Jennifer Land explains how to find answer choices for three special cases of Critical Reasoning.
Fortunately for savvy test-takers, GMAT Critical Reasoning questions fall into predictable patterns. Certain argument constructions are used the same way from test to test, and recognizing them makes landing your highest score easier. Here are three special cases you might see on Test Day.
Case #1: weaken causality arguments
A common Critical Reasoning argument construction is that X caused Y. The Tree Toppler chainsaw has seen a dip in sales because a talk-show host is making fun of its name. Studies have shown married people are happier than unmarried people; thus marriage causes happiness.
GMAT causality arguments almost always rest on the same assumption: there is no other cause for the phenomenon. To weaken a causality argument, show there is another possible cause. Perhaps the Tree Toppler had been unfavorably reviewed by the majority of online purchasers; that would be a reason for sales to decrease.
To strengthen the argument, show that the cited cause is likely correct. If data suggest sales were high until the talk-show host’s ridicule began and then began to decrease, perhaps the talk-show host IS responsible for the declining sales.
Case #2: population representativeness
Critical Reasoning prompts often refer to a study or survey. In these cases, the argument often relies on the group being studied or surveyed being representative of the broader population. In the “marriage causes happiness” example, the participants in the “studies” referred to are assumed to be representative of ALL married and unmarried people. Otherwise, the comparison is illogical.
If an argument claims, “Exit polls show the incumbent candidate will win,” the assumption is that the people polled after were a representative sample of the total voting population. To weaken a representativeness argument, show that the group studied is not representative of the whole population. If only voters of a certain demographic in one precinct participated in the exit polls, their responses would not be representative of all voters.
To strengthen such an argument, look for an answer choice that confirms the studied group is representative of the larger population. If the participants in the exit polls were from all precincts and matched the demographics of the larger population of voters, then applying the poll results to the overall group would be appropriate and the argument would be strengthened.
Case #3: critical reasoning about the future
The final special case of Critical Reasoning arguments comprises plans, predictions, and proposals. These arguments are centered around something happening in the future:
- To prevent himself from oversleeping due to turning off his alarm clock, Sam plans to buy a second alarm clock.
- To increase sales in our retail outlets, the company should provide a discount card for customers to use.
- Because the incumbent candidate has made unpopular decisions while in office, the challenger will win the election.
Each of these involves predicting, planning, or proposing something that has not yet happened. To weaken these arguments, see below:
- Weaken a plan or proposal by showing it will not work.
- Weaken a prediction by showing it will not happen.
- Weaken an objection to a plan, proposal, or prediction by showing that it will work or come true.
To strengthen these arguments, simply look for an answer choice that confirms the prediction will occur or that shows the plan or proposal will work.
Look for these special cases when practicing Critical Reasoning. Next time I’ll give you some tips for tackling Sentence Correction. Until then, happy prepping!
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