests & more

 


Let the distance from George's location to his home be 'd1'
Let the distance from George's location to the concert be 'd2'

Let his walking speed be 'm'
Let his driving speed be '12m'

The required ratio = d1/d2

As per the question

Time for George to walk to the concert = Time taken to walk back to his house and then drive to the concert hall

=> d2/m = d1/m + (d1 + d2)/12m
=> 12(d2 - d1) = d1 + d2
=> 12(d2) - d2 = d1 + 12(d1)
=> 11(d2) = 13(d1)
=> d1/d2 = 11/13

Option C
User avatar
nikitathegreat
Joined: 16 Dec 2021
Last visit: 28 Aug 2026
Posts: 176
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 121
Location: India
GMAT 1: 630 Q45 V31
Products:
GMAT 1: 630 Q45 V31
Posts: 176
Kudos: 23
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Bunuel

GMAT Club Official Explanation:



George is at a location between his house and the concert hall. To reach the concert hall, he has two options, both taking the same amount of time: he can either walk directly there, or he can walk back to his house and then drive to the concert hall. If George drives 12 times as fast as he walks, what is the ratio of George's distance from his house to his distance from the concert hall?

A. 1:11
B. 11:12
C. 11:13
D. 13:11
E. 11:1

Let's assume George's distance from his house is x, and his distance from the concert hall is y. The question is asking us to find the ratio x/y.

If we assume his walking speed is v, then walking directly to the concert hall (the first option) would take a time of y/v.

The second option, walking back to his house and then driving to the concert hall, would take a time of x/v + (x + y)/(12v).

Since both options take the same amount of time, we have y/v = x/v + (x + y)/(12v).

Multiplying everything by v to eliminate it, we get: y = x + (x + y)/12. Simplifying this, we find 11y = 13x, leading to the ratio x/y = 11/13.

Answer: C.
House (GC) -------------------George---------Concert Hall (GH)
Since we are saying time is constant here, can we say that D1/D2 = S1/S2?
We need to find GH/ GC = GH = George's distance to his house and GC is George distance to his concert hall.
So, when D1/D2 = S1/S2
GC/GH+GH+GC= 1x/13x since George to concert hall speed is x and 13x (x+12x) for D2
So, we get 6GC = GH
6GC/ GC = 6:1
So, I am getting the answer 6:1
Can you tell me what is wrong here?
User avatar
egmat
User avatar
e-GMAT Representative
Joined: 02 Nov 2011
Last visit: 03 Sep 2026
Posts: 6,289
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 715
GMAT Date: 08-19-2020
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 6,289
Kudos: 33,896
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi nikitathegreat,

D1/D2 = S1/S2 only holds when each whole trip runs at one constant speed. Your second trip does not, and that is where it breaks.

You wrote that trip's speed as 13x, from x + 12x. Speeds of back-to-back segments never add. Walking one stretch at x and driving another at 12x does not happen at 13x, and 13x is not the average speed either.

Build on time instead, segment by segment. Let a be the distance to the house, b the distance to the hall, and v the walking speed:

- Walk straight to the hall: time = b/v
- Walk home, then drive: time = a/v + (a+b)/(12v)

Set them equal and multiply through by 12v:

12b = 12a + (a + b)
12b = 13a + b
11b = 13a

So a/b = 11/13, choice C. Note the driving distance is a + b: back home first, then all the way past the starting point to the hall. Folding that into a single 13x speed hides it.

Why speeds cannot add. Walk 2 miles at 2 mph, then drive 12 miles at 12 mph.

- Real time: 2/2 + 12/12 = 2 hours
- Adding the speeds, 14 miles at 14 mph: 1 hour

Multi-speed trips have to be handled one segment at a time, through time.

Answer: C

nikitathegreat

House (GC) -------------------George---------Concert Hall (GH)
Since we are saying time is constant here, can we say that D1/D2 = S1/S2?
We need to find GH/ GC = GH = George's distance to his house and GC is George distance to his concert hall.
So, when D1/D2 = S1/S2
GC/GH+GH+GC= 1x/13x since George to concert hall speed is x and 13x (x+12x) for D2
So, we get 6GC = GH
6GC/ GC = 6:1
So, I am getting the answer 6:1
Can you tell me what is wrong here?
Moderator:
Math Expert
113095 posts