gre quanitative question confusion

Question

I tried a few different ways and I end up getting it wrong. What is messing me up is years 1995 and 1996. I know there is a 30 percent increase somewhere but not sure where. Thanks

Answer 1

You're making this much too complicated. From 1990 to 1995, the percentage change in revenue was -15%, and from 1995 to 2000, it was +15%, so the answer is simply $$ \$800000 \cdot (1 - 0.15)(1 + 0.15) = \$ 782000.$$ This is a GRE question. They aren't going to ask you anything that can't be solved at a high school level of math.

Answer 2

To decrease a number by $15\%$, multiply it by $0.85$. To increase it by $15\%$, multiply it by $1.15$.

So the answer is $$1.15 \times 0.85 \times 800000 = 782000.$$