That floods often destroy athletic fields that are not built at least 100 feet above the flood plain.The Critical Reasoning questions appear in the Verbal section of the GMAT. Along with the Reading Comprehension questions, Critical Reasoning questions will be included with Sentence Correction questions (which we’ll cover in Chapter 14). Generally, there are about 40 questions in the Verbal section, which means you’ll be asked to complete 12 or so Critical Reasoning questions. As before, you’ll be shown the passage and the question on a split screen, and once you confirm your answer, the question and passage will disappear. Remember, you’ll get 75 minutes for the entire Verbal section.
Consider yourself warned: Critical Reasoning questions are unusual. You won’t have seen anything similar to them on the SAT or GRE. They’re designed to test your skills in evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of arguments. The good news is that you actually do this all the time, whether you’re comparison shopping for a new washer and dryer or deciding whether someone’s story could be the truth! You have to evaluate the arguments being made to decide what’s the best next thing to do. The Critical Reasoning section asks you to do the same thing.
The instructions for this section read like this:
Each of the Critical Reasoning questions is based on a short argument, a set of statements, or a plan of action. For each question, select the best answer of the choices given.
Not wildly helpful, right? Here’s what the instructions don’t tell you: you’ll be presented with a brief passage (much shorter than the Reading Comprehension passages) that will present some kind of argument. Immediately after the passage will be a short question that asks you to examine some aspect of the reasoning in the passage. There will be five answer choices, and only one of those will be correct.
Much like the Reading Comprehension questions, the passages in this section will cover many different topics. However, in the Reading Comprehension section you were able to answer between three and five questions based on one passage before moving on. Here, each question will refer to a different passage, which can be disorienting. The passages are shorter, about 100 words, but as you can tell, that doesn’t make for less work.
Also, you’ll be asked to work through different kinds of convoluted logic, switching back and forth between reasoning techniques as you move through this section. As always, the GMAT test-makers will try to trip you up or mislead you.
The good news is that this section will show you many examples of the types of questions you’ll be asked (along with 60 practice questions at the end of the chapter) as well as the strategies you need to employ to do well on this section. You’ll be in good shape by the time you finish this chapter.
Critical Reasoning passages are concerned with arguments, but that turn of phrase can seem confusing. We don’t mean the type of arguments one has about who left the milk out. In other words, this kind of argument is not a disagreement but rather the way a premise is presented to support a conclusion. Most of the questions in the Critical Reasoning section will detail a premise or two and present a conclusion that is supposedly drawn from the premise(s). However, the conclusion is not only based on the premise, but also on unstated assumptions that are being made to help support it. These unstated assumptions—the secret traps of logic—are what most Critical Reasoning questions are concerned with.
For example, let’s look at an argument:
Floods often destroy athletic fields that are not built at least 100 feet above the flood plain. The Richland Rams’ football field was built 120 feet above the flood plain, so it will survive the next flood.
In this argument, there are two premises:
That floods often destroy athletic fields that are not built at least 100 feet above the flood plain.
That the Richland Rams’ football field was built 120 feet above the flood plain.
These premises lead to one conclusion:
Therefore, the Rams’ football field will survive the next flood.
In this case, the premises presented are not enough to prove the conclusion correct. Stating that fields built below the flood plain are often destroyed by flooding does not prove that a field built above the flood plain will always survive flooding. Therefore, the argument includes (but does not state) several assumptions, including:
Fields that are built above the flood plain will survive any flood.
The next flood will not rise above the flood plain.
The next flood will not cause any other related disasters (including mudslides or downed trees) that will affect the field’s survival.
There are other assumptions at work, but these serve to show how the argument is built upon more than the premises stated. While this argument is simpler than most that you’ll find in the GMAT’s Critical Reasoning section, it aptly demonstrates how you can look for flaws in the logic presented, and thus the argument’s stability. You’ll be asked to either take out one of the assumptions to weaken the argument or to prop up the argument with an additional assumption or premise.
Most of the Critical Reasoning questions you’ll face are assumption questions, which ask you to identify the assumption of the argument presented. Questions of this type will read something like these examples:
Which of the following is an assumption that enables the conclusion presented to be properly drawn?
Which of the following is an assumption made in drawing the conclusion above?
The conclusion of the argument as stated above cannot be true unless which of the following is true?
Any of the following, if introduced into the argument above as an additional premise, makes the argument above logically correct EXCEPT
As you can see, the wording is not concise, but clear: These questions ask you to look at the premises and the conclusion of the argument and see what’s not being said. You’ll need to determine the other conditions that must be necessary for the argument to work. In the example above, you need to figure out the assumption that gets you from the premise that the Rams’ field was built 120 feet above the flood plain to the conclusion that the Rams’ field will survive the next flood. The assumption there—and therefore your answer—will be something along the lines of:
Fields that are built 120 feet or higher off the flood plain will survive the next flood.
Another very common type of Critical Reasoning question is weaken-the-argument questions, which ask you to do exactly what the name implies: weaken the presented argument. They often have wording similar to the following examples:
Which of the following, if true, most clearly points to a flaw in the manufacturer’s plan?
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the conclusion above?
Which of the following, if true, most severely undermines the argument presented above?
To answer this type of question, you’ll have to think in a way that’s very similar to how you needed to work through an assumption question. However, here, you’ll need to take it a step further, determining which assumptions have to be true for the argument to work, and then find the answer that challenges one of those assumptions. With our example argument, a correct answer might look something like one of the following:
When the last major flood occurred in the area, several athletic fields that were built more than 100 feet above the flood plain were destroyed by flooding.
Scientists predict that the next major flood to hit the area will be at least five times as severe as the worst prior flood.
Clearly, both of the answers take away the sturdiness of the argument by attacking one of the unspoken assumptions. The first answer choice eliminates the assumption that floods never rise higher than 100 feet, while the second takes away the assumption that floods are likely to remain at the same level of severity.
Another way to think of this type of question is to recognize that you need to look for flaws in the argument. That’s likely to be something you do every day, whether you’re evaluating someone’s excuse or figuring out why someone’s logic doesn’t convince you. But do be careful not to choose the answer choice that actually strengthens the argument. There will probably be one, and it’s easy to get confused when you’re trying to move quickly through the questions.
As you might guess, another form of Critical Reasoning questions is to ask you to strengthen the argument presented. This is not nearly as popular as weaken-the-argument questions, but you’ll see at least a few of them on your GMAT. They often have wording like the following examples:
Which of the following, if true, offers the strongest support for the manager’s conclusion that the windows were not at fault?
Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest evidence in favor of the treasurer’s hypothesis?
Which of the following, if true, would most significantly strengthen the conclusion drawn in the passage?
If you look at our example, you’ll see that in a strengthen-the-argument question, you’d need to find a statement that confirms one of the assumptions on which the argument is based. If you knew it was true, the argument would be stronger. For example, any of the following would help:
In the last flood, no fields that were at least 100 feet above the flood plain were damaged, although fields below that level were ruined.
Scientists predict that the next flood in the region will be smaller in scale than any prior floods.
Each of the above statements addresses flaws in the argument. It’s not that the statement proves the argument, by the way. Rather, the correct statement will eliminate a potential flaw in logic in the argument.
You’ll notice that those flaws are exactly the same ones a weaken-the-argument question would try to exploit! That’s the thing about the arguments on the GMAT’s Critical Reasoning section: they’re designed to be flexible, able to be weakened or strengthened by additional statements. As with weaken-the-argument questions, the strengthen-the-argument questions will often include an answer choice that does exactly the opposite (that is, weaken when you want to strengthen), so be sure to read and choose carefully, as always.
You might have hoped to leave inferring behind with Critical Reading, but, alas, it’s still a major part of the GMAT. There will be at least one inference question in most Critical Reasoning sections. These questions ask you to make a logical inference based on the information presented in the passage. Basically, this type of question asks: if the statements in the passage are true, what else has to be true?
You might be thinking that assumption questions, which we’ve already covered, asked you to infer. Yep, that’s correct! Assumption questions are a specific kind of inference question, asking if the argument is valid, you can infer that which of the following assumptions must be true in order to logically connect the premise and the conclusion?
While the same type of logic is at work in other inference questions (If______is true, what else must be true?), what is being inferred is a bit different. You might not be asked to infer something that is a vital component of the argument, but rather a logical extension of it. In a way, these questions are about the sidecars of the argument; even if you eliminate one of them, the argument will still ride.
Unlike the prior types of questions, which mostly dealt with the assumptions of an argument, inference questions can consider all aspects of the argument: the premises, the assumptions, the conclusion, or even how it applies to a related solution. Examples of this type of question are:
If the statements above are true, which of the following must also be true?
The statements above, if true, best support which of the following assertions?
Which of the following can be correctly inferred from the statements above?
If the statement above is true, then what might be the expected outcome if the plane left an hour earlier than expected?
Don’t look for bold statements, but for very conservative steps forward in thinking. The correct answer will be the only one that has to be true if the statements in the passage are true.
Let’s use our ongoing example to explore this idea. Here are two inferences you could draw from the passage:
Athletic fields that are built lower than 100 feet above the flood plain are not necessarily in danger of flooding.
Height above sea level may play a role in protecting athletic fields from damage due to flooding.
