Number of Museum Visits (in Millions) from 2016 to 2019Museum2016201720182019National Museum of the American Indian1.11.21.10.96National Museum of Afr...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Number of Museum Visits (in Millions) from 2016 to 2019
| Museum | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Museum of the American Indian | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.96 |
| National Museum of African American History and Culture | 0.73 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 2.0 |
A student is researching the number of visits each year to two museums, the National Museum of the American Indian and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Of the four years included in the table, the year when both museums had the highest number of visits was ______
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement?
2016.
2018.
2019.
2017.
My Solution:
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Data Analysis Table| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "National Museum of the American Indian: 2016: 1.1, 2017: 1.2, 2018: 1.1, 2019: 0.96" |
|
| "National Museum of African American History and Culture: 2016: 0.73, 2017: 2.4, 2018: 1.9, 2019: 2.0" |
|
Visual Structure Map:
MUSEUM VISITS 2016-2019
Am Indian Museum: 1.1 → 1.2 → 1.1 → 0.96 (peak: 2017)
AA History Museum: 0.73 → 2.4 → 1.9 → 2.0 (peak: 2017)
Combined Totals by Year:
2016: 1.83M | 2017: 3.6M | 2018: 3.0M | 2019: 2.96M
Main Point: Both museums experienced their individual peak visitor years in 2017, which also produced the highest combined visitor total.
Data Flow: The table presents parallel visitor data showing both museums had fluctuating attendance, with 2017 representing the high point for both institutions individually and collectively.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The year when the American Indian Museum had its highest visits (looking at: 1.1, 1.2, 1.1, 0.96 - peak is 1.2 in 2017)
- The year when the AA History Museum had its highest visits (looking at: 0.73, 2.4, 1.9, 2.0 - peak is 2.4 in 2017)
- Both museums need to hit their individual peaks in the same year
- So the right answer should be 2017, since that's when both museums individually achieved their highest visitor counts during this period.
2016.
- 2016 shows 1.1M for American Indian Museum and 0.73M for AA History Museum
- Neither museum had its peak year in 2016
- AA History Museum had its lowest visits in 2016
2018.
- 2018 shows 1.1M for American Indian Museum and 1.9M for AA History Museum
- American Indian Museum tied its 2016 numbers, not its peak
- AA History Museum was below its 2017 peak
2019.
- 2019 shows 0.96M for American Indian Museum and 2.0M for AA History Museum
- American Indian Museum hit its lowest point in 2019
- AA History Museum was below its 2017 peak
2017.
- 2017 shows 1.2M for American Indian Museum and 2.4M for AA History Museum
- Both figures represent the highest visits for each museum during the four-year period
- This is the only year where both museums simultaneously achieved their individual peaks