A company is developing a new product, code-named Product Q. The company's leaders have not yet decided which of two...
GMAT Two Part Analysis : (TPA) Questions
A company is developing a new product, code-named Product Q. The company's leaders have not yet decided which of two plans to implement. Under Plan A, the new product would be released to the public 12 months from now. Under Plan B, it would be released 18 months from now. Those who favor Plan A do so because they have reliable evidence that a competitor is planning to develop a similar product and there would be a significant marketing advantage in releasing the product first. Those who favor Plan B point out that the 12-month development cycle would require such an intense concentration of effort that other important projects not involving Product Q might have to be postponed.
For Greater risk with Plan A, select the undesirable outcome that the passage indicates would be more likely if Plan A were implemented than if Plan B were implemented, and for Greater risk with Plan B, select the undesirable outcome that the passage indicates would be more likely if Plan B were implemented than if Plan A were implemented. Make only two selections, one in each column.
Phase 1: Owning the Dataset
Argument Analysis Table
| Passage Statement | Analysis & Implications |
| "Under Plan A, the new product would be released to the public 12 months from now" |
|
| "Under Plan B, it would be released 18 months from now" |
|
| "Those who favor Plan A do so because they have reliable evidence that a competitor is planning to develop a similar product" |
|
| "there would be a significant marketing advantage in releasing the product first" |
|
| "the 12-month development cycle would require such an intense concentration of effort that other important projects not involving Product Q might have to be postponed" |
|
Key Patterns Identified
- Time Trade-off: Plan A (faster) vs Plan B (slower)
- Resource Trade-off: Plan A concentrates resources, potentially harming other projects
- Competition Factor: Competitor is developing similar product, making timing crucial
- Risk Distribution: Each plan has distinct disadvantages
Phase 2: Question Analysis & Prethinking
Understanding Each Part
- Part 1 (Greater risk with Plan A): What undesirable outcome is MORE likely if we choose the 12-month plan?
- Part 2 (Greater risk with Plan B): What undesirable outcome is MORE likely if we choose the 18-month plan?
- Relationship: We need to identify the specific disadvantage of each plan
Valid Inferences (Prethinking)
For Plan A (12-month):
- Other projects might be delayed (explicitly stated)
- Resources will be strained due to intense timeline
For Plan B (18-month):
- Competitor has more time to release their product first
- Company loses potential marketing advantage
Phase 3: Answer Choice Evaluation
Analyzing Each Option:
-
"The date on which Product Q would be released to the public would be at least 12 months later than the currently planned date."
- What it claims: Release date delayed by 12+ months
- Fact Support: None - passage gives fixed timelines
- Logical Validity: Invalid - contradicts stated timelines
- Part Suitability: Neither
-
"The basic design of Product Q would have to be changed during the development process."
- What it claims: Design changes needed
- Fact Support: None - not mentioned in passage
- Logical Validity: Pure speculation
- Part Suitability: Neither
-
"Some important projects not involving Product Q would not be completed on their original schedules."
- What it claims: Other projects get delayed
- Fact Support: Directly stated for Plan A's intense 12-month cycle
- Logical Validity: Valid inference for Plan A
- Part Suitability: Perfect for Part 1 (Plan A risk)
-
"The company would have to charge more to the public for Product Q than if the other plan were implemented."
- What it claims: Higher pricing needed
- Fact Support: None - pricing not discussed
- Logical Validity: Unsupported speculation
- Part Suitability: Neither
-
"A competitor would release a similar product before Product Q is released."
- What it claims: Competitor beats company to market
- Fact Support: Plan B takes 18 months vs Plan A's 12 months; competitor is developing similar product
- Logical Validity: More time = more risk of being beaten to market
- Part Suitability: Perfect for Part 2 (Plan B risk)
Answer Selection
- Part 1 (Greater risk with Plan A): "Some important projects not involving Product Q would not be completed on their original schedules."
- Part 2 (Greater risk with Plan B): "A competitor would release a similar product before Product Q is released."
Verification
- Plan A's intense 12-month timeline explicitly risks delaying other projects ✓
- Plan B's longer 18-month timeline gives competitor more time to release first ✓
- Both answers directly supported by passage facts ✓
- Each risk is uniquely associated with its respective plan ✓