Executive Assessment (EA) — Questions and Answers

Question 1: A product table has columns: Product, Cost, Price, Units Sold. If sorted by Profit Margin (Price−Cost)/Price, which type of product ranks highest?

Product with best (Price−Cost)/Price ratio (Correct answer)
Product with most units sold
Highest price product
Product with greatest absolute profit

Correct answer: Product with best (Price−Cost)/Price ratio

Sorting by profit margin ranks products by (Price−Cost)/Price, regardless of price level or units sold.

Question 2: Verbal – Sentence Correction Bees play important roles in the environment, including germinating agricultural crops, such as apples, melons, and cranberries; supporting food supplies of wild animals by pollinating berry-, seed-, and nut-bearing plants; and produce honey, a nutritious food for animals, insects, and humans alike.

they support food supplies of wild animals by pollinating berry-, seed-, and nut-bearing plants; producing
supporting food supplies of wild animals by pollinating berry-, seed-, and nut-bearing plants; and produce
they support food supplies of wild animals by pollinating berry-, seed-, and nut-bearing plants; yet producing
supporting food supplies of wild animals by pollinating berry-, seed-, and nut-bearing plants; and producing (Correct answer)
supporting food supplies of wild animals by pollinating berry-, seed-, and nut-bearing plants; and they produced

Correct answer: supporting food supplies of wild animals by pollinating berry-, seed-, and nut-bearing plants; and producing

C. Correct. The sentence communicates a list of roles bees play in the environment and maintains the parallel structure for all items in the list.

Question 3: A two-line chart shows projected vs. actual costs over 6 months. The actual line is consistently below the projected line. What does this indicate?

The project is over budget.
The projection model is accurate.
Revenue is exceeding forecasts.
Costs are being managed better than expected. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Costs are being managed better than expected.

Actual costs consistently below projections mean spending is better controlled than the budget assumed.

Question 4: A headcount table shows 8 departments. Filtering for departments with headcount > 50 AND budget > $1M returns 3 departments. What is the minimum number of departments that satisfy at least one condition?

Cannot exceed 8
Exactly 5
At least 3 (Correct answer)
3

Correct answer: At least 3

The 3 departments satisfy both conditions; additional departments may satisfy one but not both, so at minimum 3 satisfy at least one condition.

Question 5: A city claims that adding bike lanes reduced car traffic by 15%. A critic argues this is misleading. Which data point would best support the critic's position?

Similar cities without bike lanes saw traffic rise 20%.
A highway bypass was completed in the same year. (Correct answer)
The city's population grew by 5% during this period.
Bike lane usage increased by 40%.

Correct answer: A highway bypass was completed in the same year.

An alternative explanation (the bypass) undermines the city's causal claim that bike lanes drove the traffic reduction.

Question 6: A project requires 240 person-hours. Team X works at 30 hours/day and Team Y works at 10 hours/day. If Team X works alone for 4 days, how many days does Team Y need to finish AND what is the total number of days elapsed?

Y needs 12 days; Total=16 days (Correct answer)
Y needs 12 days; Total=12 days
Y needs 10 days; Total=14 days
Y needs 8 days; Total=12 days

Correct answer: Y needs 12 days; Total=16 days

Team X completes 4×30=120 hours; remaining=120 hours; Team Y: 120/10=12 days; total=4+12=16 days.

Question 7: Source A: a manager oversees 5 direct reports. Source B: each direct report oversees 4 people. Source C: the company has 3 such managers. How many total employees are under these 3 managers (all levels)?

60
15
45
75 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 75

Each manager: 5 direct reports + (5 × 4) = 25 total per manager; 3 managers × 25 = 75.

Question 8: Passage: 'The ancient city of Carthage, once Rome's most formidable rival, was completely destroyed in 146 BCE. Contemporary historians describe the Romans as salting the earth to prevent regrowth, though modern scholars debate whether this occurred. What is certain is that Carthage was systematically dismantled, with survivors enslaved or dispersed.' What can be inferred about the relationship between Rome and Carthage?

Carthage surrendered peacefully, which led to its gradual decline
Modern historians have fully confirmed all ancient accounts of the destruction
The rivalry was significant enough that Rome sought to permanently eliminate Carthage (Correct answer)
Rome and Carthage were trading partners who occasionally disputed territories

Correct answer: The rivalry was significant enough that Rome sought to permanently eliminate Carthage

The systematic and complete destruction — with survivors enslaved or dispersed — implies Rome intended permanent elimination, reflecting an intense and serious rivalry.

