A recent study indicated that most

ANALYZE THE STIMULUS:

Fact: Most Laconian police are below forty years of age.
Reason 1: Laconian police salaries are not sufficient for families with teenage children ==> they reach 40 when their children are teenage ==> they have to quit/change job when they get near 40 because they can't afford their teenage children expenses.
Reason 2: Laconian police have to serve for twenty years to receive government pensions, and by the time they are forty most of them become eligible for this pension and retire. ==> They quit job when they are eligible for pension.

Question: Knowing which of the following would best help choose between the two explanations offered in the argument above?
KEY is question stem: The question just ask to choose which explanation is better. The question does NOT ask to find another explanation, thus weaken both explanations in the stimulus.

ANALYZE EACH ANSWER:

(A)Whether the proportion of police who are at least 40 years old varies significantly among different departments of the police force in Laconia.
Wrong. Out of scope. Nothing about different department.

(B)Whether a significant proportion of Laconian police leave the force because they consider it dangerous to continue serving after they turn forty, when they are no longer as physically fit as they were.
Wrong. TEMPTING. B tells us another explanation ==> B weakens both explanation in the stimulus. Thus, B does not help us choose the better explanation between the two.

(C)Whether the majority of police officers who are older than 40 entered the force at a significantly older age than did those who had resigned by the time they were 40.
IMO, Correct. C tells us that police officers who entered the force late have to work continuously even when they get 40. Why? Because if they do not work 20 years in the force, they are not eligible for pension. In addition, C also weakens the first explanation, which says that those who are more 40 years old will quit job because of low salaries. In fact, the main reason they continue working is because they want to be eligible for pension.

(D)Whether most of those who join the Laconian police force do so to earn money or because they consider it prestigious.
Wrong. Out of scope. D does not say anything why most police officers are below 40 years old.

(E)Whether police officers who continue to serve in the Laconian police force after they turn 40 have more promotional opportunities than their younger colleagues have.
Wrong. Out of scope. Nothing about "Promotional opportunities".

Waiting for OA.

Best.