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# Data Sufficiency: The Question Stem - What is the Issue?

If there are 1,500 fewer Insurance Z consumers this year than last year, by what percent has the number of Insurance Z consumers decreased from last year to this year? >(1) There were 1.5 times as many Insurance Z consumers last year as this year. >(2) There are 3,000 Insurance Z consumers this year.
Correct. [[snippet]] Stat. (1): __Plug In__ numbers to understand what the statement means: If this year there were 100 consumers, then last year there would be $$1.5 \times 100 = 150$$ consumers. In this case, the change would be 50, and the original number 150, or a percent change of >$$\displaystyle \text{Percent change} = \frac{50}{150} = \frac{1}{3} = 33\%$$. The actual numbers are a drop of 1,500 consumers, but the ratio remains the same—these 1,500 people are still a $$\frac{1}{3}$$ of the total number of people last year. This is the percent change of 33%, so **Stat.(1) → S → AD**. Stat. (2) alone adds the number of consumers this year to the question stem, which gives you a starting point. With the data in the question stem, it is possible to find the original number of people ($$3{,}000+1{,}500$$), which means that you now have the difference and the original. Therefore, **Stat.(2) → S → D**.
Incorrect. [[snippet]] If you figured out stat. (1) is sufficient, you must remember the percent change formula. What part(s) of this formula does stat. (2) provide?
Incorrect. [[snippet]] You were right that stat. (2) provides all the parts that are needed from the percent change formula. But what about stat. (1)? Try making sense of the data it gives you by using the __Plugging In__ technique.
Incorrect. [[snippet]] You seem to understand percent change, but try to consider each statement alone. Isn't each statement sufficient by itself?
Incorrect. [[snippet]] Since the issue of this problem is percent increase/decrease, review the percent change formula. Try to focus on the pieces of information that are required to answer the question in each statement.
Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but Statement (2) alone is not sufficient to answer the question asked.
Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but Statement (1) alone is not sufficient to answer the question asked.
BOTH Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question asked, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question asked.