Question 9: A survey shows 75% of customers prefer Brand A. The conclusion is that Brand A is the market leader. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen this conclusion?

The survey sampled 10,000 randomly selected customers nationwide. (Correct answer)
The survey was conducted by Brand A's marketing department.
Brand A spends the most on advertising.
Brand A has the lowest price in the market.

Correct answer: The survey sampled 10,000 randomly selected customers nationwide.

A large, random, nationally representative sample increases the validity and generalizability of the survey finding.

Question 10: A bar chart shows monthly website traffic: Jan=10K, Feb=12K, Mar=11K, Apr=15K, May=14K, Jun=18K. What is the average monthly traffic?

12,500
15,000
14,000
13,333 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 13,333

Sum = 80K; average = 80,000 / 6 ≈ 13,333.

Question 11: Passage: 'The development of antibiotics in the twentieth century dramatically reduced mortality from bacterial infections. However, the overuse and misuse of these medications has accelerated the evolution of antibiotic-resistant strains. Medical authorities now emphasize antibiotic stewardship — careful management of when and how antibiotics are prescribed — as critical to preserving their effectiveness.' The passage suggests that antibiotic stewardship is necessary because:

Overuse of antibiotics threatens their long-term effectiveness by driving resistance (Correct answer)
Doctors are generally unaware of proper antibiotic prescribing protocols
Antibiotics are too expensive for widespread distribution
Bacterial infections have become increasingly uncommon and require less treatment

Correct answer: Overuse of antibiotics threatens their long-term effectiveness by driving resistance

The passage directly links overuse and misuse to resistance evolution, establishing that stewardship is needed to prevent this from making antibiotics ineffective.

Question 12: Passage: 'Climate models predict with high confidence that average global temperatures will continue rising throughout the twenty-first century. The magnitude of warming depends critically on future greenhouse gas emissions, with the most severe projections requiring significant reductions in emissions to avoid. Adaptation strategies will be necessary regardless of mitigation efforts.' Which statement is best supported by the passage?

Climate scientists are uncertain whether temperatures will rise in the coming century
Emissions reductions alone will fully resolve the climate problem
The severity of climate change depends significantly on future human choices about emissions (Correct answer)
Adaptation is unnecessary if mitigation efforts are implemented successfully

Correct answer: The severity of climate change depends significantly on future human choices about emissions

The passage states that warming magnitude 'depends critically on future greenhouse gas emissions,' directly establishing that human choices will determine the severity of outcomes.

Question 13: Tab 1 shows Project A has a 3-year payback period with NPV = $120K. Tab 2 shows Project B has a 2-year payback period with NPV = $90K. Which conclusion is most defensible?

Both projects are equivalent in value.
Project A has higher long-term value; Project B recovers faster. (Correct answer)
Project B is superior by all measures.
Project A is superior by all measures.

Correct answer: Project A has higher long-term value; Project B recovers faster.

NPV measures total value (A wins) while payback period measures speed of recovery (B wins), so each metric favors a different project.

Question 14: A project timeline table lists Start Date, End Date, and Duration (days). If sorted by Duration ascending, the first project has Start=Jan 1 and End=Jan 8. What is its duration?

7 days (Correct answer)
9 days
8 days
6 days

Correct answer: 7 days

Duration = End Date − Start Date = Jan 8 − Jan 1 = 7 days.

Question 15: What is the area of circle O? (1) The diameter of circle O is 10. (2) The circumference of circle O is 10π.

Statement (1) alone is sufficient.
Both statements together are sufficient, but neither alone.
Each statement alone is sufficient. (Correct answer)
Statement (2) alone is sufficient.

Correct answer: Each statement alone is sufficient.

Both the diameter (r=5, area=25π) and circumference (r=5, area=25π) independently determine the area.

Question 16: Memo A states the sales team is 12 people. Memo B states that 25% are in the West region and the rest are split equally between North and South. How many people are in the North region?

5 (Correct answer)
3
4
6

Correct answer: 5

West = 3; remaining 9 split equally between North and South = 4.5, but since 25% of 12 = 3 and 75% of 12 = 9 split equally gives 4.5 — re-reading: 75% ÷ 2 = 4.5 rounds to the closest whole; however the intended answer uses equal split of remaining 9: North = South = 4.5 ≈ 4 or 5; the answer choice of 4 is correct if 'rest split equally' means each gets 4 and 1 is unassigned, so North = 4.

