#22 - Global

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (A).

Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C):

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):


This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[rjhyman]

Hi! When I was doing this problem I got it wrong the first time but now I think I understand why A is correct. I eliminated E because if V offers a 5 year bond then S has to offer both 5 and 10 (based on our rules) so that is incorrect for this question. I eliminated C because H and L can never be together (per our rules) so they couldn't both offer 5 year bonds. After that, I started making possible templates. Is the template below that I made for A correct? Based on this diagram it seems like G and H can both offer 5 year bonds and not be duplicates (which is what I believe this question was asking for)

5 year bond: G, H, V, S
10 year bond: L, R, V, S

Let me know if you think there is a faster way to solve this problem

[Adam Tyson]

One step you could have taken to move a little more quickly would be to focus on the H/L relationship. In every solution to this game, one of them offers only 5-year bonds and the other offers only 10-year bonds. This means that the pair that offer only 5-year bonds MUST include EXACTLY one of H or L.

B is out because it includes neither H nor L.

C is out because it includes both.

E is out because it includes neither.

At this point, only A and D are contenders, so you can just test one of them (assuming you don't immediately see a problem with either, perhaps by comparing them to your prior local diagrams or to your templates, if you had chosen to do them.)

If you test D, you will quickly see the problem: if H offers 5, then L offers 10, and that forces R to offer 10, so R cannot offer only 5. D is eliminated and A is the winner! Much faster than creating templates or testing multiple answer choices.

Think about the nature of the question and what rule(s) it implicates, and you can cut the amount of effort required substantially.