Notice, again, the moderate tone of these statements. These are hops, not leaps. Notice the language in use here: “not necessarily” and “may play a role.” These make for weaker claims, but those are the kind the GMAT favors.
As we mentioned, the vast majority of questions that you’ll see in the Critical Reasoning section are from the types we’ve covered so far. But every once in a while, you’ll encounter an outlier, so we’ll quickly review the other possibilities.
Sometimes the arguments in the passages don’t wrap up with a clear conclusion. The premises presented might be incomplete, confusing, or even contradictory. The question will ask you to provide a logical explanation that resolves the confusion. Question stems from explain/resolve the discrepancy will look something like this:
Which of the following, if true, would best explain the sudden decrease in energy consumption described above?
Which of the following, if true, would help to explain the discrepancy above?
Which of the following, if true, best accounts for the fact that Britain is not widely believed to be a leader in this field?
Questions of this type are quite closely linked to assumption questions, since the reasoning you’ll need to use is very similar. Basically, you’re being given a premise (or premises) and a conclusion that doesn’t quite match up, and you’ll need to figure out the assumption that connects the argument logically. Here’s an example:
Over the past five years, Magda won several medals in running competitions. She was recently involved in a minor biking accident, however, and as a result of her injuries, she must wear a neck brace. Despite this fact, she is favored to win the big race in two months.
The question stem is:
Which of the following, if true, would help explain the apparent paradox described above?
Clearly, something’s missing in this argument—the conclusion (“she is favored to win”) is not supported by the premises (the biking accident, the neck brace), which seem to support the opposite conclusion.
Now let’s consider what assumptions might make the above a logical argument; that is, what might explain the discrepancy?
Magda wears a light neck brace at night but has full movement of her head during the day.
The big race next month is an auto race.
The neck brace will be removed next week, and Magda will have fully recovered before the big race occurs in two months.
Each of these statements, if true, could explain why the argument presented above must be true. They are not huge leaps in logic, but gentle hops. It’s helpful to probe the passage for the unstated assumptions before you start looking at the answer choices. This will help you find the holes in the argument.
Another infrequent type of Critical Reasoning question is the ask-the-right-question problem. In this type of question, you are asked to choose the answer choice that best explains what else you need to know in order to analyze or explain the situation presented in the problem. As you’ll see, this question is like taking another step back from the argument, so you can consider it more carefully. Questions of this type often read like these examples:
Which of the following must be studied in order to evaluate the argument presented above?
Which of the following investigations is most likely to yield significant information that would help to evaluate the meteorologist’s hypothesis?
This type of question is really just a variation on the questions that ask you to strengthen or weaken the argument. You’ll want to look closely at one of the premises or assumptions upon which the argument you’ve been given is built. Unlike the more common types of questions, you’re not asked to strengthen or weaken the argument, but to provide a question for which the answer will prove to strengthen or weaken the argument. That’s why we suggest thinking of it as taking a step back and asking yourself, “What would help me improve (or attack) this argument?”
If we return to the most recent example, of Magda and the big race, and take a step back, we can hypothesize that knowing what kind of race the big race is would help us be able to strengthen or weaken the argument. So we’d look for an answer that’s along the lines of “What type of race is the big race?” Notice how the answer is in the form of a question.
All of this makes for a fairly confusing question, indeed. Be glad that there aren’t going to be too many of them on the GMAT.
This type of question is not as difficult to think through but still requires careful thought. It’s the “compare and contrast” question of the Critical Reasoning section. It asks you to understand the underlying logic of an argument you’ve been given, and then choose the argument that is most similar in some way. Here are examples of how parallel reasoning questions often read:
Which of the following is most like the argument above in its logical structure?
Which of the following supports its conclusion in the same way as the argument above?
The logical flaw in the reasoning above is most similar to that in which of the following statements?
The only way to answer these questions without wasting a lot of time is to break the passage you’ve been given down into the parts that have been used to construct the argument. You’ll have to block out all of the surrounding information and instead understand the logic. Let’s look at a slightly different example of Magda and the big race again, one that eliminates the flaw in logic.
Over the past five years, Magda won several medals in running competitions. She was recently involved in a minor biking accident, however, and as a result of her injuries, she must wear a neck brace. Therefore, when she competes in the big race next month, she’s unlikely to win.
The question is: Which of the following is most like the argument above in its logical structure? So you’ll need to break down the logic:
1. Magda has won several medals in running competitions.
2. Magda was recently involved in a biking accident and must wear a neck brace.
3. Because of her injury and the treatment for it, she probably will not win the big race.
This argument is essentially, because X (2) is true, Y (3) is unlikely to happen. (We strongly suggest trying to eliminate the specifics of the argument so that they don’t distract you.)
Having broken the argument down into whatever shorthand works best for you, you’re now ready to choose the argument in the answer choice that looks closest to this one:
The best runners are unlikely to be the best swimmers.
The journalist most likely will not finish her article on time because her computer isn’t working.
Susan’s lack of lower body strength will prevent her from becoming a strong runner.
Adelaide’s decision to try body surfing led to her breaking her arm.
Millions of people entered the online contest, reducing the chances for any one of them to win.
The test-makers have a series of tricks they use on this type of question to trip you up. Notice that many of these answer choices deal with athletic endeavors, in the hope that since the argument was about running, you’ll assume the answer must be, too. In fact, the exact opposite is true. When you see answer choices that seem very similar in subject matter to the original premise, it’s likely that they are incorrect. They do not reflect parallel reasoning, because the same logic is not displayed.
If you cannot immediately identify the correct answer, you can help yourself by noting what the logic is in the argument. Eliminate the specifics of the passage and the answer choices. If you do that, it’s clear that the choices are:
X is unlikely to be Y.
X is unlikely to happen because of Y.
X will never happen because of Y.
X happened.
Because X is true, Y is unlikely to happen to Z.
It’s clear that B is the best choice, since it is the most similar (or parallel) argument to the passage.
If you’re stumped, remember that it’s OK to think about the logical structure in another way, especially if the X, Y, and Z just make things more confusing for you. Just be sure to contemplate the logic that’s in use, because that is the key to answering this type of question correctly. You can always try using the X, Y, and Z shorthand in your practice with this book. It might become more comfortable for you.
Another uncommon question is the find-the-conclusion question. Much as assumption questions ask you to identify an assumption of the argument, this type, as the name implies, will ask you to draw a logical conclusion from the passage. Find-the-conclusion questions often are worded like these:
Which of the following conclusions can properly be drawn from the information in the passage?
The argument, as presented above, is structured to lead to what conclusion?
When you consider the answer choices provided, make sure you look for one that has to be true if the premises in the passage are true. There will be at least one other choice that might be true, but that’s not the right choice. Here, yet again, you want to stick to hops in logic, not leaps. Keep your logic shipshape!
It’s not hard to guess what to do with this type of question: you’ll need to choose the answer that finishes the sentence the best! The blank will almost always represent the conclusion of the argument, so this type of question is similar to the find-the-conclusion question. It will read like this:
Which of the following best completes the passage above?
While it’s probably a bad idea to call any of the questions on the GMAT easy, this type of question is quite straightforward. You’ll have to read the passage and decide what’s missing—usually a conclusion (although occasionally a premise). After you read the passage, note for yourself what the answer should look like. When you have that in your head, then you can look at the answer choices. Try to find the one that is closest to what you decided. And remember, once again, to keep your logic tight, making hops instead of leaps!
This type of question is a relatively new one on the GMAT. You may find that your test doesn’t include Critical Reasoning questions of this type, but just in case, do know that it exists. It’s a bit like an inference question from Reading Comprehension, because you are asked to not just analyze the argument presented in the passage but also to think about the structure of the argument. Generally, one sentence in the passage will be in bold (a sure sign that the question will be a structure-of-an-argument question!), and you will be asked what role the bolded portion plays in the argument. In other words, you might be asked to identify it as a premise, evidence, or a conclusion. It will read something like this:
In the passage above, what role does the second paragraph play?
This, the last type we’ll discuss, isn’t actually a distinct form of question. Rather, you should be aware that occasionally questions that are presented as a dialogue—usually between two colleagues, or an employee and her supervisor—appear on the GMAT. Treat these as you would any other question, by reading them carefully and then deciding what information the question seeks to find. A dialogue passage will look something like this:
Here’s a basic strategy for all Critical Reasoning questions. You should:
1. Read the question stem (the first part of the question), which often begins something like “Which of the following if true ….”
2. Read the passage carefully and critically. As you do so, try to analyze the basic components of the argument in light of the question, using the question stem to guide you.
3. Formulate a correct answer to the question in your head or using the scrap paper (before you look at the answer choices).
4. Review the answer choices. If the correct answer is obvious, select that one (but still read the other choices, just to be sure); otherwise, try to eliminate choices until one is left.
It’s helpful to read the question stem first because, unlike the Reading Comprehension passages where you’re likely to be asked to look for several different things, you really only need to look for one answer in the passage. Knowing what it is beforehand can help you focus your reading. Do read carefully; in these passages, missing a “not” or other key word could really affect your score.
Having the question stem in mind will also help you understand what you’re looking for. The stem can point you in the direction of finding a flaw in the argument, uncovering an unstated assumption, or restating the argument’s logic more generally.
Finally, sketching out your idea of the right answer is very helpful, because the answer choices are designed to confuse you. If you have an idea of what the correct choice should look like, you can pick out the correct answer much more quickly than if you have to consider, evaluate, and discard each answer choice.