Question 17: Passage: 'Social media platforms face a persistent tension between free expression and content moderation. Too little moderation allows harmful misinformation and harassment to proliferate; too much risks suppressing legitimate speech and centralizing power over discourse. Platforms have responded with algorithmic filtering, human review teams, and community-based flagging systems, none of which has resolved the underlying tension.' The passage suggests that content moderation is difficult primarily because:

Technology is not yet sufficiently advanced to accurately detect harmful content
Platforms profit from controversial content and therefore resist effective solutions
Any approach to moderation involves trade-offs between competing values (Correct answer)
Users are largely unwilling to report problematic posts to platforms

Correct answer: Any approach to moderation involves trade-offs between competing values

The passage frames the challenge as an inherent tension between two values (free expression vs. safety) where no solution resolves both simultaneously.

Question 18: A rectangle's length is 3 times its width. The perimeter is 96 cm. What is the length AND the area?

Length=36 cm, Area=324 cm²
Length=30 cm, Area=300 cm²
Length=24 cm, Area=288 cm²
Length=36 cm, Area=432 cm² (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Length=36 cm, Area=432 cm²

2(3w + w) = 96; 8w = 96; w = 12; length = 36; area = 36 × 12 = 432 cm².

Question 19: A line graph shows revenue and expenses. They are parallel lines with revenue always above expenses. What does this indicate about profit?

Profit is growing.
Profit is constant. (Correct answer)
Profit is zero.
Profit is shrinking.

Correct answer: Profit is constant.

Parallel lines with a constant gap mean the difference (profit) remains unchanged over time.

Question 20: Source 1: Team A completes a task in 6 hours. Source 2: Team B completes the same task in 4 hours. If both teams work together, approximately how long will the task take?

3 hours
2 hours
5 hours
2.4 hours (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 2.4 hours

Combined rate = 1/6 + 1/4 = 5/12 tasks/hour; time = 12/5 = 2.4 hours.

Question 21: Is quadrilateral ABCD a rectangle? (1) All four angles are equal. (2) All four sides are equal.

Statement (2) alone is sufficient.
Each statement alone is sufficient.
Statement (1) alone is sufficient. (Correct answer)
Both statements together are sufficient, but neither alone.

Correct answer: Statement (1) alone is sufficient.

Four equal angles in a quadrilateral means each is 90°, which defines a rectangle; statement (1) is sufficient alone.

Question 22: Passage: 'Urban planners increasingly favor mixed-use development, in which residential, commercial, and recreational spaces coexist in close proximity. Proponents argue that such designs reduce automobile dependency, foster community interaction, and improve economic vitality. Critics, however, contend that mixed-use zones can increase noise, parking shortages, and conflicts between incompatible uses.' Which of the following best describes the structure of this passage?

A historical account leads to a modern policy conclusion
A specific problem is identified and a recommended solution is provided
A trend is identified, and then both supporting and opposing views are presented (Correct answer)
A hypothesis is presented and then systematically disproven

Correct answer: A trend is identified, and then both supporting and opposing views are presented

The passage identifies the trend of mixed-use development, then presents proponents' arguments, followed by critics' counterarguments — a classic balanced structure.

Question 23: A worker completes 2/3 of a task. A second worker completes 1/4 of what remains. What fraction did the second worker complete AND what fraction of the original task remains?

Second=1/12, Remaining=1/4 (Correct answer)
Second=1/6, Remaining=1/4
Second=1/8, Remaining=3/8
Second=1/12, Remaining=1/3

Correct answer: Second=1/12, Remaining=1/4

Remaining after worker 1 = 1/3; worker 2 does 1/4 × 1/3 = 1/12; remaining = 1/3 − 1/12 = 3/12 = 1/4.

Question 24: Division & Factoring If 72x−x=y and x is a positive integer less than 10, how many positive integer values are possible for y?

2
A )9
7
1
6 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 6

The correct answer is: C) To satisfy the conditions of the problem, x must be a factor of 72 less than 10, which are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 9. 1:721−12:722−23:723−34:724−46:726−68:728−89:729−9=71=34=21=14=6=1=−1 Therefore, 6 integer values less than 10 for x produce positive integer values for y.

Question 25: Is x > 0? (1) x² = 16. (2) x³ = 64.

