PrepLattice is an independent test-preparation service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by GMAC, the organization that administers the GMAT. GMAT and GMAT Focus are trademarks of GMAC, used here only to name the exam this question is designed to prepare you for.
The line graph below shows the number of subscribers, in thousands, for a streaming service at the end of each of five consecutive quarters (Q1 through Q5). Select from each drop-down menu to complete the statement so that it is most accurate according to the data shown.
Five fresh questions every day, your progress tracked, every miss explained. Free with an account.
Correct answer
1: Q2 to Q3 · 2: 150%
The blank asks for the largest percentage growth from one quarter to the next, which is the percent increase relative to the quarter it started from, not the largest absolute jump in subscribers. So for each interval, divide the increase by the starting value.
From Q1 to Q2 subscribers rose from 50 thousand to 60 thousand, an increase of 10 on a base of 50, which is 20%. From Q2 to Q3 the rise was 90 on a base of 60, which is 150%. From Q3 to Q4 it was 130 on a base of 150, about 87%. From Q4 to Q5 it was 70 on a base of 280, which is 25%. The largest percentage growth is Q2 to Q3, at 150%.
The trap is the steepest segment. The biggest absolute jump is Q3 to Q4, a climb of 130 thousand, the most dramatic rise on the chart. But that jump starts from a base of 150, so it is only about 87% growth, below Q2 to Q3. The winner sits in the middle of the curve, not at either end. A further trap is to read across two quarters at once: from Q1 to Q3, 50 to 150 is a 200% rise, but that spans two intervals, not one quarter to the next. Hold to a single one-quarter step and divide by the starting value, and the fastest-growing quarter is Q2 to Q3 at 150%.
Pick the theme that suits how you work. You can change it anytime.