GMAT Sampling Pattern

If you are planning to write a GMAT exam then you should know that this test assesses people on 5 standards.

1. Analytical
2. Writing
3. Quantitative
4. Verbal
5. Reading

GMAT has many sampling pattern questions that appear in this exam every other time. These questions can be easily solved if a person is good at judging the sample and population correctly but is it is not a cup of tea as they can be hard too.

But nothing to fear the entire question is just based on mere assumptions that we make in our daily life. Suppose, if a Civil Engineer has to test a road built by the contractor what he will do. Will he dig a hole everywhere to check whether the road has enough materials so that it can survive the weight of vehicles? The answer is NO, right because it’s actually not a proper way. He will just dig a hole in certain spots and if the road has enough materials he will obviously provide a NOC and then the road can be used by the people. The entire question is based on selection and rejection that is made according to the sample.

Now let’s see a simple question based on above concepts.

Speaker: Many people blame the construction of retail locations by major corporations for the decline in locally owned bookstores over the past 10 years. Yet, clearly online sales of book have also played an important role in the decline. In the past 10 years, sales by online retailers have risen sharply, and surveys of consumer behavior have indicated that many purchasers of books online if convenient online options had not been available to them, would otherwise have purchased books at a local bookstore.

In the speaker’s argument, the portion in boldface plays which of following roles?

1. It is the main conclusion of the argument.
2. It is a finding that the argument seeks to explain.
3. It is an explanation that the argument concludes is correct.
4. It provides evidence in support of the main conclusion of the argument.
5. It introduces a judgment that the argument opposes.

This question has a novel characteristic, boldface text. The question asks what the role of boldfaced text is.

To understand this we should know the property that every boldfaced text possesses.

1. A prompt that contains one or more arguments.
2. A question stem that asks for the role of the boldfaced statements.
3. Answer choices that are stated in general, logical terms.

In this type of questions, we don’t have to evaluate the argument. In this, we have summarized the role of boldfaced statements and how the boldfaced statements are related to the non-boldfaced statements, and look for the answer that matches your summary.

So, the correct answer would be 5.

Now, you must be having the doubt how?

The answer to your doubt is:-

The phrase “many people blame” is one argument. Now, the phrase, “yet clearly” gives an opposing viewpoint. On basis of these two arguments, we can say that it gives the opinion of many people and the rest is the speaker’s counterargument.