Neither statement is sufficient.
Both statements together are sufficient, but neither alone.
Statement (2) alone is sufficient. (Correct answer)
Statement (1) alone is sufficient.

Correct answer: Statement (2) alone is sufficient.

Statement (1): x could be 4 or −4; not sufficient. Statement (2): x³ = 64 means x = 4 only (positive); sufficient.

Question 26: Passage: 'The placebo effect demonstrates that a patient's expectation of treatment can itself produce measurable physiological changes. In double-blind clinical trials, some patients receiving inert substances report significant symptom improvement. This phenomenon complicates drug approval processes, as new treatments must demonstrate efficacy beyond placebo effects.' Which conclusion is best supported by the passage?

The placebo effect is too small to meaningfully affect clinical trial results
Inert substances are sometimes more effective than genuine drug treatments
New drugs must demonstrate benefits above what patient expectation alone produces (Correct answer)
The placebo effect only works when patients know they are receiving a real treatment

Correct answer: New drugs must demonstrate benefits above what patient expectation alone produces

The passage states treatments must show efficacy 'beyond placebo effects,' meaning they must outperform improvements attributable to patient expectation alone.

Question 27: A company claims that installing ergonomic chairs reduced employee sick days by 20%. Which of the following, if true, most weakens this conclusion?

The company also introduced a wellness program at the same time. (Correct answer)
Employees reported higher job satisfaction after the chair installation.
Ergonomic chairs are more expensive than standard chairs.
Sick days increased at a competitor company last year.

Correct answer: The company also introduced a wellness program at the same time.

An alternative cause (the wellness program) weakens the causal claim that chairs alone reduced sick days.

Question 28: A histogram shows a right-skewed distribution of customer purchase amounts. What does this imply about the median versus the mean?

Neither can be determined.
Mean equals median.
Mean is greater than median. (Correct answer)
Median is greater than mean.

Correct answer: Mean is greater than median.

In a right-skewed distribution, large outliers on the right pull the mean above the median.

Question 29: Which of the following best completes the argument? Dexter Solutions is one of the most successful Information Technology (IT) consulting companies around the world. It primarily deals in cloud computing domain. Alex is an IT consultant who specializes in IT infrastructure services. Thus, Alex surely cannot be a consultant at Dexter Solutions because __________.

an IT consultant who specializes in IT infrastructure services cannot qualify to be a cloud computing expert.
there is no overlap between Alex's skill-set and the domains that Dexter Solutions does business in. (Correct answer)
Dexter Solutions does no business in the IT infrastructure services domain.
the global market size of the IT infrastructure services consulting business is small.
Alex has no skills in cloud computing.

Correct answer: there is no overlap between Alex's skill-set and the domains that Dexter Solutions does business in.

Argument construction Let us understand the argument. The argument is simple to follow. An IT company primarily deals in the cloud computing business. There is an individual IT consultant who specializes in IT infrastructure services. The conclusion made is that the individual IT consultant cannot be a consultant at the referred IT company. We have to find out the missing logic that leads to such a conclusion. Thus, though this seems to be a 'complete the argument' question, it is actually a 'find the assumption' question. Conclusion: Alex surely cannot be a consultant at Dexter Solutions. Predict an Assumption The IT company deals primarily in cloud computing. It does not imply that it cannot deal in other businesses such as IT infrastructure services. It may do so. Similarly, the IT consultant Alex specializes in IT infrastructure services, but this does not imply that he cannot deal in other businesses such as cloud computing. He may do so. Since the conclusion states that Alex surely cannot be a consultant at Dexter Solutions, it implies that no skill of Alex and no business domain of Dexter are common. Predictive Assumption: No employable skill of Alex and no business domain of Dexter are common.

Question 30: A table shows headcount by year for 5 offices. To find which office had the most consistent growth, an analyst should sort by:

Headcount in the most recent year
Standard deviation of annual growth rates ascending (Correct answer)
Year-over-year average growth rate
Total headcount descending

Correct answer: Standard deviation of annual growth rates ascending

Consistency in growth is measured by low variability; sorting by standard deviation ascending puts the most consistent grower at the top.

Question 31: What is the value of 3x − 2y? (1) x = 5. (2) y = 4.

Statement (1) alone is sufficient.
Statement (2) alone is sufficient.
Both statements together are sufficient, but neither alone. (Correct answer)
Neither statement is sufficient.

Correct answer: Both statements together are sufficient, but neither alone.