Just as the types of questions and the correct answers to those questions fall into patterns, so, too, do the wrong answers for a Critical Reasoning question fall into patterns. Sometimes, if you can identify an answer choice as falling into a pattern that other wrong answers follow, you’ll be able to eliminate it immediately. Here are a few of those patterns:
Wrong answers tend to:
Come from Left Field. If the answer choice seems wacky, it’s wrong.
Go too Far. This is the classic GMAT trick: there will be answers that seem to be true but require a leap in logic. The further you have to extend the logic, the more variables come into play. Instead, choose the answer that is closer to the premise in logic! A good tip is to avoid answer choices that have words such as always, all, none, or never in them. These terms are so broad that there’s almost always an exception. Instead, look for words that qualify or limit the logic, such as almost, usually, possibly, might, and could.
Not Go Far Enough. Answer choices like these are true, but only for one of the premises or part of the argument presented. There will be another choice that is true for the entire passage, which is the better choice. Keep looking!
Be Irrelevant. Answer choices like these present a fact about (or even taken from) the argument but don’t answer the question that is asked. Make sure you know what you’re looking for before you start reading the answer choices!
Restate the Passage. You just finished a section (Reading Comprehension) in which we suggested you look for familiar phrasing in answering your questions. That tip doesn’t apply here, where you’re asked to think beyond the passage. An answer choice that simply repackages part of the passage is probably wrong.
Appeal to Your Opinions or Values. Sometimes the GMAT provides an answer choice that isn’t logical, but that many people might feel is true or likely. As with all questions on the GMAT, though, you must stick to the presented argument and facts, no matter how the answer choices might want to sway you by appealing to your emotions.
Be the Opposite. Remember you’ll be trying to read fast and move quickly through the test. The test-makers are counting on that, and thus are happy to provide you with an answer that is the exact opposite of what you’re looking for, in hopes that you choose it while hurrying.
Whew, that was a lot! Now that you have a good overview of the Critical Reasoning section, let’s take a look at some practice questions. You’ll find three sets of Critical Reasoning questions ahead, with 20 questions each. Each presents a number of passages and then one or two questions about each passage. Remember that on the GMAT, you will be asked only one question per passage, and you’ll be asked about only 12 Critical Reasoning questions. As you use these drills to practice, try to time yourself to make sure that you’re not spending more than 90 seconds on each question. After you complete each drill, check out the answers in the following section.
Each of the critical reasoning questions is based on a short argument, a set of statements, or a plan of action. For each question, select the best answer of the choices given.
The Good Manufacturing Consortium has received complaints about the quality of the products in their Books Made Simple product line. To eliminate these complaints, the operations director has decided to adopt a quality assurance program similar to that of the Highbrow Manufacturing Company, which has a high customer satisfaction rate.
1. Which of the following may most reasonably be inferred from the statements above?
The Highbrow Manufacturing Company is in danger of stealing all of the Good Manufacturing Consortium’s business.
Products in the Books Made Simple product line do not deliver on promises made in their advertising.
The complaints about the Books Made Simple product line indicate a customer satisfaction rate that is lower than Highbrow Manufacturing’s customer satisfaction rate.
The Books Made Simple line is a new one for Good Manufacturing.
The operations director at Good Manufacturing used to work at Highbrow in a similar capacity.
2. Which of the following, if true, offers the strongest support for the operation director’s plan?
The quality assurance program that the operations manager is recommending will decrease the margins of the Books Made Simple line by 10 percent.
The Good Manufacturing Consortium and the Highbrow Manufacturing Company make similar products and market them to the same consumers.
The Good Manufacturing Consortium has been in business for twenty years longer than the Highbrow Manufacturing Company.
Highbrow Manufacturing provides consumers with a toll-free hotline that can be called during business hours for help.
Despite the complaints about the Books Made Simple line of products, the Good Manufacturing Consortium has a high customer satisfaction rate based on industry standards.
A school is considering changing its daily schedule. Currently, this school requires all students to arrive for class at 8:30 a.m. The proposed policy would permit each student to decide when to arrive from as early as 6 a.m. to as late as 10 a.m., beginning class when they are ready.
3. The adoption of this policy would be most likely to increase students’ attendance if the following were true:
Students were allowed to leave the school campus for lunch.
Student attendance was shown to be directly connected to their after-school job work hours.
Students had recently voted to stagger their class schedules so that they could arrive earlier or later so long as they attended their required classes.
The school band already gathers at 6:30 a.m. and has perfect attendance.
In prior years, school began at 7:45 a.m.
4. The argument presented is most vulnerable to which of the following arguments?
Students may mind having a different schedule than their friends and classmates.
Teenagers generally have a great deal of trouble staying awake at 6 a.m.
Studies show that mixing grade levels weakens the academic environment.
Teachers have criticized the plan as unfeasible; they say they must have a set schedule and class roster in order to teach effectively.
There are only 50 parking spots in the student parking lot.
A city newspaper experienced a major drop in subscriptions in the month following its coverage of a controversial new building downtown. The newspaper also received a flurry of complaints via reader letter, e-mail, and tweets. The newspaper, however, maintains that the negative reactions to its coverage of the building had nothing to do with the cancelled subscriptions.
5. Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the newspaper’s stance?
The other newspaper in the city reported a similar spate of complaints from their readers during the same month.
The readers who wrote in to complain were all yearly subscribers.
Newspapers publicly attribute drops in readership to their news coverage only when they receive complaints about that coverage.
This was not the first series of stories on the controversy surrounding the new building that inspired readers to complain.
Most readers rely on local television news as their primary source of information regarding the local controversy.
Fisherman: Most people blame fishermen for the decline over the last 15 years in freshwater trout found in Ohiopyle State Park. But fishermen alone aren’t the problem. In the past 15 years, Ohiopyle has been inundated with grizzly and black bears that are natural consumers of trout.
6. In the fisherman’s argument, the portion in bold plays which of the following roles?
It is the conclusion of the argument.
It is a finding that the argument seeks to explain.
It is an explanation that the argument concludes is correct.
It provides evidence in support of the main conclusion of the argument.
It introduces a premise that the argument goes on to oppose.
7. Which of the following, if true, would provide the best support for the argument?
The deer popular in Ohiopyle State Park has declined.
Bears eat berries and other plant-based foods as well as fish and game.
Hunting black and grizzly bears was banned about four years ago.
Autopsies of bears found dead in the woods showed that nearly all of them had recently consumed trout.
Fishermen alone aren’t the problem.
Last year, the rate of inflation was about 1 percent, but for the current year, it has been 3 percent. We can conclude that inflation is on an upward trend and the rate will be as high as 7 percent next year.
8. Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the conclusion above?
Last year, a dip in crude oil prices dropped inflation temporarily below its stable level of 3 percent for recent years.
The inflation figures were computed using a sample of data rather than all the available data.
Increases in the pay of some workers are tied to the inflation level, constituting a force causing further inflation.
The 1 percent rate of inflation last year represented a five-year low.
Intervention by the Federal Reserve cannot affect the rate of inflation to any significant degree.
Avocado farmers get a higher price for their crop when avocados are more difficult to find in grocery stores. However, the price of avocados drops when the crop is abundant. Therefore, it makes sense that when a large avocado crop comes in, farmers should hold back a portion of it in refrigerated warehouses, hoping for a higher price in the future. This year’s avocado crop is the smallest since the late 1990s. Nonetheless, avocado farmers may hold back a portion of their crops because _______.
9. Which of the following best completes the passage?
The practice of storing part of the year’s crop was not widely practiced in the late 1990s.
The quality of this year’s avocado crop is no better than the quality of the last five years’ worth of crops.
Each of the last three years has produced record-breaking avocado crops.
For some avocado growers, this year’s crop yielded the same harvest as last year’s.
Avocado prices have not fluctuated much in recent years.
In order to measure the effect of environmental factors on attitudes and behaviors, students at a local high school were given a survey in their Social Studies class. The results of that survey indicated that students who spend a minimum of two hours on social media such as Facebook are more likely to indulge in online bullying. Therefore, spending time on Facebook encourages bullying among teens.
10. Which of the following is most like the argument above in its logical structure?
A video game company knows that most of its buyers are 18- to 30-year-old males, so it markets its games in stores where that demographic is most likely to shop.
A developing country gained access to televisions on a widespread basis for the first time, and, as a consequence, the people of that country are more interested in entertainment.
A recent census shows that more highly educated people tend to live in areas of lesser water pollution than in nearby areas; therefore, educated people are less likely to pollute.
A motorcyclist’s education course offered at a local insurance company uses a video game to teach driving skills to students; only after winning at the game will their premiums on motorcyclist’s insurance be lowered.
A survey of local homeowners indicated a strong preference for property taxes to be reduced by 20 percent over the next three years. Thus, the upcoming proposal to reduce property taxes will most likely pass.
11. Which of the following is an assumption that is made in the argument presented in the passage?
That the students taking the test are likely to lie about the answers
That students who spend time on Facebook are more likely to be bullies
That Facebook is a popular social media site
That bullying can be defined
That there is a connection between the amount of time spent on Facebook and the likelihood that a student will engage in bullying behavior
Andrew is a student at a local college. In order to improve his grades, he has decided to study for a minimum of two hours per night and to take vitamins to improve his memory.
