PrepTest 151, Section 2, Question 12
An independent computer service company tallied the service(49 more words not shown)
Which one of the following,(7 more words not shown)
- AThe proportions of(26 more words not shown)
- BFor some computer(22 more words not shown)
- CThe company that(19 more words not shown)
- DThe computer brands(15 more words not shown)
- EProBit has been(10 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Fewer service requests could mean fewer problems. But is that the only explanation?
My first concern would be how many computers of each brand people own. A common brand could generate more repair requests simply because more of its computers are in use. The passage answers that objection: the tally factors in market share. We also aren't merely comparing two randomly chosen brands; KRV and ProBit are identified as the highest and lowest in the tally.
Another possibility remains. What if KRV's requests are mostly tiny fixes that take five seconds, while a ProBit request means a computer has failed completely? Fewer requests wouldn't necessarily mean the more dependable computer. That is a hypothetical difference in severity, not a fact about either brand, but it shows why counting requests may not settle reliability.
What we’re looking for
For a weakener, I'd initially look for a reason the service-request figures don't reliably measure the brands' actual problems.
Working the answers
- A
Other brands being close to ProBit doesn't undo its position relative to KRV in this tally. It could make some comparisons close, but the argument could still claim ProBit has the fewest requests after adjustment. A doesn't expose a reason those figures are a poor measure of reliability.
- BCorrect
This supplies a different explanation from my initial concern about severity: the repairs may be going somewhere else.
Imagine ProBit owners taking broken computers to ProBit's own service department, while KRV owners usually go to an independent shop. The independent shop could see few ProBit requests even if ProBit computers had plenty of problems. Its tally would reflect where customers seek help, not just how often their computers fail. B establishes that repair destinations differ by brand, undermining the assumption that this one company's adjusted tally gives a fair comparison. We don't have to prove ProBit actually fails more often to expose that missing information.
- C
This company could receive more ProBit requests than any other independent company and still miss the requests sent to the manufacturer. Being the largest independent recipient doesn't reveal the total across every repair source. C doesn't directly support the author's conclusion or show it false; it gives a comparison among independent companies without resolving the missing overall picture.
- D
Different market shares were my first concern, but the tally already factors them in. Merely confirming that the brands differ in market share doesn't show the adjustment failed. We need a remaining problem with the comparison, not the one the passage says it addressed.
- E
A brand's years in business don't establish how reliable its computers are. Longevity might prompt further questions about experience or the age of machines in use, but E supplies no connection between those possibilities and the service rates. It doesn't explain why the tally misrepresents reliability.
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