During a given legislative session, Committee X gives higher priority to bills as the level of each of several factors...
GMAT Two Part Analysis : (TPA) Questions
During a given legislative session, Committee X gives higher priority to bills as the level of each of several factors increases: public interest in the bill; its contentiousness; its scale; the uncertainty about it; and the ongoing relevant research. In a recent session, Committee X reviewed exactly three bills: A, B, and C. All had the same level of public interest. Bill A had the highest level of contentiousness; Bill B had the highest level of uncertainty; Bills A and B had the same levels of scale and ongoing relevant research; and Bill C had the lowest levels of contentiousness, scale, uncertainty, and ongoing relevant research. During the legislative session, Committee X gave Bill A the highest priority.
It would help explain the priority given to Bill A if it were true that Committee X gave a higher priority for the level of 1 than it did for the level of 2.
Phase 1: Owning the Dataset
First, Create an Argument Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Committee X gives higher priority to bills as the level of each of several factors increases: public interest in the bill; its contentiousness; its scale; the uncertainty about it; and the ongoing relevant research." |
|
| "All had the same level of public interest." |
|
| "Bill A had the highest level of contentiousness; Bill B had the highest level of uncertainty" |
|
| "Bills A and B had the same levels of scale and ongoing relevant research" |
|
| "Bill C had the lowest levels of contentiousness, scale, uncertainty, and ongoing relevant research" |
|
| "Committee X gave Bill A the highest priority" |
|
Second, Identify Argument Structure
- Main conclusion: Bill A received the highest priority
- Supporting evidence: The comparative levels of five factors across three bills
- Key assumption: The committee's relative weighting of factors determines final priority
- Overall logical flow: \(\mathrm{Factor\ levels} → \mathrm{Committee's\ weighting} → \mathrm{Final\ priority\ decision}\)
Phase 2: Question Analysis & Prethinking
First, Understand What Each Part Asks
The question asks us to identify two factors where prioritizing factor (1) over factor (2) would explain why Bill A got highest priority.
- Part 1: We need a factor where Bill A excels
- Part 2: We need a factor where Bill A doesn't excel (likely where another bill excels)
- Relationship: The committee valuing (1) more than (2) must logically lead to A being prioritized
Second, Generate Prethinking Based on Question Type
This is an explanation question - we need to explain why A got priority over B (since C was clearly last).
Third, Develop Specific Prethinking for Each Part
- For Part 1: Since A got priority over B, we need A's advantage. A had highest contentiousness while B had highest uncertainty. So contentiousness is likely our answer for Part 1.
- For Part 2: We need B's advantage that wasn't enough to overcome A. B had highest uncertainty, so uncertainty is likely our answer for Part 2.
Phase 3: Answer Choice Evaluation
Evaluating Each Choice
Let's evaluate each choice for both parts:
Public interest: All bills had the same level, so this can't differentiate them. Not useful for either part.
Contentiousness: Bill A had the highest level. Perfect for Part 1 as it's A's advantage.
Scale: Bills A and B had the same level. Can't explain why A beat B. Not useful for either part.
Uncertainty: Bill B had the highest level. Perfect for Part 2 as it's B's advantage that wasn't enough.
Ongoing relevant research: Bills A and B had the same level. Can't explain why A beat B. Not useful for either part.
The Correct Answers
- For Part 1: Contentiousness - This is where Bill A excelled compared to all others
- For Part 2: Uncertainty - This is where Bill B excelled, but it wasn't valued as highly as contentiousness
If Committee X valued contentiousness more than uncertainty, it perfectly explains why A (highest contentiousness) got priority over B (highest uncertainty) despite their tie on other factors.
Common Traps to Highlight
Scale or Ongoing Research: These might seem relevant since A and B were higher than C in these areas. However, since A and B were equal in these factors, they can't explain why A beat B.
Public Interest: Students might be drawn to this as an important-sounding factor, but the passage explicitly states all bills had the same level, making it irrelevant to the prioritization decision.