12. Which of the statements below, if true, weakens Andrew’s likelihood of success?
The campus library is not open every day.
Andrew works a part-time job with irregular hours.
Andrew has trouble remembering when his assignments are due.
Taking vitamins is not proven to help improve memory.
Andrew is not happy with his current grades.
13. Which of the following, if true, offers the strongest support for Andrew’s plan?
Andrew’s mother suggested the plan based on her own experience in college 30 years ago.
Andrew’s doctor prescribed the vitamin regime based on its success with other patients of the same age and general health.
Andrew will also learn to write down his assignments.
The campus pharmacy had the vitamins in stock the day Andrew turned in his prescription for them.
Andrew needs to improve his grades in order to keep his scholarship.
In the week before a local election, a news website polled registered voters in the area to ask them which candidate they planned to vote for. 10 percent of registered voters were polled, and 48 percent of them said they would vote for the incumbent, Jane Smith, in the election. Based on the poll results, the website concluded that Smith would win the election.
14. Which of the following is the most significant flaw in the premises of the argument presented above?
Only 10 percent of registered voters were polled.
Forty-eight percent is not a majority of registered voters.
Jane Smith is an incumbent.
The website concluded that Smith would win the election.
The website worked from an outdated roster of voters.
15. In the argument presented above, what role does the portion presented in boldface play?
It provides evidence to support the website’s conclusion.
It is an assumption that does not provide support for the conclusion.
It is a premise that is used to support the argument.
It provides evidence to support a premise of the argument.
It is a conclusion that must be proven for the argument to be valid.
A zoologist with extensive knowledge and experience working with North American snakes attempted to rally local public interest in saving the endangered Watersmith snake, native to the region. She eventually concluded that although she had attempted to make clear the vital role that Watersmith snakes play in preserving the ecology of the local river system, people could not find it in themselves to make an effort to save creatures they found so repellent.
16. The zoologist’s opinion would be most strengthened by which of the following statements?
The Watersmith snake population has been in decline for over 10 years.
A recent survey of local newspaper readers found that Watersmith snake attacks are more feared than panther or poisonous toad attacks.
Conservation efforts have been ongoing in the area since the 1960s.
The zoologist had recently moved into the area.
Watersmith snakes, although endangered, are not as much in risk of extinction as other species of snake.
17. Which of the following, if true, most clearly points to a flaw in the zoologist’s reasoning?
Conservation efforts in the area have been ongoing since the 1960s.
Recent efforts by locals have helped stabilize the population of mountain panthers, a much-feared area predator.
The zoologist did not keep track of daily visits to her website about saving Watersmith snakes.
Watersmith snakes are principally aquatic.
The local newspaper failed to run a story on the zoologist’s efforts.
In Gortown, there are many shops that sell postal stamps as one of the items available at the counter. Yet Gortown also has two major post offices, which offer a variety of services. One of the post offices is open 24 hours a day. It is strange that people continue to buy stamps at the shops when the post offices are available.
18. Which of the following is an assumption made in drawing the conclusion above?
People in Gortown do not often need to buy stamps.
Gortown is a large city.
There are no advantages to buying stamps at a small shop rather than at the post office.
The post offices do not provide the kind of customer service a small shop can.
Gortown needs more than two post offices.
19. Which of the following should be studied in order to evaluate the validity of the conclusion presented above?
Do the majority of people who buy stamps buy them in large amounts?
How far are apart are the post offices from each other?
Which of the other services offered by the post offices are most popular?
What do people give as the reason they prefer buying stamps in the shops?
What other products do the shops often sell at the same time as stamps?
Many recent scientific studies have found that preservatives can be harmful when added to food. That’s why here at Hansen Foodstuffs, we make sure that all of our food is produced without preservatives. You can be sure you are doing the right thing for your family’s health when you buy our products.
20. If the statements above are true, what must also be true?
It is possible to produce food without preservatives that is safe to consume.
Hansen Foodstuffs is an organic food company.
Preservatives cause numerous health problems.
Hansen Foodstuffs uses natural preservatives.
Scientific studies are often subject to interpretation.
1. C is the best answer. You are asked to apply what you’ve read into a reasonable assumption in this inference question. Remember to take a hop instead of a leap. We are not given the reason for why the Books Made Simple line isn’t successful. While B and D both provide explanations for why the line isn’t doing well, neither is justified by the passage given. A is a broad statement that could be true, but requires a leap to get to, while E might also be true but isn’t indicated in any way. C is the hop in logic that makes sense, and thus it is the best answer.
2. B is the best answer. This argument in the passage hangs on the idea that Good and Highbrow are similar companies who can benefit from the same practices. The only answer that speaks to that is B. C mentions both companies, but the comparison made does not speak to any benefit of the shared practices. A, D, and E mention only one of the companies. Even if they are true, they don’t support the argument being made.
3. C is the best answer, because it strengthens the argument presented. If students have already asked for what the argument suggests, there is a better chance that they will respond positively to its implementation. A, D, and E seem like they’re connected to the argument but are actually quite a leap—after all, a moment’s thought shows that the band’s perfect attendance at practice has nothing to do with the rest of the student body’s arrival at school. B is a better choice but still does not seal the deal; we don’t know what about attendance at school is related to after-school jobs.
4. D This is a question of extending the logic. You must figure out which of the premises given in the answer choice provides the largest detriment to the plan’s success. Therefore, you must focus only on what you know to be true. Thus, A can be eliminated because you don’t know if students will be separated from their friends. B can’t be right, since it doesn’t account for students starting class later in the morning, and C doesn’t work either, because there’s no mention of mixing class levels. E is one of those answers that’s so clearly wrong it could almost convince you it’s correct, just because it’s so simple. But D is the best choice.
5. A is the best answer. If another organization experienced the same outcry but did not report cancelled subscriptions, that indicates that the newspaper may have lost subscribers for another reason. Remember, you’re extending the logic here. It is not necessary to prove the newspaper’s case. Notice, too, that C is one of those answers that simply restate something from the passage in hopes that you will choose it.
6. E In this structure-of-the-argument question, you must decide what role the first (bolded) sentence plays in the construction. It is not the conclusion (A), or a finding (B). D can’t be right because it doesn’t present evidence. That leaves E and C, and a moment’s thought reveals that it is more of a premise than an explanation.
7. D is the best answer. C seeks to help prove why bears are more prevalent in the park, which is not the argument under consideration. A has no connection, and B could be seen as arguing against the stated opinion (If bears eat berries and plants, why do they need to eat the trout?). As for E, it is a restatement of a sentence in the question.
8. A is the best answer because it provides an explanation for why the argument presented will not hold true. It suggests that last year’s inflation rate was a blip in a relatively stable inflation rate of 3 percent per year. Be careful not to bring your outside knowledge into this question. You may feel that government intervention (as mentioned in E) can affect the rate of inflation, or have a good argument for why a representative sample of data (B) is a good way to calculate. But the GMAT is only interested in information presented on the GMAT.
9. C is the best answer for this fill-in-the-blank question. It is the only answer that provides an explanation as to why the crop would be held back in a smaller harvest by suggesting that a large portion of last year’s harvest is still available. The other answers change the premises of the argument or offer additional, tangential information.
10. C is the best answer in this parallel reasoning argument. Remember to take the time to sketch out the argument first. Here, the passage indicates that two things are true (the time spent on Facebook and the rise in bullying) and then connects them (as one causing the other) without good logic. Both can be true without a de facto connection. The argument in B does the same thing, concluding that people with higher educations are less likely to pollute without considering the myriad of other reasons why water might be less polluted in that area.
11. E is the best answer. This is a straightforward assumption question, but there is some trickiness in approaching it. Notice that A is a statement of the opposite, as you’ve been warned about. The survey-givers are assuming the exact opposite—that students are not lying in their answers. C and D are assumptions but seem broader than the passage. And B is the conclusion of the passage, not the assumption. That leaves E, a better choice than C or D.
12. D is the best answer in this weaken-the-argument question. Although it does not use the word argument to describe Andrew’s plan, it is still that type of question. You can eliminate C as another example of the problem Andrew wishes to address, and E as another way of describing the problem. A and B sound like they could be impediments, but because there’s no direct statement about when Andrew intends to study for two hours in the passage, they cannot be correct. D presents a true problem with Andrew’s plan.
13. B is the best answer. This question simply reverses the request of 12, now asking you to find the best support for the argument in the passage. The proven success of the vitamins (B) supports the idea that this will be a successful plan. A seems similar, but the doctor’s word about a health matter carries more weight than Andrew’s mother’s, and the doctor’s argument is based on more current evidence.
14. A This is a tough question that looks easy. D probably seems like the best answer—after all, it is a flawed conclusion—but look at the question stem. It is asking you what the flaw in the argument’s premises is, not how the conclusion of the argument is flawed. C presented a fact, and E is not part of the passage (again, the question stem is key, because is not asking you “which of the following if true …”). That leaves B and A. The bigger problem is the smaller representation of polled voters; 90 percent of possible voters haven’t been asked their opinion, making the conclusion highly suspect. Remember to read the question stem carefully and choose only the answer that works.
15. D is the best answer for this structure-of-the-argument question. You must read the answer choices carefully to find the one that best describes what the bold portion is doing. It isn’t a premise, conclusion, or assumption, but it is a factual detail, so D is the closest answer.
