Data Sufficiency - Quant/Math - CAT 2013
Question 4 the day:
March 30, 2004
The question for the day is a data sufficiency question.
About 5 to 10 questions in the quantitative section / Data Interpretation section of the CAT is of Data sufficiency type.
In a data sufficiency question you will be given a question that will be followed by two statements. You are expected to answer if the information provided in the two statements is sufficient to answer the given question.
Please be careful to read the instructions before the data sufficiency questions. These instructions have changed from CAT to CAT. CAT 2003 (Re test) had a different set as compared to the ones seen in the previous three or four Common Admission Tests.
Directions
This data sufficiency problem consists of a question and two statements, labeled (A) and (B), in which certain data are given. You have to decide whether the data given in the statements are sufficient for answering the question. Using the data given in the statements, plus your knowledge of mathematics and everyday facts (such as the number of days in a leap year or the meaning of the word counterclockwise), you must indicate whether —
| (1) |
The question can be answered using either statement (A) alone but not statement (B) or statement (B) alone but not statement (A).
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| (2) |
If either of the two statements individually is sufficient to answer the question
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| (3) |
If both statements (A) and (B) together are required to answer the question
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| (4) |
The question cannot be answer despite using the information provided in statements (A) and (B) taken together.
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Question
Is m divisible by 6?
(A) m is divisible by 3
(B) m is divisible by 4
Correct choice - (3)
Explanatory answer
We need to answer if m is divisible by 6. The answer has to be a definitive YES or a NO.
The test of divisibility for 6 is that the number should be divisible by both 3 and 2.
From statement (A) we know that m is divisible by 3. However, this does not answer the question if m is also divisible by 2. Hence, statement (A) alone is not sufficient. We can rule out answer choices (2). The correct answer has to be between (1), (3) or (4).
From statement (B) we know that m is divisibly by 4. If m is divisible by 4, then m should surely be divisible by 2. However, from statement (B) alone we do not know if m is divisible by 3. Therefore, statement (B) alone is also not sufficient. Hence, we can eliminate answer choice (1).
Combining the two statements, we know that m is divisible by 3 and by 4. Hence, we can conclude that m is divisible by 6. Choice (3 ) is correct.
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