Sapna is a dentist who forgot to bring her patient appointment time table. She…
2025
Sapna is a dentist who forgot to bring her patient appointment time table. She knows that she has fixed appointments for 4 patients that day. If she gave appointments to four people — A, B, C, and D — when was A given a time for the dental check-up?
Statements:
I. B was given an appointment at the second place, which was preceded by A.
II. C was between B and D.
- A.
Statement I alone is sufficient.
- B.
Statement II alone is sufficient.
- C.
Both the statements, when put together, are sufficient.
- D.
Both the statements, put together, are not sufficient.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Concept: In a data-sufficiency question, a statement is sufficient by itself only when the information in that statement ALONE lets you arrive at one single, definite answer to exactly what is asked — no help from the other statement required. Whether the other statement could also answer it, or add extra detail, is irrelevant to that test.
Application: The question asks only for A's position in the appointment order.
Statement I says B was at the second place and names who occupied the place right before it — B's slot is 2nd, and the slot immediately before the 2nd is occupied by A. That already fixes A's own slot as the 1st, which is a complete, unique answer to what is asked — using nothing from Statement II.
Statement II says C was between B and D. This never mentions A at all, and it does not even pin one single order among B, C and D (more than one arrangement of B, C, D still keeps C in the middle of the two). So Statement II on its own cannot determine A's slot.
Cross-check: Statement II, if added, only helps settle where C and D sit relative to each other — a detail that plays no role in answering what was asked about A. Since Statement I alone already gave a full, unique answer for A, combining the two statements adds nothing needed for THIS question.
So Statement I alone is sufficient to answer the question; Statement II is not needed.