Ds

[whino5]

For DS GMAT purposes:

If the answer is D - meaning BOTH answers are correct...

I have noticed that the answer is always the same for both answers. Is this true? Or can we have different answers?

I rencently came across a question that has different answers.

[gmat168]

From what I've seen of official GMAT questions, I think the answers are usually the same if they're looking for a specific quantity (number of hours two machines together to do a job, what is the angle, what is the number x, number of widgets made, etc.)

[whino5]

so the answer is usually but NOT ALWAYS

An angle is asked for in #9 in this post but there are two answers:

http://www.urch.com/forums/showthrea...ight=angle+acb (DS Sums)

[vingmat]

whino,
your observation is correct. Whenever the choice is (D), it IS that both answers agree. Otherwise, the answer will NOT be (D).

If you have come across any question that is not so, then it does not adhere to the GMAT pattern. It definitely will not have been an official question.

[whino5]

Thanks for the replies...

Princeton Review or Kaplan never mentioned this but I feel this is a handy trick to know. Especially if you know choice A is correct but unsure about choice B. You can backsolve answer choice B to get the answer.

[transyt7]

As per GMAT rule, its NOT necessary that both answers agree. As long as you can CONCLUSIVELY find a solution asked for in the stem using either A or B, then choice D is correct. This means that they CAN have different answers.

[whino5]

Then how come 100% of the time (based on my memory of doing every DS problem in the Official Guide), the answers are the same?

[vingmat]

transyt,
Theoritically, the answers COULD be different without vioating the sanctity of choice (D)...but, Practically, WILL be the same on all OFFCIAL Qs.

HTH.

[transyt7]

whino5,

IMO, i am not denying what u are saying, but I believe that one should be aware that they might not have same solutions for the two statements. Also, for questions which do not ask solutions (e.g., is x>y? either yes or no), the statements can give 2 diff answers (one 'yes' and the other 'no').

That's just my take...