Question

examine the table and answer the question below.
percentage of workers by highest level of
education attained
degree earned private sector employees federal employees
bachelors 21.9% 33.4%
masters 6.8% 15%
professional or doctorate 2.7% 7%
source: the heritage foundation
based on the data shown in the table, which of the
following statements is true?
choose 1 answer:
a federal employees are more likely than private
sector employees to have master’s degrees
b it is necessary to have a bachelor’s degree to
become a federal employee
c private sector employees are more likely to
have master’s degrees than bachelor’s degrees
d more federal employees have master’s degrees
than bachelor’s degrees

Explanation:

• For option A: The percentage of federal employees with master's degrees (15%) is higher than that of private sector employees (6.8%), so this statement is true.
• For option B: The table only shows the percentage of workers with different degrees, not that a bachelor's degree is necessary to be a federal employee. There could be federal employees with other levels of education not shown.
• For option C: Private sector employees with bachelor's degrees (21.9%) have a higher percentage than those with master's degrees (6.8%), so this is false.
• For option D: Federal employees with bachelor's degrees (33.4%) have a higher percentage than those with master's degrees (15%), so this is false.

Answer:

A. Federal employees are more likely than private sector employees to have master’s degrees