With x=5 and y=4: 3(5)−2(4) = 15−8 = 7; both statements together are needed.

Question 32: What is the value of a² − b²? (1) a + b = 10. (2) a − b = 4.

Neither statement is sufficient.
Statement (2) alone is sufficient.
Statement (1) alone is sufficient.
Both statements together are sufficient, but neither alone. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Both statements together are sufficient, but neither alone.

a² − b² = (a+b)(a−b) = 10 × 4 = 40; both statements together are sufficient using the difference of squares factoring.

Question 33: A company's Tab 1 shows Q1 revenue of $4.2M and Tab 2 shows Q1 expenses of $3.6M. What is the Q1 operating profit margin?

85.7%
14.3% (Correct answer)
11.1%
16.7%

Correct answer: 14.3%

Operating profit margin = (4.2 - 3.6) / 4.2 = 0.6 / 4.2 ≈ 14.3%.

Question 34: A two-axis graph shows revenue (bars, left axis) and profit margin (line, right axis). Revenue grows each year but the margin line declines. What is the most logical interpretation?

The company is losing money.
Total profit is increasing.
Costs are growing faster than revenue. (Correct answer)
Revenue growth is slowing.

Correct answer: Costs are growing faster than revenue.

A rising revenue with a falling margin means costs are consuming an increasing share of each revenue dollar.

Question 35: Passage: 'The emergence of large language models has prompted debate about their impact on knowledge work. Optimists argue these tools will augment human capabilities, handling routine tasks and freeing professionals for higher-order work. Skeptics warn of deskilling — the gradual erosion of expertise that occurs when professionals delegate tasks that develop critical skills.' The term 'deskilling' in the passage refers to:

The difficulty professionals face when learning to use new technology effectively
The gradual erosion of expertise caused by over-reliance on automated tools (Correct answer)
The deliberate removal of professional credentials or certifications from workers
A cost-reduction strategy in which companies replace skilled workers with cheaper labor

Correct answer: The gradual erosion of expertise caused by over-reliance on automated tools

The passage explicitly defines deskilling as 'the gradual erosion of expertise that occurs when professionals delegate tasks that develop critical skills.'

Question 36: For all integers n , the function f is defined by f(n)=(a)6n, where a is a constant. What is the value of f(1) ? (1) f(2)=64 (2) f(3)=16

EACH statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question asked. (Correct answer)
Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient to answer the question asked, and additional data specific to the problem are needed.
Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) ALONE is not sufficient to answer the question asked.
BOTH statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question asked, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question asked.
Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) ALONE is not sufficient to answer the question asked.

Correct answer: EACH statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question asked.

Let's see the correct solution: We are given that f(n)=(a)6n , where a is a constant. We have to find out the value of f(1) Statement 1: Given that f(2)=64 Thus, f(2)=(a)62=a3=64 ⇒a=(64)13=4 Thus, f(1)=(a)61=a6=46 . - Sufficient Statement 2: Given that f(3)=16 Thus, f(3)=(a)63=a2=16 ⇒a=(16)12=±4 Thus, f(1)=(a)61=a6=(±4)6=46 . - Sufficient

Question 37: What is the perimeter of triangle ABC? (1) AB = BC = 8. (2) The triangle is equilateral.

Statement (1) alone is sufficient.
Neither statement is sufficient.
Both statements together are sufficient, but neither alone. (Correct answer)
Statement (2) alone is sufficient.

Correct answer: Both statements together are sufficient, but neither alone.

Statement (1) gives two sides as 8 but not the third; Statement (2) says all sides equal but not their length; together: equilateral with AB=8 means all sides=8, perimeter=24.

Question 38: The demand for large, family-sized vehicles will slump dramatically over the next ten years. Steel plating is a component used in these vehicles, and to obtain maximum price reduction on it, major automobile companies order it five years in advance of delivery, but they are postponing orders now. Which of the following must be evaluated to validate the decision made by the major automobile companies?

Whether these companies cannot resell steel plating to other automobile companies at a bearable loss.
Whether the price of steel plating would rise significantly over the years. (Correct answer)
Whether the other components used in these vehicles are in short supply.
Whether the other components used in these vehicles have been ordered well in advance.
Whether the demand for small-sized vehicles will also slump dramatically over the next ten years.

Correct answer: Whether the price of steel plating would rise significantly over the years.

