Last visit was: 27 Apr 2026, 07:16 It is currently 27 Apr 2026, 07:16
Home
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
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.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
Back to Forum
Create Topic
User avatar
SergejK
User avatar
Joined: 22 Mar 2024
Last visit: 02 May 2025
Posts: 152
Own Kudos:
982
 [33]
Given Kudos: 74
Posts: 152
Kudos: 982
 [33]
A certain piece of electrical machinery has exactly three control 27 Oct 2024, 13:21
6
Kudos
Add Kudos
27
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
00:00
Start Timer
Pause Timer
Resume Timer
Show Answer
Hide Answer
Hide
Show
History
X: Powering on the machine Y: Placing the C and R levers in the same position
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!

Difficulty:

45% (medium)

Question Stats:

59% (01:55) correct 41% (02:16) wrong based on 1503 sessions

History

Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
A certain piece of electrical machinery has exactly three control levers-left (L), center (C), and right (R)-each with positions of up or down. The machine is able to operate if and only if the operator has placed them in one of the following four configurations.

. L up, C up, R up
. L up, C down, R down
. L down, C up, R up
· L down, C down, R down

Consider the statement,

The one and only means of X is Y.

Select the options for X and for Y such that the statement, if true, most clearly provides a possible explanation of the above facts. Make only two selections, one in each column.

Show Spoiler
X Y
Powering on the machine
Powering off the machine
Placing the L and C levers in the same position
Placing the L and R levers in different positions
Placing the C and R levers in the same position
Placing both the C and the R levers in the down position
Submit Answer
Start the Timer above, select the radio buttons, and click "Submit" to add this question to your Error log.
ShowHide Answer
Official Answer
X: Powering on the machine Y: Placing the C and R levers in the same position
Trying to understand why the right answer is right? GMAT Club Tests explanations walk through concepts, shortcuts, and common traps on many questions. See how →
User avatar
SergejK
User avatar
Joined: 22 Mar 2024
Last visit: 02 May 2025
Posts: 152
Own Kudos:
982
 [2]
Given Kudos: 74
Posts: 152
Kudos: 982
 [2]
A certain piece of electrical machinery has exactly three control 30 Oct 2024, 04:16
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Just look at the combinations of the levers and you will see that C and R are always in the same position, so one of the statements must be "Placing the C and R levers in the same position". If you realize that, look at the statement that you have to consider: "The one and only means of X is Y". A means of something is either the reason why something is done or the way that something can be done. Here, the way something is done makes sense as the statement seems to present an instruction on how to operate the machine. So what could be the means? Looking at the other answer choices only "Powering on the machine" and "Powering off the machine" make sense. However, it doesn't make sense to use the levers C and R to power the machine off, so powering on must be the correct choice.

X: The only means of turning the machine ON
Y: is using C and R levers
User avatar
Simransahni03
User avatar
Joined: 22 Aug 2024
Last visit: 14 Jul 2025
Posts: 5
Own Kudos:
1
Given Kudos: 1
Posts: 5
Kudos: 1
A certain piece of electrical machinery has exactly three control 03 Nov 2024, 10:00
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
However, it doesn't make sense to use the levers C and R to power the machine off, so powering on must be the correct choice. Why not tho?
SergejK
Just look at the combinations of the levers and you will see that C and R are always in the same position, so one of the statements must be "Placing the C and R levers in the same position". If you realize that, look at the statement that you have to consider: "The one and only means of X is Y". A means of something is either the reason why something is done or the way that something can be done. Here, the way something is done makes sense as the statement seems to present an instruction on how to operate the machine. So what could be the means? Looking at the other answer choices only "Powering on the machine" and "Powering off the machine" make sense. However, it doesn't make sense to use the levers C and R to power the machine off, so powering on must be the correct choice.

