q: Three people took GMAT practice tests in which the minimum and maximum possible scores are 200 and 800, respectively. They each took a test 4 times, and no one scored below 610 or over 780. If the individual ranges of the three people's scores in those 4 practice tests were 50, 80 and 90, what is the difference between the maximum and minimum possible ranges of all their scores put together.
Options:
(A) 70
(B) 80
(C) 90
(D) 100
(E) 110
a: Stream of consciousness: According to the information in the question the maximum range would be between 610 and 780(170). The minimum range would be the greatest range for any one individual, which is listed in the problem as 90. So the difference between these would be 170-90 or 80. The answer is (B).

question: The number of people at Ovations Bar in the hour from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. was 20% greater than the number of people there from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. The number of the people at the bar from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. was 10% more than the number there from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. If 242 people were at the bar from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., which of the following is the number of people in the bar from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.?
Options:
(A) 100
(B) 20
(C) 30
(D) 40
(E) 50
answer: Stream of consciousness: No of people from 10 - 11 is x
No of people from 11 - 12 is 11x/10
No of people from 12 to 1 is (6/5)(11x/10)
Given that 11x/10 + (6/5)(11x/10) = 121x / 50 = 242
Then x = 100 The answer is (A).

q: Sum Sam and Product Pete are in class when their teacher gives Sam the Sum of two numbers and Pete the product of the same two numbers (these numbers are greater than or equal to 2). They must figure out the two numbers.
Sam: I don't know what the numbers are Pete.
Pete: I knew you didn't know the numbers... But neither do I.
Sam: In that case, I do know the numbers.1
What are the numbers?
Options:
(A) 1-2
(B) 1-3
(C) 2-4
(D) 3-4
(E) 2-3
a: Stream of consciousness: Since Sam knows the sum of the numbers (x + y) he would only know the answer immediately if the sum was 4 (2 + 2) or 5 (3 + 2). Then when Pete (who knows x*y) knew that Sam didn't know the answer the product must have several numbers that add up to the sum (7 = 3 + 4, 7 = 5 + 2). When Pete doesn't know the answer at this point we know the product must have more than one pair of viable factors (12 = 3 * 4, 12 = 6 * 2). At this point Sam knows the numbers are 3 and 4 because they are the only numbers that meet these criteria. The answer is (D).

question: If a company allocates 25 percent of its budget to advertising, 15 percent to capital improvements, and 55 percent to salaries, what fraction of its budget remains for other allocations?
Options:
(A) 4/5
(B) 3/5
(C) 3/10
(D) 1/20
(E) 1/40
answer: Stream of consciousness: 25 + 15 + 55 = 95% 100 - 95 = 5% to all others The answer is (D).

q: There are 20 balls in a box: 11 balls are green, 6 are blue and 3 are white. Then 1 green and 1 blue balls are taken from the box and put away. What is the probability that a green ball is selected at random from the box?
Options:
(A) 1/13
(B) 10/18
(C) 3/13
(D) 5/13
(E) 6/13
a: Stream of consciousness: If 1 green and 1 blue ball are taken from the box, then there are 10 green, 5 blue and 3 white balls, a total of 18 balls. If one ball is selected at random, the probability that it is green is given by 10 / 18 The answer is (B).

q: Find the area of trapezium whose parallel sides are 20 cm and 18 cm long, and the distance between them is 15 cm.
Options:
(A) 225 cm2
(B) 275 cm2
(C) 285 cm2
(D) 315 cm2
(E) None of these
a:
Stream of consciousness: Area of a trapezium = 1/2 (sum of parallel sides) * (perpendicular distance between them) = 1/2 (20 + 18) * (15) = 285 cm2 The answer is (C).