16. B This is a strengthen-the-argument question, so be sure to look for the answer that strengthens the zoologist’s argument (called an “opinion” in the passage). B is the best support for the idea that people in the area are afraid of Watersmith snakes, which, in turn, helps prove her belief that they don’t wish to aid Watersmith snakes. While all of other answer choices may be true, their veracity does nothing to support her argument.
17. B This is a find-the-weakness question, and again, you must think about the argument presented. If it is true that local residents had recently helped save a frightening, unlikable regional animal, the zoologist’s belief that they didn’t want to help save Watersmith snakes because they are frightening and unlikable isn’t logical. Notice that E is a good argument against a different opinion—if the zoologist had claimed that people didn’t know about her efforts, for example. But for this argument, B is best.
18. C This question wants you to look at the assumptions being made by the creator of the argument. The argument expresses surprise that people would prefer to go to a small shop for stamps rather than visit a large post office. Only C directly points to that assumption, mentioning that there might be mitigating factors that make the small shop preferable to larger post office.
19. D This question is most similar to the ask-the-right-question genre. You need to take a step back and consider what else you need to know in order for the argument to work. While the other answer choices may provide part of the needed information, what you really want to find out is D.
20. A With this inference question, you need to follow the argument to its logical conclusion. If everything in the passage is true—as dubious as we may find it—that means that A must be true, and the company has figured out how to safely produce food without preservatives. B might seem like a natural inference, but it is a leap, not a hop. C is a restatement of information in the argument, and D contradicts the passage. That leaves E, which is generally true but not particularly supported by the passage. Remember to stick very close to what you’re sure you know!
Each of the critical reasoning questions is based on a short argument, a set of statements, or a plan of action. For each question, select the best answer of the choices given.
A community college is experiencing a high turnover rate among its journalism faculty members. To rectify this problem, the chairperson of the journalism department has proposed to the dean that beginning next year, starting salaries for journalism instructors be increased by 10 percent to provide a more competitive pay package.
1. Which of the following, if true, indicates a flaw in the department head’s plan?
There are several nearby universities that offer a similar pay scale.
The journalism faculty has generally indicated satisfaction with the number and type of courses they keep.
The college is located in a community with a high mortality rate.
Political science instructors receive approximately 15 percent more pay at the same college than what is proposed by the chairperson.
The chairperson joined the college two years ago, after the last chairperson resigned under pressure.
2. What statement, if true, would support the chairperson’s plan the best?
The journalism classes at the community college are so popular that they are often overenrolled.
Student dissatisfaction with the journalism instructors is high.
In the last year, four journalism instructors from the community college have taken jobs at nearby universities that require longer hours but pay a higher salary.
When polled, journalism professors at the community college report general satisfaction with the numbers of courses they teach.
The community college dean stated that she was open to new proposals from department chairpersons.
The most popular style of batting helmets for baseball players provides protection of the top and back of the head as well as protection for the player’s ear that’s turned toward the pitcher. However, little to no protection is provided for the player’s other ear and temple. A study of head injuries to baseball players at bat shows that a large proportion were caused by blows to the unprotected temple area. Therefore, if batting helmets protected both ears and temples, the risk of serious head injury to players at bat would be greatly reduced, especially since ____________.
3. Which of the following most logically completes the passage?
baseball pitchers do not wear helmets on the mound
baseball players report that helmets with two ear coverings are uncomfortable to wear
the bone in the temple area of the skull is delicate and thus more susceptible to breaking and causing brain damage
batters are more likely to be hit on the side or arm
a batter’s hearing could be compromised by the wearing of such helmets
In most factories, improving the technology of the assembly line increases labor productivity, the amount of goods a worker can produce per hour. In Libertore Factory, labor productivity is 20 percent higher than in Koltun Industries. Therefore, Libertore Factory must be further advanced technologically than Koltun Industries.
4. The argument above is most vulnerable to which of the following criticisms?
It presents a conclusion that ignores the facts stated in the argument.
It presents a possible cause of a condition as the only cause of that condition without considering other possible causes.
It presents as fact the author’s opinion regarding Koltun Industries.
It presents a numerical fact as a premise leading to a false conclusion.
It fails to consider the other mathematical means of calculating labor productivity.
5. Which statement, if true, would best support the argument made in this passage?
Koltun Industries and Libertore Factory do not work in the same industry.
There is only one way to calculate labor productivity.
Until five years ago, Libertore Factory far outpaced Koltun Industries.
Koltun Industries was recently taken over by a foreign company.
A survey of Libertore Factor workers about their productivity revealed that 85 percent would like to see technological improvements on the assembly line.
Italian espresso is the gold standard for the beverage. People from all over the world purchased espresso machines made in Italy in hopes of learning to brew a perfect cup at home. Yet all over Italy, American coffee shops are on the rise. Many Italians prefer to start their day with a to-go cup of American coffee instead of the classic espresso. It is a shameful reduction of a culture to consume such a far inferior product.
6. Which of the following, if true, provides the most support for the argument made above?
Italians prefer the lower caffeination found in American-style coffee.
It is much more difficult to produce a good cup of espresso than a good cup of coffee.
Espresso is not as portable as coffee.
Consumer surveys show a 35 percent reduction in the consumption of espresso since the first American coffee shop opened in Italy.
American-style coffee shops are staffed by people who are generally bilingual.
7. If the statements above are true, which of the following must also be true?
Italians consume more American products in general these days.
American-style coffee shops should add espresso to their menus.
The convenience of carrying out a coffee may trump the national pride in producing great espresso for some consumers.
Italians prefer to consume Italian products.
Espresso shops would do a brisk business in America.
Basilburg shop owner: If we want to save our downtown shopping area, we need to rally together to protest the opening of a DiscountPalace on the outskirts of town! Why, I looked into this issue, and did you know that DiscountPalace opened stores in the last five years in Mosora, Miggeville, and St. David? And all three of those towns experienced the bankruptcies of at least 20 percent of their downtown shopping area stores! They didn’t rally to protect their small businesses. Do we want that to happen in Basilburg?
8. The shop owner quoted above could strengthen her argument with which of the following facts, if true?
Another town in the same part of the state, Fayetteburg, successfully protested to keep DiscountPalace out of its area.
DiscountPalace is a company from overseas.
Most of the people in Basilburg do their shopping downtown already.
It is not unusual for a downtown shopping area to see a 20 percent turnover in stores over the course of a few years.
DiscountPalace has a record of ignoring local resident protests.
9. The conclusion presented above is based on the assumption that
DiscountPalace doesn’t want bad publicity.
More people would shop in downtown Basilburg if they knew of the choices there.
DiscountPalace is unlikely to build near a community that has openly stated that the company isn’t welcome.
People tend to feel closer to each other when they work together.
Bankruptcy is a natural part of running a business.
10. Which of the following is most like the passage in its logical structure?
If shoppers don’t tell shops what products they like to buy, shops will buy whichever products they want, which are generally the cheapest available.
If the residents of Pittstown don’t protest the construction of a new amusement park just down the highway, the arcade and carnival in downtown Pittstown may go under.
The townspeople in Ketcham protested the opening of a strip club downtown and were successful in having it moved outside of the town line.
When downtown shopping areas fail, the entire town is diminished.
Most runners need to hear careful feedback on their running style in order to improve.
In the last five years, there has been a significant decrease in smoking. At the same time, the portrayal of smoking in movies and on television has decreased as well. Therefore, the decrease in smoking must have been caused by the decrease in the portrayal of smoking in media.
11. Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument made above?
More people watch cable television than ever before.
People who smoke are routinely shown to be more vulnerable to addiction than their peers.
Fewer teenagers watch network television than five years ago.
Smoking has been on decline for the last 25 years, although movies and television frequently portrayed it until about 10 years ago.
Information about the health hazards that come from smoking is not widely available.
12. Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
People who smoke watch a great deal of television.
There is a direct correlation between seeing an activity in the media and taking part in that activity.
Advertisements for smoking ran until the 1980s.
People who do not smoke are not as easily influenced as those who do.
The movement to remove smoking from television and film has affected the artistic quality of the works in question.
Casey: We have 20 teachers sharing a photocopy machine in the second floor teachers’ lounge. The machine is always breaking down, which means that 20 people is too many people to make use of one machine.
Corey: I don’t agree. We have 25 teachers sharing the copy machine in the first floor teacher’s lounge. However, our copy machine almost never breaks down. Our machine must be better made than yours.
13. Which of the following, if true, would support Corey’s argument the most?
The copy machines are of the same make and model.
There are more teachers who use the copy machine on the third floor.
There are 20 teachers who use the copy machine on the second floor.
No one makes a concerted effort to maintain either of the copiers in good running order.
The machine on the first floor is designed for higher volume than the model on the second floor.
14. Corey’s argument is most vulnerable to the objection that it fails to
provide support for Casey’s argument
come to a conclusion
use statistics to prove why 20 people using a copier is not too many
provide evidence that the first-floor copier is better made than the second-floor copier
uncover and dismiss Casey’s hidden assumption
The highway bypass was supposed to relieve traffic in East Allegheny County. Although the bypass opened last year, traffic in the county has gotten worse over the last year. To relieve the traffic situation in East Allegheny County, therefore, the traffic commission should order the highway bypass to be free to all travelers.