Argument construction In the next decade, the demand for a certain type of car will go down. Companies generally order steel plating 5 years in advance to get the maximum discount from suppliers. It follows that the companies would have ordered steel plating for this type of car 5 years in advance when these types of cars had consistent demand. Now, after the companies learnt that the demand for this car type will go down, they want to postpone the orders for steel plating. Predict an Evaluator The major automobile companies tread cautiously. They anticipate that if the demand for the large, family-sized vehicles slumps to such an extent that they have to stop making these types of vehicles, then the pre-ordered steel plating would go waste and become a liability for them. However, if the demand for these types of vehicles does not slump to the extent that they have to stop making these types of vehicles, they may then, at that point in time, order the required amount of steel plating, though they will not get the hefty discount they would have got with an order made 5-years in advance. This seems to be the most rational decision. Before postponing the orders, the major automobile companies must evaluate that if they would need steel plating in future, its supply will remain consistent and also, that its price is not likely to rise significantly higher than the present rates. Predictive evaluator 1: Is the availability and the supply of steel plating likely to be consistent in the future? Predictive evaluator 2: Will the price of steel plating rise significantly in future?

Question 39: The Senator Wiley damned the Frequent Flyer schemes, now operated by virtually all major American airlines, as nothing less than a bribe to acquire the accounts of major corporations that are willing to pay excessively high sums to buy Frequent Flyer discount coupons in order to give untaxed rewards to employees. To make the discounted ticket prices viable, airlines raise the initial marked price of the tickets. Thus, the price of tickets for the general public is kept artificially high. Walter Healey, the Vice President of American Airlines, responded to the criticism by saying the Frequent Flyer scheme was enjoyed by millions of Americans who were able to acquire Frequent Flyer tokens from supermarket purchases and credit card transactions. Which of the following, if true, best exposes the flaw in Healey's response to Wiley's criticism?

The price of tickets booked under Frequent Flyer schemes is often as low as 50% of the regular ticket price.
Most airline companies offer bonus tokens for long-haul flights.
Ticket prices are regularly reviewed by a committee of airline representatives.
Fewer people acquire Frequent Flyer tokens through supermarket purchases than through credit card transactions.
Only a few supermarket chains and credit card companies offer Frequent Flyer tokens to customers. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Only a few supermarket chains and credit card companies offer Frequent Flyer tokens to customers.

Argument construction A Senator criticized the Frequent Flyer schemes, operated by almost all major American airlines, saying it is like giving bribe to major corporations to acquire their accounts. These corporation pay excessively high sums to buy Frequent Flyer tokens from airlines and pass these discount-seeking tokens to their employees to give them untaxed rewards. In turn, upon encashing the tokens, the employees get discounted airline tickets. This implies that the price of tickets for the general public is kept artificially high and compared to privileged employees, they end up paying more. However, the VP of American Airlines, responded to the criticism by saying the Frequent Flyer scheme was also enjoyed by millions of Americans who could get Frequent Flyer tokens from supermarket purchases and credit card transactions. Predict a Weakener Let's write down the claim. Claim: Benefit of Frequent Flyer scheme is not exclusive to major corporations; general public can also get the same benefit as the employees of major corporations do. Our job is to find a flaw in the claim, or in other words, we need to weaken the claim. What if a large number of airline tickets are reserved for major corporations? Well, in that case there would be only a few airline tickets available for general public. So, though they may have Frequent Flyer tokens, they cannot utilize them. Predictive Weakener 1: A large number of airline tickets are reserved for major corporations. What if there are only a few supermarkets and only a few credit card companies that offer Frequent Flyer tokens? Well, in that case, only a few people can get the benefit of the scheme. Predictive Weakener 2: Only a few supermarkets and credit card companies offer Frequent Flyer tokens. There can be one or two more predictive weakeners; however, you need not think of more than two.

Question 40: A business argues: 'Our customer satisfaction score rose from 70% to 80%, proving our new training program works.' What is the flaw in this reasoning?

Customer satisfaction scores are unreliable metrics.
The training program cost more than the benefit.
A 10-point increase is too small to be meaningful.
The increase could be due to factors other than the training program. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The increase could be due to factors other than the training program.

The argument commits the post hoc fallacy — assuming the training caused the improvement without ruling out other causes.

Executive Assessment (EA)

The Executive Assessment (EA) is a 90-minute admissions test developed by GMAC for Executive MBA programs, measuring higher-order reasoning skills across Integrated Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning sections.

Questions

68 min

Time Limit

70%

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