CAT 2017 Set-1 | Question: 80

Question

A class consists of $20$ boys and $30$ girls. In the mid-semester examination, the average score of the girls was $5$ higher than that of the boys. In the final exam, however, the average score of the girls dropped by $3$ while the average score of the entire class increased by $2$. The increase in the average score of the boys is

• A. $9.5$
• B. $10$
• C. $4.5$
• D. $6$

Answer 1

Let, in the mid-semester examination, the total score of girls and boys be $g$ and $b$ respectively.

So, $\frac{g}{30} =  \frac{b}{20} + 5 \quad \longrightarrow (1)$

Average score of the class $ =  \frac{g+b}{50} $

Let, in the final exam, the total score of girls and boys be ${g}’$ and ${b}’$ respectively.

Now, $ \frac{{g}’}{30} = \frac{g}{30} – 3  \Rightarrow  \boxed{ {g}’ = g-90}$

And, $\frac{{g}’+{b}'}{50} = \frac{g+b}{50}  + 2 $

$\Rightarrow \frac{{g}’+{b}'}{50} = \frac{g+b+100}{50} $

$\Rightarrow {g}’+{b}' = g+b+100 $

$\Rightarrow g-90+{b}' = g+b+100 $

$\Rightarrow \boxed { {b}' = b+190 } $

So, the new average of boys $= \frac{{b}'}{20}  = \frac{b+190}{20} = \frac{b}{20} + \frac{190}{20}  = \frac{b}{20} + 9.5  $  

$\therefore$ The increase in the average score of the boys is $9.5.$                         

Correct Answer $ : \text{A}$