X: The only means of turning the machine ON
Y: is using C and R levers
Show more
User avatar
SergejK
User avatar
Joined: 22 Mar 2024
Last visit: 02 May 2025
Posts: 152
Own Kudos:
982
 [1]
Given Kudos: 74
Posts: 152
Kudos: 982
 [1]
A certain piece of electrical machinery has exactly three control 04 Nov 2024, 04:48
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Read the prompt: "The machine is able to operate if and only if the operator has placed them in one of the following four configurations". So those combinations are meant to turn the machine on and not off.

Simransahni03
However, it doesn't make sense to use the levers C and R to power the machine off, so powering on must be the correct choice. Why not tho?
SergejK
Just look at the combinations of the levers and you will see that C and R are always in the same position, so one of the statements must be "Placing the C and R levers in the same position". If you realize that, look at the statement that you have to consider: "The one and only means of X is Y". A means of something is either the reason why something is done or the way that something can be done. Here, the way something is done makes sense as the statement seems to present an instruction on how to operate the machine. So what could be the means? Looking at the other answer choices only "Powering on the machine" and "Powering off the machine" make sense. However, it doesn't make sense to use the levers C and R to power the machine off, so powering on must be the correct choice.

X: The only means of turning the machine ON
Y: is using C and R levers
Show more
User avatar
aakarsh1001
User avatar
Joined: 03 Sep 2024
Last visit: 20 Jan 2025
Posts: 9
Own Kudos:
19
 [1]
Given Kudos: 25
Posts: 9
Kudos: 19
 [1]
A certain piece of electrical machinery has exactly three control 12 Nov 2024, 20:57
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hey, have a doubt in statement 1. Why can't it be powering off machine?
User avatar
Pierreg03
User avatar
Joined: 19 Sep 2024
Last visit: 26 Sep 2025
Posts: 1
Given Kudos: 6
Posts: 1
Kudos: 0
A certain piece of electrical machinery has exactly three control 15 Nov 2024, 04:49
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hey, I agree, should work as well for powering off no ?
aakarsh1001
Hey, have a doubt in statement 1. Why can't it be powering off machine?
Show more
User avatar
SergejK
User avatar
Joined: 22 Mar 2024
Last visit: 02 May 2025
Posts: 152
Own Kudos:
982
Given Kudos: 74
Posts: 152
Kudos: 982
A certain piece of electrical machinery has exactly three control 16 Nov 2024, 05:37
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
"The machine is able TO OPERATE if AND ONLY if the operator has placed them in one of the following four configurations"

We are looking for ways to turn on the machine, that is why it is stated that the following lever positions are there to operate the machine. operate=turn on. Turning off the machine would not allow you to operate it.
User avatar
zywx
User avatar
Joined: 20 Sep 2023
Last visit: 06 Jan 2025
Posts: 3
Given Kudos: 83
Posts: 3
Kudos: 0
A certain piece of electrical machinery has exactly three control 25 Nov 2024, 00:23
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I have a question here, the machine can be "on" and be inoperable right? So how can we conclude that the machine would turn on by these actions? It could already be on and

inoperable?
User avatar
SergejK
User avatar
Joined: 22 Mar 2024
Last visit: 02 May 2025
Posts: 152
Own Kudos:
982
Given Kudos: 74
Posts: 152
Kudos: 982
A certain piece of electrical machinery has exactly three control 25 Nov 2024, 03:12
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
this is just a simple reading comprehension task. "The machine is able TO OPERATE if AND ONLY if ..." means that the following will provide the instruction to turn the machine ON. To operate means that the machine will be fulfilling its duty. You bring in an additional assumption that you can nowhere infer. You are overthinking it a bit.
User avatar
bumpbot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 09 Sep 2013
Last visit: 04 Jan 2021
Posts: 38,988
Own Kudos:
1,118
Posts: 38,988
Kudos: 1,118
A certain piece of electrical machinery has exactly three control 05 Dec 2025, 09:52
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Automated notice from GMAT Club BumpBot:

A member just gave Kudos to this thread, showing it’s still useful. I’ve bumped it to the top so more people can benefit. Feel free to add your own questions or solutions.

This post was generated automatically.
Moderators:
Bunuel
Math Expert
109928 posts
kingbucky
498 posts
Gmat860sanskar
212 posts