Hi everybody,

Many times we make errors due to oversight. This happens quite often when we are pressed for time. These errors cost us very dearly in pushing our GMAT percentiles down.

Hence this thread is started with the purpose of avoiding these type of errors. Although the list can be limitless, but I am starting this thread with hope of enlisting some of them. We will be focusing more on uncommon traps.

Everyone is most welcome to contribute.

So, without further fuss. Here goes:

Trap 1: Use of "That" in bold face and other CR questions
Trap Q Type: CR Questions

Consider following OG13 (Q123, Pg 538):

Museums that house Renaissance oil paintings typically store them in envbironments that are carefully kept within narrow margins of temperature and humidity to inhibit any deterioration. Laboratory tests have shown that the kind of oil paint used in these paintings actually adjusts to climatic changes quite well. If, as some museum directors believe, paint is the most sensitive substance in these works, then by relaxing the standards for temperature and humidity control, museums can reduce energy costs without risking damage to these paintings. Museums would be rash to relax those standards, however, since results of preliminary tests indicate that gesso, a compound routinely used by Renaissance artists to help paint adhere to the canvas, is unable to withstand significant variations in humidity.

In the argument above, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

A. The first is an objection that has been raised against the position taken by the argument; the second is the position taken by the argument.
B. The first is the position taken by the argument; the second is the position that the argument calls into question.
C. The first is a judgment that has been offered in support of the position that the argument calls into question; the second is a circumstance on which that judgment is, in part based.
D. The first is a judgment that has been offered in support of the position that the argument calls into question; the second is that position.
E. The first is a claim that the argument calls into question; the second is the position taken by the argument.

Golden rules for boldface:(will not elaborate since they are present in many sources)
1) Read whole argument
2) Formulate whole argument structure
3) Concentrate on the Bold Face text and Pre-think the answer

So we have done all three steps. We know that the conclusion is "Museums should not rush to reduce energy cost".
We know that first is the supporting evidence to the second bold face, the intermediate conclusion, which ultimately gets refuted.

Oversight error: Elimination of D, the correct answer, due to oversight.

Cause: While doing POE, we focus more on the smaller text items to save time.

Consider the second part of option D "the second is that position". Hey dude, I know the main conclusion\claim\position is not boldfaced so just eliminate D and move on. right?

Well guess what, "That Conclusion" is not always the "The Conclusion" and D is the correct answer. In our hurry, we miss the the last 2 letters "at" of that which changes the whole meaning.

Interestingly, "That" is used very extensively in Bold face and other GMAT CR questions. See the other choices for instance, so better exercise caution when you see "that". Never ever misinterpret that as the.

Feel free to contradict or give me other pointers\examples.

Just wondering, have you gone through Aristotle CR grail?

According to me, it is a great book. It mention many of the CR trap words in a very simple way without any complexity.