
👋 Hi! I'm GMAT Panda. Ask me anything about this question, or click a button below to get started!
Question
If the smaller of two consecutive even integers is a multiple of , which of the following could NOT be the sum of these two integers?

Answer Choices
- A.
- B.
- C.
- D.
- E.
Steps
| Explanation | Calculations | Help |
|---|---|---|
We translate "two consecutive even integers" by letting the smaller be and the next be . | Theory & Tactics Method Card TRANS5-A Click to view full details | |
We translate "the smaller is a multiple of 6" by writing , where is an integer. | Theory & Tactics Method Card TRANS5-E Click to view full details | |
We divide both sides of the equation by 2 to find in terms of . | ||
We translate "the sum of these two integers" by forming their sum. | ||
We substitute into the sum and simplify. | ||
We test the answer choices and observe that a sum of the form always has remainder 2 when divided by 12. Option B is 30, and dividing 30 by 12 gives a remainder of 6, so 30 cannot be written as . |
Scroll horizontally to view all columns
Final Answer
B
Question
If the smaller of two consecutive even integers is a multiple of , which of the following could NOT be the sum of these two integers?

Answer Choices
- A.
- B.
- C.
- D.
- E.
Steps
| Explanation | Calculations | Help |
|---|---|---|
We translate "two consecutive even integers" by letting the smaller be and the next be . | Theory & Tactics Method Card TRANS5-A Click to view full details | |
We translate "the smaller is a multiple of 6" by writing , where is an integer. | Theory & Tactics Method Card TRANS5-E Click to view full details | |
We divide both sides of the equation by 2 to find in terms of . | ||
We translate "the sum of these two integers" by forming their sum. | ||
We substitute into the sum and simplify. | ||
We test the answer choices and observe that a sum of the form always has remainder 2 when divided by 12. Option B is 30, and dividing 30 by 12 gives a remainder of 6, so 30 cannot be written as . |
Scroll horizontally to view all columns
Final Answer
B