15. Which of the following, if true, gives the most support to the conclusion of the passage above?
The bypass currently changes a large toll for every vehicle that uses it.
The bypass currently is free to all travelers.
The traffic in East Allegheny County has increased due to a large shopping complex that opened six months ago.
East Allegheny County will hold a surplus in highway repair funds due to good fiscal management.
The bypass runs along the length of the East Allegheny River.
16. Which of the following, if true, most weakens the conclusion above?
The bypass shaves 15 minutes off most commutes in East Allegheny County.
The tolls for the bypass are much higher than the state average for toll roads.
A survey published in the East Allegheny Times shows that 85 percent of people think the bypass tolls are fair.
A shopping complex that recently opened in East Allegheny County has several public transportation stops.
Many locations in East Allegheny County are not reachable by public transportation.
Julie’s horse, a tall gelding named Louis, can respond to over 50 commands. Julie cites this fact as evidence for her claim that Louis can understand the English language.
17. Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on Julie’s claim that Louis can understand the English language?
Louis does not respond to the same commands when spoken to him by Julie’s husband in Italian.
Julie also claims that her gerbil, Marie, can understand English.
Horses are widely considered to be less intelligent that dolphins.
Each of the 50 commands to which Julie responds involves both a spoken word in English and a distinctive hand sign.
Scientists have demonstrated conclusively that horse vocal chords are incapable of replicating many of the sounds used in the English language.
18. Julie’s argument is based on which of the following assumptions?
That Louis responds to her voice specifically
That horses are more intelligent than other animals
That being able to respond to a verbal command and understanding English are the same thing
That Louis is unique among horses
That it is unusual for an animal to be able to learn more than 20 commands
Excavation of the ancient city of Kanala in western Ghana revealed a pattern of debris and collapsed buildings typical of towns destroyed by earthquakes. Archeologists have hypothesized that the destruction was due to a major earthquake known to have occurred in the area in AD 56.
19. Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the archeologists’ hypothesis?
Modern histories of Ghana often mention that an earthquake occurred there in AD 56.
No coins minted after AD 56 were found in Kanala, but coins minted before then are frequently found.
The people of Kanala did maintain a calendar.
Archeologists have uncovered several pieces of buildings from Kanala that are clearly in the style popular after the second century AD.
An earthquake was known to occur in Ghana in 56 AD.
20. Which of the following would it be most useful to know in order to evaluate the argument?
Whether Kanala has been excavated
Whether the pattern of debris and collapsed buildings found in Kanala has any other known cause
Whether the people of Kanala maintained a calendar
Whether an earthquake was known to have occurred in the area in AD 56
Whether modern historians of Kanala are basing their assumptions on known facts or tradition
1. A is correct. You must find the statement that will weaken the argument made. While C and E might be disconcerting, they don’t argue against paying instructors more to keep them at the college. B and D seem like reasonable facts to consider, but A is more to the point of the chairperson’s suggestion.
2. C This question is the opposite of the first. Now you’re asked to find a sentence that would support the chairperson’s proposal. C provides information that clearly shows that the salary is an issue for instructors at the community college. A and B are opposite answers, which generally indicates that neither one can be right. D doesn’t support the chairperson’s argument clearly, and E simply reports a fact that might have caused the chairperson to make his proposal.
3. C is the best way to complete this fill-in-the-blank question. The passage reads as an argument building toward approving of the helmets. Thus, B and E, which make an argument against such helmets, would be out of place. A and D may be true but are irrelevant to the issue under discussion.
4. B is the answer in this difficult question. The argument is clearly flawed, but finding how it is most flawed is tricky. To do so, you must consider how the argument is constructed. The biggest problem is the way it jumps to a conclusion without considering any other factors, so B is the best answer. A and C might be true, but are not enough to condemn the entire argument. D is gobbledygook, presented in hopes that you choose it while skimming the test, and E—while it may or may not be correct—does not speak to the larger problem of the argument’s conclusion.
5. E is the best answer, since it speaks directly to the argument. You need to find something that supports the idea that Libertore Industries has fallen behind Koltun because of technological problems. E is the only answer that supports that. The other answers would require too great a leap in logic to be true. Remember to stay conservative in your logic!
6. D This question wants you to strengthen the argument, and D is the best way to do it because it speaks directly to the idea that consumption of espresso is down in favor of American-style coffee. A, B, C, and E are all reasonable, so there’s no clearly wacky answer to eliminate. But notice that they all speak to arguments other than the one being made here. That’s why it’s so important to have a clear idea of what the argument is before you begin to look at the answer choices.
7. C This inference question asks you to extend the argument. If you believe that the entire paragraph is true, what else must be true? The statement most closely tied to the passage is C. Remember, hop, don’t leap. It’s quite a leap to say that Italians consume more American products (A) or prefer Italian products (D). The other answers are opposites: there’s no reason why espresso shops would do well in America (E), and B suggests practically the same thing. Remember that when you have two answers that are essentially identical, they’re almost always wrong!
8. A This is another question that asks you to further the argument being made, so you must be clear on the passage. Here, the shop owner wants to convince her fellow townspeople to rally. The best way to do that is to convince them that rallying has been effective in similar situations (A). E will do the exact opposite. B isn’t connected to the argument, and C and D are facts that do not particularly help or hurt the argument being made.
9. C is the best answer for this assumption question because it ties directly into the solution the argument has proposed (which you can also think of as the conclusion!). A and D are general statements that might be true but are not specifically tied to this argument. E doesn’t sound right (and certainly isn’t an assumption that can be drawn from this passage). B might be true, but isn’t connected to the main logic of this passage.
10. B Oh no! A parallel reasoning question! Remember our advice: if it sounds too close to the subject matter of the passage, it’s probably not the right answer. And you can see that’s true with answer choices A and D. E is tempting because it seems disconnected from the passage, but it’s not right either. That leaves C and B. C seems similar. But if you read B (if X doesn’t happen, Y will happen), you can see that the logic is exactly the same, whereas C is closer to X happened and caused Y to happen resulting in Z.
11. D You need to find the answer that most weakens the argument, which is that the decline in smoking is because of the decline in its portrayal on TV and in movies. D is the only answer that weakens the specific argument, by demonstrating that smoking has been on the decline for some time, long before it was eliminated from television and movies.
12. B This question asks to unpick the logic made in the passage and find the assumption within it. B is the only answer that points out that a connection is made between smoking and seeing people on television smoke. Now, you may argue with that connection—and with the passage itself, for that matter—but that is the working assumption in the passage.
13. E is the best answer. Remember, the dialogue form of question is relatively rare on the GMAT, but it does occasionally appear. This one is actually a strengthen-the-argument question—you’re asked to choose the sentence that would make Corey’s argument better. A and D don’t help the argument at all, and B is irrelevant. That leaves C, which simply restates a sentence from the passage, or E, the correct answer.
14. D This is another question that requires you to make a hop, but not a leap, in logic. It is certainly possible that, as in E, there is a hidden assumption in Casey’s argument that Corey has not attacked. But it is more probable that Corey’s argument is vulnerable because he hasn’t provided any evidence to sustain it.
15. A is the correct answer for the support-the-argument question. You’re looking to support the idea of eliminating tolls on the bypass so that traffic use of it will increase. D seems connected, but if you think about it, a surplus in funds doesn’t logically lead to the decision to make the bypass free. That logic is best connected to A.
16. C The question is flipped from 15. Now you need to figure out what most weakens the argument. Again, remember that the argument is to eliminate tolls on the bypass so that traffic use will increase. Only C, which indicates that people are not avoiding using the bypass for monetary reasons, weakens that argument.
17. D is the best answer for this weaken-the-argument question. It’s easy to get distracted by what seems like a fairly silly argument. There might be many reasons why you think it cannot possibly be true. But you still need to be sure to attack the logic that Julie is employing, not just pile up the reasons why she’s nuts! D provides the best argument against her specific claim that her horse understands (not speaks, as in E) English.
18. C is the best answer. Here you are asked to find the assumption, making sure that you find the assumption that supports the argument. That’s key, because several answer choices (such as A and D) certainly seem like the kind of assumptions someone like Julie might make. However, only C is an assumption on which her argument is built, because she is conflating the horse’s ability to follow commands with his ability to understand English.
19. B This question requires slow reading to understand, and the answer choices are misleading. You need to find support for the argument. D does the opposite—it provides evidence against the argument—so the hope is that you’ll choose it quickly because you’re in a hurry. You can eliminate A since modern histories are of no help in proving ancient events, and E just restates a sentence from the question. That leaves C, the kind of fact that seems like it’s going to be helpful, but in fact, doesn’t budge the argument one inch. B supports the hypothesis.
20. B This is a rare ask-the-right-question problem. You are being asked to explain what would be most helpful to know in order to evaluate the logic of the argument presented. You have to remember (or reread) the argument in order to do this, of course. If you do, you’ll see that B, which questions whether one of the assumptions of the argument is always correct, is the best answer. Watch out for D: that information is in the question, so you already know it is true. And it’s a fact, not an assumption, so there’s no point in questioning it!
Each of the critical reasoning questions is based on a short argument, a set of statements, or a plan of action. For each question, select the best answer of the choices given.
