Types of Critical Reasoning Questions
Critical reasoning questions will ask you to:
- Strengthen an argument.
- Weaken an argument.
- Identify a parallel argument.
- Identify the assumption.
- Identify the inference.
- Select the best conclusion.
Our Preferred Approach to Critical Reasoning Questions
1.) Read the question before reading the passage. Know what you should be looking for before you begin reading the passage. You will want to approach the same passage a little bit differently, depending on whether you are asked to destroy an argument, or to find the best conclusion to the passage. Also – and we feel we can not say this enough – read the questions carefully. The test makers will deliberately include answer choices that give 'right' answers to wrong questions.
2.) Identify the passage's assumptions and conclusion. This can be tricky. GMAT passages do not always present their conclusions in their final sentences. Sometimes they imply, rather than state, their conclusions. This is a great illustration of where our general tip of "practice, practice, practice" will come in handy. Look for these patterns:
A paragraph may start off with its conclusion in the first sentence, and then give several sentences to support that conclusion. This means you will not be able to look for transition words such as "consequently", "hence", and "as a result" that are commonly used to indicate the conclusion.
An assumption is the passage's "must have." In other words, if the assumption is not true, it follows that the conclusion is not true. We have a simple method for identifying assumptions. Read each sentence in the passage individually, and then ask yourself if the conclusion would still be true if this one sentence was incorrect.
3.) Try to guess the correct answer before you even read the answer choices. Often your hunch will be correct. This will help you focus on selecting the best answer.
4.) Read every answer choice. Don't settle for choosing the first one that seems right to you. You may find another answer choice that is even better than the one you initially selected. Eliminate the ones you know are wrong. Carefully analyze the remaining choices with a focus on identifying the one that presents the most relevant arguments and raises the most relevant issues.
