All practice questions

Historians studying 19th-century agrarian developments have long maintained that the adoption of synthetic nitrate fertilizers was the primary catalyst for the dramatic increase in agricultural yields across Northern Europe. However, recent archival evidence indicates that the widespread implementation of tile drainage systems preceded the mass commercial availability of synthetic nitrates by nearly two decades. Because crop roots cannot absorb soil nutrients effectively in waterlogged fields, the efficiency of any added chemical fertilizer remains severely constrained without prior soil drainage. Therefore, the introduction of synthetic fertilizers merely amplified a productivity trend that was already well underway due to soil infrastructure improvements, rather than serving as its fundamental trigger.

In the argument above, what are the roles played by the two boldfaced portions?

If $x$ is a positive integer, is $x$ an even number?

(1) $x$ is a prime number greater than 2.
(2) $x + 1$ is an odd number.

Agricultural technology firms have recently advocated for nationwide tax credits to promote biochar application in commercial farming, contending that soil carbon storage is essential for meeting climate targets. However, verifying long-term carbon sequestration in varied soil microbiomes remains technically imprecise and prone to significant measurement error. Consequently, issuing standardized credits based on current measurement protocols will inevitably lead to overcrediting unverified carbon sinks. Therefore, the government should defer the implementation of biochar-based carbon tax credits until higher-precision auditing technologies are commercially deployed.

Based on the passage above, match each numbered claim on the left to its exact structural role in the argument on the right.

An executive at an online retail company stated: 'To reverse our recent increase in shopping cart abandonment rates, we must either eliminate standard delivery charges for all orders or offer free return shipping. Because offering free return shipping on all orders would create unsustainable logistics costs, we must eliminate standard delivery charges.'

Statement: The executive's argument relies on a false dilemma fallacy by taking for granted that eliminating standard delivery charges and offering free return shipping are the only two viable strategies for reducing shopping cart abandonment.

For all real numbers $x$, the identity $\sqrt{x^2} = x$ holds true.

If $x$ is a real number, is $x > 0$?

(1) $|x| = 5$
(2) $x + 3 > 5$

In a GMAT Data Sufficiency 'Value' question asking for the specific numerical value of a variable $x$, a statement that narrows $x$ down to exactly two distinct numerical solutions provides sufficient information.

Municipal planners in City K recently installed permeable asphalt along downtown sidewalks to reduce surface runoff during storm events. During the first rainy season following installation, measured runoff volume entering the local river decreased by 30 percent compared to the historical seasonal average. The planners concluded that expanding the installation of permeable asphalt throughout all municipal districts will significantly mitigate urban flooding during future severe storms.

Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest support for the municipal planners' conclusion?

In January, electricity comprised $0.45$ of a facility's total energy consumption. In February, electricity comprised $\frac{3}{5}$ of its total energy consumption. If the facility's total energy consumption was constant at $1,200$ kilowatt-hours in each of the two months, by how many kilowatt-hours did its electricity consumption increase from January to February?

If $k$ is a positive integer such that $k$ is a multiple of $6$ and a factor of $120$, how many possible values are there for $k$?

A global shipping line recently introduced smart refrigerated containers equipped with automated sensors that adjust cooling levels based on cargo respiration rates, reducing energy consumption by 25 percent during ocean transit. The company expected this innovation to significantly cut total operational expenses for shipping perishable produce. However, logistics analysts point out that refrigerated containers spend over 60 percent of their total voyage time idling at port terminals or waiting at customs checkpoints, where power is supplied by third-party grid connections at fixed hourly tariffs rather than generated by the vessel's engines. Consequently, analysts conclude that the adoption of these smart containers will __________.

Which of the following statements most logically fills the blank in the argument above?

To protect centuries-old parchment manuscripts from humidity-induced decay, the curators of a national archive recently replaced the facility's traditional refrigeration-based cooling coils with advanced chemical desiccant air-drying units. Over the six months following the replacement, sensor logs confirmed that relative humidity in the vault remained perfectly stabilized within the ideal target range of 45% to 50%. Nevertheless, physical inspections conducted at the end of the period revealed that the rate of structural fiber cracking on the parchment manuscripts was twice as high as it had been during the six months prior to the equipment change. Concluding that the new desiccant units were directly responsible for the accelerated deterioration, the lead conservator recommended re-installing the original refrigeration-based system.

Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the lead conservator's argument?

Prior to 2022, any corporate entity acquiring more than a 15 percent stake in a domestic renewable energy producer in Nation X was subject to mandatory federal antitrust review unless the acquiring entity was a state-backed entity. In 2022, Nation X amended its regulations such that all corporate acquisitions of domestic energy producers, regardless of the acquiring entity's state-backed status or stake size, require mandatory federal antitrust review if the target firm holds exclusive regional distribution rights. Last year, Solis Corp, a private non-state-backed corporation, acquired a 12 percent stake in Terra Energy, a domestic renewable energy producer in Nation X, without undergoing a federal antitrust review.

Which of the following statements must be true based on the information provided above? Select all that apply.

Historically, municipal governments relied on property taxes to fund public transit expansion, operating under the assumption that infrastructure investment directly drives commercial real estate appreciation. However, recent economic analyses reveal that modern commercial enterprises prioritize digital infrastructure over physical proximity to transit hubs. Therefore, urban economists argue that issuing new municipal bonds to expand city bus lines will yield diminishing returns for the local tax base. Since property values have already stagnated across commercial sectors, funding transit expansion through property tax increases will burden local businesses without generating the anticipated economic growth.

In the argument presented, the bolded statement plays which of the following roles?

Dr. Aris: "To reduce municipal water waste during droughts, the city council should implement a tiered pricing structure that charges commercial users higher rates per gallon once their consumption exceeds baseline operational needs."

Council Member: "Dr. Aris's proposal is entirely unviable. If we completely prohibit commercial enterprises from using city water, local manufacturing will collapse and thousands of residents will lose their jobs."

Which of the following best describes the logical flaw in the council member's response?

A renewable energy company recently installed ultrasonic anti-scaling transducers along the fluid conduits of its geothermal power plant. Management hypothesized that high-frequency sound waves from these devices would prevent mineral deposits from adhering to the interior of heat exchanger pipes, thereby eliminating the need for periodic chemical cleaning shutdowns. Over the subsequent six-month evaluation period, the plant operated continuously without requiring a single descaling shutdown, and net electricity output remained constant. Management concluded that the ultrasonic transducers were directly responsible for preventing mineral scale accumulation during this period.

Which of the following, if true, most strengthens management's conclusion?

To reduce traffic congestion during peak hours, a city council plans to eliminate free on-street parking in the financial district and implement hourly parking fees. Council members claim this policy will encourage commuters to switch to public transit, thereby decreasing the total number of cars entering the area each morning. Which of the following would be most useful to evaluate in order to determine whether the city council's plan will succeed?

How many integer values of $x$ satisfy the inequality $|x^2 - 4x| \leq 3x - 6$?

If $x$ is a real number, is $x > 0$?

(1) $|x| = -x$
(2) $x + |x| > 0$

Which of the following choices correctly describes the sufficiency of the statements?

In a GMAT Data Sufficiency 'Value' question asking for the numerical value of the expression $xy$, a statement that permits $x$ to be either $2$ or $-2$ while establishing that $y = \frac{8}{x}$ is insufficient to answer the question because $x$ itself is not uniquely determined.