Sneaky GMAT Mixtures Question -- Balancing Percentages -- One-Minute GMAT Lessons

#GMAT #GRE #mixtures #percentages

A survey of employers found that during 1993 employment costs rose 3.5 percent, where employment costs consist of salary costs and fringe-benefit costs. If salary costs rose 3 percent and fringe-benefit costs rose 5.5 percent during 1993, then fringe-benefit costs represented what percent of employment costs at the beginning of 1993 ?

(A) 16.5%
(B) 20%
(C) 35%
(D) 55%
(E) 65%

Start here: how do we know that this is a Mixtures question? There are two particular ways:

1) If you have a Percents question with two variables and only one equation, it creates a relative percent situation and you can treat that as a mixture.

2) Conversely, any question asking about relative percents is essentially a mixture question and you'll be able to place it within the Mixture framework.

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