PrepTest 133

Incorrect. There's no indication that Dvorak is any less accurate than QWERTY.

Incorrect. QWERTY is the standard, but it's not more efficient than at least one other alternative.

Incorrect. The stimulus notes that the switch isn't happening because the costs of doing so are so high, not because of a dislike of change.

Incorrect. While the stimulus does note that switching to Dvorak would involve frustration, which could be seen as an emotional cost, that alone isn't outweighing financial considerations. The stimulus notes that, outside of frustration, switching to Dvorak involves financial considerations (time and money) as well.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Facts

Question Type:
Illustration

Stimulus Summary:
QWERTY is the standard, but Dvorak would allow for faster typing. But switching would cost more than the benefits.

Answer Anticipation:
The argument here works under the principle that sometimes the costs outweigh the benefits of something.

However, interestingly, the costs and benefits of the two keyboard configurations take something external to the configurations themselves into account—QWERTY doesn't have anything inherently better about it. Instead, it's going to stick around because it's already the standard, and so switching costs are high.

So the correct answer should balance these two threads—the cons outweigh the pros of switching because of the switching costs.

Answer Explanation:
This answer highlights the intersection of the cost/benefit analysis with the switching costs. The fact that QWERTY is a standard already in wide use was a crucial factor in keeping it around over Dvorak, as the switching costs from QWERTY to the more efficient system outweighed the benefits.

Key Takeaway:
The stimulus here balanced two cliches or common sayings/considerations in the scenario described. These Illustration questions, in fact, commonly illustrate a phrase or idea that you've heard before. When you spot something that conforms to an idea you're familiar with—and you've made sure that they're not twisting it to throw you off—rely on that idea to help you find the correct answer.