XAT 2018QA & DI Question 27

Mixed PracticeEasy
Passage / Data

Answer the next 3 questions based on the information given below.

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The graphs below represent the performance of four professors, across years, measured on four variables: Percentage of time spent on teaching, percentage of time spent on research, feedback (on a scale of 10, right-hand side) and number of publications (right-hand side). Assume that the cumulative time spent per year on research and teaching activities are same for all four professors and each of them taught only one course of 90 classroom hours.

Research efficiency is the ratio of cumulative number of publication for a period of 3 years to the cumulative number of hours spent on research activity in those 3 years. Which of the following professors is the least efficient researcher for the period 2015 to 2017?

Answer & solution

  • Professor Arithmetic

  • B

    Professor Algebra

  • C

    Professor Geometry

  • D

    Professor Calculus

  • E

    Cannot be determined as research is expressed in percentage

Solution

Since cumulative time spent per year on research and teaching activities is the same for all professors, we’ll directly take the percentages for calculations.

Research efficiency of Prof. Arithmetic = (2 + 3 + 3)/(70 + 50 + 60) = 2/45

Research efficiency of Prof. Algebra = (3 + 2 + 3)/(35 + 25 + 40) = 2/25

Research efficiency of Prof. Geometry = (3 + 1 + 4)/(75 + 25 + 20) = 2/30
 
Research efficiency of Prof. Calculus = (3 + 3 + 2)/(55 + 55 + 40) = 2/37.5

∴ The least efficient is Prof. Arithmetic.

Hence, option (a).

XAT 2018 QA & DI Q27: Research efficiency is the ratio of cumulative number of publication for a period of 3 years to the cumulative — Solution | TheCATExam