A recent report published in the local newspaper determined that 80 percent of drivers on Colorado highways regularly use their seat belts. However, 65 percent of drivers pulled over on routine traffic stops were NOT using their seat belts. Clearly, drivers who drive recklessly often also do not wear their seat belts.
1. The conclusion drawn above depends on which of the following assumptions?
Police were not targeting drivers who were not wearing seat belts.
Many of the drivers ticketed had been pulled over more than once in the time period covered by the report.
Drivers pulled over by police on Colorado highways for routine traffic stops are more likely to be engaging in reckless behavior including not wearing a seat belt.
There is no way to determine the connection between routine traffic stops and not wearing a seat belt.
That a “routine traffic stop” means that the driver was driving recklessly.
Gordon: I found three comic books at the store that I wanted. But they cost more than I wanted to pay, so I left them for now.
Ryan: What do you mean, “for now”?
Gordon: Well, I’ll go back in a week when the new issues have come out and buy the comics I wanted at 50 percent off.
2. Which of the following, if true, would strengthen Gordon’s logic?
The comic book store turns over merchandise frequently.
The comic book store has a policy of selling past issues for 50 percent off.
The comic book store has fierce competition from a larger comics shop that opened two blocks away.
Gordon is good friends with the owners of the comic book shop.
Gordon has memorized the delivery dates for new issues of his favorite comics.
3. Which of the following would best serve as a logical conclusion to Gordon’s argument?
“I go to that store every week, anyway.”
“That comic book store isn’t the only one in town that sells the series that I like.”
“I usually wait a week to buy my comics since they always drop the price when the new editions come out.”
“They probably won’t sell out of the series I like to read.”
“Maybe they will still have them at full price.”
A rare disease, Tabies, is diagnosed with increasing frequency. The diagnosis rate is four times what it was five years ago. The government should act now to provide greater funding to diagnose and treat Tabies.
4. Which of the following, if true, most weakens the argument that the government should provide greater funding to diagnose and treat Tabies?
There is no known cure for Tabies.
Tabies is never fatal and only occasionally forces the patient to spend more than three days recovering.
Tabies is highly contagious.
Funds to diagnose and treat Tabies have been provided by the government for the last three years.
Early testing indicates that a potential Tabies vaccine is within six months of being ready to distribute.
5. The conclusion drawn above depends on which of the following assumptions?
That lack of funds is what’s keeping scientists from being able to find ways to help diagnose and treat Tabies
That Tabies is a small-scale disease without global repercussions
That Tabies is an unpleasant disease
That there are not other diseases that should be studied before Tabies
That people who have Tabies suffer greatly from the disease
Many people, especially children, suffer an allergic response when they consume peanuts or food that has been in contact with peanut dust. However, some factories that make food products have entirely banned peanuts from their premises. Therefore, people who have peanut allergies (and their parents) can safely buy and consume food from those companies.
6. Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
Not all people have the same level of peanut allergies; some are much worse than others.
The people who work in those factories have a clear understanding of what can cause an adverse reaction in someone who has a peanut allergy.
People are willing to pay more for food products that were prepared in peanut-free factories.
It takes a tremendous effort to create a peanut-free environment.
It is possible to create and consistently maintain a peanut-free environment.
7. Which of the following is most like the argument above in its logical structure?
Many drugstores have banned all animals except service animals on their premises because of people who have allergies. Therefore, people who have allergies can safely shop at those drugstores.
Many people are allergic to bee stings, so they should avoid going outside when bees are active.
It is difficult to completely eliminate any chance of an accident at an amusement park, so people who go to them must be careful.
Cell phones create a huge distraction at concerts; therefore, cell phones are banned.
Some people are allergic to sulfites found in wine. Thus, some wineries do not add sulfites to their products, and they are safe for those with allergies to consume.
Joshua: I have spent a lot of time in Europe on tour with the men’s choir I am a part of. Having stayed at hotels throughout Scandinavia, I have noticed that there is a large discrepancy in the quality of the woodwork between hotels that were built before 1950 and those built after. It’s clear that carpenters who worked on hotels built before 1950 were far more skilled and took greater pride in their work than carpenters who worked on hotels built after 1950.
8. Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens Joshua’s argument?
Joshua is not an expert on woodwork.
Homes with superior woodwork among other attributes are far less likely to be demolished than homes constructed with shoddy workmanship.
Carpenters working since 1950 have many more tools that they can use in their work.
The quality of woodwork in hotels is generally inferior to that found in private homes.
The changing weather patterns of the region make it difficult for woodwork to survive for more than 100 years.
Principal Ellington: If the student body wants to have more parking spots available to them, they need to raise money to buy the field next to the school so that it can be turned into a parking lot. There are no other options. The existent staff and faculty parking lot takes up half of the rear schoolyard area, with the student parking lot as it is now to the side. The front parking lot of the school must be left for visitors and parents.
9. In the argument presented above, what role does the boldfaced portion play?
It presents evidence that supports the argument.
It presents a premise upon which the argument is based.
It presents facts that support the premise of the argument.
It is the conclusion to the argument.
It presents an inference used in the creation of the argument.
10. Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens Principal Ellington’s argument?
The faculty and staff parking lot is only three-quarters full on most school days.
The majority of the student body walks or takes a bus to school.
The owner of the adjacent field has offered to allow it to be used for parking, free of charge.
The school football coach has often stated his desire to have the adjacent field turned into a practice ground for the team.
The parking at the front of the school is insufficient on Parent/Teacher Night and other events that many parents or guardians attend.
Justin is an excellent amateur swimmer and is unbeaten in college swimming competitions. Last year school year, he won the all-around title at the Meyersville University Invitational. A month ago, Justin was in a minor car accident that caused him to break his wrist. It will be in a cast for the remainder of the school year. Consequently, when the Meyersville University Invitational is held next month, _______.
11. Which of the following best completes the passage?
Justin definitely will not win the all-around title.
Justin will most likely not win the all-around title.
The best plan is for Justin to drop out of the competition.
It is unlikely that Justin will be allowed to participate.
Justin’s chief rival, Sam, will finally have a shot at winning.
For a travel ban against a certain country to succeed, both the American government and the travel industry must work together to prohibit American travelers from being able to travel to the banned country. While the American government has recently prohibited its citizens from traveling to Narvia, many travel agents are continuing to facilitate travel, often by booking circuitous flights to allow Americans to enter Narvia through another country. Therefore, the travel ban against Narvia is unlikely to be successful.
12. Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument in the passage above?
There are no criminal repercussions to Americans who travel to Narvia, despite the prohibition.
Some sectors of the American government continue to do business with their Narvian counterparts.
The prohibition is based on a small disagreement between the American president and Narvia’s chancellor, too obscure for most Americans to understand.
Many travel agents like to book their clients for trips to Narvia because the country is beautiful, modern, and inexpensive.
A ban of travel to a country much like Narvia was unsuccessful.
13. Any of the following, if true, is a valid reason to believe the ban will not be successful EXCEPT:
Travel agents will not be fined for booking circuitous flights for those who wish to visit Narvia.
Narvia has not agreed to the ban and rejects the premise of it.
It is very simple for Americans to book a flight into a neighboring country and then take a cheap and efficient train into Narvia.
The language of the government’s travel ban is vague and difficult to enforce.
Compliance with the government’s ban is voluntary.
Mosora Rocks Town Council recently decided to consider the removal of all fire alarm boxes. The Mosora Rocks Fire Department reports that 90 percent of all fire alarms emanating from fire alarm boxes turn out to be false. Since virtually everyone has a personal mobile phone now, the usefulness of the fire alarm boxes has passed and they are now merely a nuisance. The fire department recommends that the Council authorize the removal of all fire alarm boxes, which will reduce the number of false alarms without affecting people’s ability to report a fire.
14. Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the idea that the fire department’s proposal will have the desired effect?
Responding to all fire alarms, even those that turn out to be false, costs a great deal of money.
The Mosora Rocks Fire Department owns technology that allows it to trace all calls made by private phone and record crucial information about where the calls were made.
Not every resident of Mosora Rocks Town Council owns a mobile phone.
The fire alarm boxes date from the late 1800s and are quite charming.
In the past, the fire department has been unable to promptly respond to an actual fire because the department has been out on a false alarm.
15. Which of the following is an assumption that enables the fire department to reach the conclusion that fire alarm boxes should be removed?
People are reluctant to take action if they see that no one else is doing so.
People in Mosora Rocks will not protest the removal of the fire alarm boxes.
Cellular phone technology will never get to the point wherein most calls are untraceable.
The majority of people who make false alarms would be less likely to do so if there was a greater chance that they would be caught.
The removal of fire alarm boxes will significantly alter the downtown Mosora Rocks area.
Since 1970, the town of Hotspur, New Mexico, has drawn water from the Makalesh River, which feeds Lake William. If the town’s water use continues to grow at its present rate, in about 10 years the water level of Lake William will inevitably decrease to the point that it can no longer support its biologically fragile population of fish.
16. The prediction above is based on which of the following assumptions?
The town of Hotspur will be able to reverse its trend of increasing water use if it implements an aggressive water conservation program.
The amount of water that the lake loses to evaporation each year will increase over the next 10 years.
There are multiple sources of water besides the Makalesh River that feed into Lake William.
Since 1970, the lake’s population of fish has become more biologically fragile.
As the town’s water requirements grow, it will not be able to meet those requirements by drawing on water sources other than the Makalesh River.
