by: ga821
38 mins
by: bb
48 mins
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.
Sep 1507:00 PM EDT
-09:00 PM EST
Elite scores are possible when you enroll in a powerful GMAT course, taught live online + 6 months access to TTP OnDemand video courses included! Class starts Tues/Thurs Sept. 15, 2026 - Nov. 15, 2027, 7:00pm-9:00pm EST
Sep 2107:00 PM EDT
-10:00 PM EDT
Boost your GMAT score in less than one month in a live online class + 6 months access to TTP OnDemand video courses included! Class starts Mon, Tues, Wed, Thur, Fri Sept. 21, 2026 - Oct. 9, 2027, 7:00pm-10:00pm EST
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:
25% (01:50) correct
75%
(01:53)
wrong
based on 205
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Worldwide retail sales of home entertainment systems, which include a television and an audio system, increased twenty-five percent this year over last year. At the same time worldwide retail sales of new automobiles declined by about the same percent. These statistics show that consumers can no longer afford to purchase both types of products during the same year.
Which of the following, if true, would cast most serious doubt on the conclusion drawn above?
A. Fewer advertisements for new cars appeared on television during the most recent year than during the previous year.
B. Consumers are spending more money on home entertainment systems than on new cars.
C. People who own home entertainment systems do not drive their automobiles as often as other people.
D. Prices of home entertainment systems and new cars were higher during the most recent year than during the previous year.
E. The reliability of automobiles this year improved significantly over last year.
_________________
New to the GMAT Club?
- • Questions: Question Bank | Bunuel's Signature Collection
• Tests: GMAT Club Tests | Forum Quiz
• Guides: Quantitative | Critical Reasoning | Reading Comprehension | Ultimate Quant Guide | All You Need for Quant
• Rules: Quantitative | Verbal
Option E
A) It explains the decrease in the consumption of cars, but does not really weaken the argument "that consumers can no longer afford to purchase both types of products during the same year.". Hence, it is not the correct answer
B) The opposite. It strengthens the argument
C) It mentions the action of driving, not of buying. Hence, no relationship
D) Irrelevant option
E) If the reliability improved, then there's the less need to buy new cars. Hence, it is not true that consumers cannot afford both products. In reality, consumers do not need as much to buy new cars. Correct!
_________________
A) It explains the decrease in the consumption of cars, but does not really weaken the argument "that consumers can no longer afford to purchase both types of products during the same year.". Hence, it is not the correct answer
B) The opposite. It strengthens the argument
C) It mentions the action of driving, not of buying. Hence, no relationship
D) Irrelevant option
E) If the reliability improved, then there's the less need to buy new cars. Hence, it is not true that consumers cannot afford both products. In reality, consumers do not need as much to buy new cars. Correct!
_________________
Be gentle, be kind 
Quote:
ARGUMENT
[prem] sales of home systems +25% yoy, and sales of new cars -25% yoy;
[con] consumers can no longer afford to purchase both products during same year.
WEAKEN
A. what if there were also fewer ads of home systems? irrelevant;
B. if they'r spending more on home than on car, this could mean they cannot afford both;
C. do not drive doesnt mean they buy more or less cars;
D. irrelevant;
Ans (E) this weakens - consumers dont need to buy new cars because their old ones are very reliable.
Posts: 4
A has a sense of ambiguity which means that advertisements may or may not have led to the increase of sales. Therefore A can't be the answer.
C mentions about those people who already own entertainment systems and it does not tell anything about the sales of new cars.
D says the prices of both entertainment systems and cars were higher this year than the previous year but what about the sales of both. The argument focuses on the sales.
E mentions that reliability of automobiles has increased this year which should mean that there should be an increase in the sales whereas there is a decline in the sales. So it goes against the argument.
B mentions that consumers are spending more entertainment systems than on new cars which explains the decline in sales and also weakens the conclusion by saying that consumers prefer to spend more on entertainment systems
C mentions about those people who already own entertainment systems and it does not tell anything about the sales of new cars.
D says the prices of both entertainment systems and cars were higher this year than the previous year but what about the sales of both. The argument focuses on the sales.
E mentions that reliability of automobiles has increased this year which should mean that there should be an increase in the sales whereas there is a decline in the sales. So it goes against the argument.
B mentions that consumers are spending more entertainment systems than on new cars which explains the decline in sales and also weakens the conclusion by saying that consumers prefer to spend more on entertainment systems
madgmat2019
Joined: 01 Mar 2019
Last visit: 17 Sep 2021
Posts: 584
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, Social Entrepreneurship
GMAT 1: 580 Q48 V21
GPA: 4
Products:
GMAT 1: 580 Q48 V21
Posts: 584
consumers can no longer afford to purchase both types of products during the same year.....THIS IS THE ASSUMPTION IN THE GIVEN ARGUMENT
now we have to weaken this assumption
E. The reliability of automobiles this year improved significantly over last year.....THIS GIVES THE REASON THAT vehicles that are already bought are more reliable and less likely to replace...... so there isnt any need of buying new automobiles.
OA:E
now we have to weaken this assumption
E. The reliability of automobiles this year improved significantly over last year.....THIS GIVES THE REASON THAT vehicles that are already bought are more reliable and less likely to replace...... so there isnt any need of buying new automobiles.
OA:E
TheNightKing
Joined: 18 Dec 2017
Last visit: 20 Mar 2024
Posts: 1,119
Location: United States (KS)
GMAT 1: 600 Q46 V27
GMAT 1: 600 Q46 V27
Posts: 1,119
Quote:
I am confused in regards to option E.
Option E says Reliability of automobiles improved this year and not last year. If it improved significantly this year that means the cars purchased last year were not as reliable. This should lead to increase in the Sales because the cars purchased last year are less reliable.
Am I taking it all wrong? Please help
Moderators:
Announcements
How to Tell If Your GMAT Prep Resources Are Actually Helping You
Subscribe to GMAT Club for New Podcast Episodes, Debriefs, & Insightful Sessions on GMAT Preparation
Subscribe to GMAT Club for New Podcast Episodes, Debriefs, & Insightful Sessions on GMAT Preparation
Tuck at Dartmouth
AI at Dartmouth Tuck: How the School Is Preparing Leaders for the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Inside the courses, research, and hands-on learning defining wise, decisive leadership in an AI-driven world.
Read More
Inside the courses, research, and hands-on learning defining wise, decisive leadership in an AI-driven world.
Read More
Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos
Success stories and strategies from high-scoring candidates.