Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) Practice Test

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When a rule applies in a combination scenario, what is the next step after calculating total outcomes?

Add the outcomes where the rule doesn't apply
Deduct the outcomes where the rule does not apply
Multiply the invalid outcomes by an adjustment factor
Ignore the rule entirely and use total outcomes

The correct answer is: Deduct the outcomes where the rule does not apply

In a scenario where a specific rule applies to combinations, after calculating the total outcomes, the next logical step is to deduct the outcomes where the rule does not apply. This approach effectively narrows down the possibilities to those that are valid under the given constraints. When you calculate total outcomes, you're counting all possible combinations without regard to any rules. If some of those outcomes violate the established rule, it's essential to remove them from your count. By deducting these invalid outcomes, you refine your result to reflect only the valid combinations that comply with the rule, thereby ensuring accuracy in your final answer. This method is especially useful in counting problems where certain scenarios are explicitly disallowed or minimized due to restrictions. Hence, the focus is on retaining an accurate depiction of what is allowable by systematically excluding the combinations that the rule disallows.