17. Which of the following presents the best conclusion to the argument above?
It is vital that Hotspur make plans to transport the fish population of Lake Williams to another viable body of water.
Therefore, the town of Hotspur’s city council is immediately putting water conservation efforts in place.
If the town of Hotspur wants to preserve the fragile fish population in Lake William, it will need to consider other sources for water.
Malakesh River feeds into Lake William.
Malakesh River is a freshwater river, and Lake William is a freshwater lake.
Ambiance Hotels has a customer loyalty program that rewards customers with a paper coupon for a free night at an Ambiance Hotel after spending four nights in one. The marketing department of the hotel chain notices that people have begun selling these coupons on the Internet for less than the cost of a night at an Ambiance Hotel. Therefore, the marketing department has advised that the hotel chain begin issuing web-based vouchers that are nontransferable.
18. What is the assumption underlying the marketing department’s logic in its plan?
Web-based vouchers are more difficult to sell than paper coupons.
It’s important to keep this customer loyalty program up and running, even if the hotel chain must make a financial sacrifice to do so.
Tying the free night to one person via technology will cut back on customers’ ability to sell those free nights.
Not all Ambiance hotels charge the same price per night.
Ambiance hotels’ closest competitor also has a customer loyalty program.
19. Which of the following, if true, would present the best argument for the marketing department’s plan?
Most Ambiance customers do not participate in the customer loyalty program.
It is virtually impossible to transfer a web-based voucher to anyone other than the person to whom it was issued.
Ambiance managers have stated that they do not have the time to trace every coupon before accepting it.
Some Ambiance customers have stated that they prefer the paper coupons because the web is not always easily accessible.
The marketing department feels it will be easier to encourage customers to sign up for additional cost items, such as breakfast, through the use of the loyalty program.
Nutritionists advise people to eat as many vegetables as possible in the day, saying that there is no limit to how many one should consume. However, some people have contracted a nearly fatal disorder from eating carrots. Therefore, nutritionists should caution against the overconsumption of carrots while allowing the consumption of all other vegetables.
20. What can be said to be an underlying assumption in the argument above?
Eating too much of any other vegetable will not lead to disorders.
Carrots are not really vegetables.
When nutritionists advise people to eat many vegetables, they really meant fruits and vegetables.
Carrots can be overconsumed.
Nutritionists often exaggerate for effect.
1. E This is a confusing question with a shaky logic in the passage and a couple of numbers, too. Not to mention that the first answer choice, A, includes a double negative that will take you a while to figure out. That said, E is still the best choice because it is the only answer choice that reveals how an assumption supports the conclusion. Watch out for C, by the way: it’s just a restatement of the passage.
2. B It’s clear that Gordon’s argument has an assumption that’s not being shared in his conversation with Ryan. You need to decide which of the answer choices best strengthens his statement. B makes the best case because it would mean that there is a past policy that Gordon is assuming will be in place now. D seems tempting, but there’s no actual connection between that fact and Gordon’s assumption.
3. C Because Gordon’s argument doesn’t really come to a conclusion, this question is essentially asking for you to find one. C is the answer that best provides the conclusion to his logic, by explaining why he thinks waiting a week will allow him to buy the comics at 50 percent off. Don’t be fooled by how other answer choices (such as D) sound like something someone might say. You’re not writing a realistic dialogue, but rather wrapping up the argument that is presented.
4. B Here’s a weaken-the-argument question. You’re asked to think about what would most weaken the conclusion that the government should give more money to Tabies research. B is the best argument presented because it indicates that Tabies isn’t a serious threat. E is an opposite answer choice: it reads as if it was correct, but only if you’re trying to strengthen the argument. D also seems tempting, except that the passage already makes clear that some funding already exists for Tabies diagnosis and treatment, so the answer choice is really just a restatement.
5. A You’re asked to find the assumption here, and it’s the very first answer. As you know, you want to always focus on the argument’s conclusion and find the underlying assumptions that got you there. A is the only answer choice that speaks to this particular argument.
6. E Here is a question that employs information you may have an opinion on already! Be careful not to let what you think leach into your answers. You’re trying to find the assumption that the conclusion rests upon. The other answer choices are appealing depending on your opinion (if, for example, you think a company might charge more for peanut-free foods, C might appeal). E, however, is based only on the premises of the argument, which only holds if maintaining a peanut-free environment is possible. Stick to logic!
7. E This is a parallel reasoning question, and one that breaks the rules we mentioned, because the correct answer is fairly similar in subject matter to the original argument. That’s why it’s important to read carefully and take your time. Do notice that A and B also use allergies in their arguments. You just have to carefully pick your way through to find the right answer. Don’t forget that sketching out the argument presented beforehand makes it easier to find the correct answer choice.
8. B You’re finding the weakness in Joshua’s argument. It is based on the premise that hotels built later in the 20th century are inferior, overall, to hotels built earlier. But B points out that the rate of attrition of hotels built before 1950—that is, the number of hotels destroyed—is unknown. If hotels with shoddy workmanship are more likely to be torn down (remember, all the premises are presented as true), then B must be the correct answer.
9. D This is a structure-of-the-argument question, and a perplexing one, for the correct answer is counterintuitive. We are used to seeing the conclusion at the end of the passage (after all, it concludes the argument), but here it is presented at the beginning. Principal Ellington leads off with her conclusion, making D the best choice.
10. C Most of the answer choices in this weaken-the-argument question suggest that there’s something wrong with using the field next to the school as a parking lot. But that isn’t actually the principal’s argument. She is suggesting that students need to raise money for the conversion of the field into parking; only answer choice C raises a red flag, since it suggests that payment isn’t needed. This seriously weakens her argument.
11. B is the best answer to this fill-in-the-blank question. You’re really wrapping up the argument with the conclusion here, so you need to carefully consider what you actually know about the premises. A can be rejected because, after all, you can’t be absolutely sure that he’ll lose. What if no one else shows up? C, D, and E are all based on assumptions that are not actually in the argument. Take D, for example. There’s nothing in the passage that says that Justin is wearing a brace or cast, so it is not clear why he would be barred from competing.
12. A This is a strengthen-the-argument question, in which you’re asked to find the answer that makes the argument stronger. A is the best choice because it shows that the ban is not effective, meaning it is unlikely to be successful as the argument posits. E has potential, but it’s just not clear from the answer choice whether the other ban was successful; you don’t know if it similarly split travel agents and the government or whether everyone worked in accord, but the outcome was still the same. C builds an argument that isn’t germane to the travel industry, and B is off topic entirely. D might also strengthen the argument, but not as clearly as A does. It’s not logical to assume that just because travel agents find the destination appealing for many reasons, a travel ban will not succeed.
13. B Here, you’re asked to find the reason that doesn’t work against the ban’s success. This is a tricky question, because the correct answer isn’t one that helps to make the ban succeed, as you might be expecting. Instead, B merely offers further information—that Narvia doesn’t agree with the ban. Of course, Narvia’s stand is neither here nor there. So while this answer choice doesn’t oppose the ban, it also doesn’t help it. Still, it’s the correct choice. All of the others are reasons to believe the ban won’t succeed.
14. B Here you must figure out which of the answer choice provides the best support for the argument in question. The fire department wants to do away with the fire alarms because prank calls so often come from them. The best support for this argument is not about the cost of the calls (A and E), whether in money or time, but B, which points out that calls from mobile or home phones can be traced. People are less likely to make a prank phone call if they know they will be caught. C and D, by the way, argue—or sort of argue—against the proposal. You’d only choose them if you weren’t reading closely.
15. D is the correct answer. This question is quite similar to 14, but here you are asked to find the assumption that the fire department has used in building its case. It is obviously assuming that being able to trace false alarms back to those who placed them will be a deterrent to those who might otherwise make them by yanking a fire alarm on a street. You may disagree with this assumption, but that’s what is underneath the argument!
16. E is the best answer for this assumption question. Remember, you’re looking to find the unspoken assumption in the passage, something that the argument is built upon but is unstated. The argument clearly assumes that there’s no way for Hotspur to get water except from the Makalesh River. It would be an entirely different concern if the town had multiple choices for water.
17. C is the best answer. The passage as presented doesn’t quite come to a conclusion about what should be done, so the question asks you to do so. You can eliminate D and E immediately, since D is a restatement of a fact in the passage and E simply adds in a new fact. A is a conclusion that could be reached based on the passage—but it’s not a very good conclusion. It requires that leap in logic you always want to avoid. B is the same thing—a leap when you want to hop, as in C.
18. C is the best answer. You’re looking for the assumption contained within the argument. Here, the argument is not just toward web-based coupons (as in A) but also that the coupons be tied to one person’s name, as in C. That makes it the best choice because it is the most specific.
19. B This is a strengthen-the-argument question, and B provides the best support. The argument is that switching to Internet vouchers will help eliminate the selling of free night coupons. This argument is only valid if the Internet vouchers are better at stopping graft than the coupons. B indicates that they will be. Notice that D argues against the idea.
20. A This is an odd question, but actually quite tricky. Your instinct is to second-guess the passage, which takes a hyperbolic statement and then applies faulty logic to its interpretation. But the question asks you to take it seriously. If you do, you’ll find that A is the assumption underlying the passage, because it suggests that other vegetables can be eaten in any quantity.