Each year, the number of students caught copying

This is a tough questions, and it doesn't have the same feel, in my opinion, as gmat questions of equivalent difficulty.

Basically, getting the correct answer requires one to make the logical leap that phenomena are only comparatively mundane/dull/uneventful if they each illicit a punishment of similar severity. I could be wrong, but I feel like GMAT qs don't require this sort of leap.

I got the correct answer, but only by POE. I was hesitant about B because it switches out "the act" for "the punishment." I thought this choice had the feel of a GMAT trap answer, but I also thought it was the only option that made any sense.

My thought process on the other options was as follows:

A). Does not comment on cheating on exams in any way. We don't care about the differences between the other two phenomena.

B). Correct answer

C). This one follows the logic of the correct answer, but in the opposite direction. This answer says that people are less likely to drive without a licence than to cheat on an exam. So exam cheating is MORE mundane by comparison. This is a strengthener, if anything.

D). This answer could be perceived either as a strengthener, or as irrelevant. I'm more inclined to reason that it's irrelevant. It makes a broader comment about cheating, diluting the relevance, and doesn't comment on the relationship between exam cheating and the other phenomena.

E). This one, again, doesn't comment on the relationship BETWEEN the phenomena. It just makes a general comment about all of them. The correct answer MUST indicate that there's a problem with equating exam cheating to the other phenomena. This one doesn't do that.

You nailed it!

Even I was having the same feeling because the conclusion of the passage is that outcry about copying in examination ought to be put to rest.
To weaken this argument, we have to show something that tells us that the outcry about copying SHOULD NOT be put to rest, or in other words - hey, copying in the examination IS ACTUALLY BAD.

One possible reason could have been: Copying in the exam teaches the students to drive without a driving license or travel without a valid ticket.

But option B changes the scope that Punishment is greater for copying in the exams. Fair enough, but how does this tell us anything about "why outcry about copying SHOULD NOT be put to rest" or "why copying in the examination IS ACTUALLY BAD"

Having said that - Coming to the logical structure of this passage, we can see that the question is playing the game of similarity and differences.
Show similarity between 3 objects and to weaken the common effect on these objects, we have to show that one object will have a different semi-effect. With this structure, option B makes the most sense.

Can someone explain why not C and the reason behind B? IMO C is the right choice as the argument says even though the number of people caught is the same hence mention to Cheating should be put to rest but C counters it by saying fewer people will get involved in other activities and hence making cheating more important to look at. Please correct me what am i getting wrong?

Can someone help with the OE for this one?

SajjadAhmad GMATNinja

This question makes no sense to me. Why are punishments important here? I was looking for an option telling us something about the relative numbers between the populations.

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Each year, the number of students caught copying in examination is nearly the same as the number of students caught driving without a valid driving license and the number of students caught traveling without a valid ticket. Therefore, the outcry about copying in examination ought to be put to rest, as the act of copying in examination is in fact almost as mundane as the acts of driving without a valid driving license or traveling without a valid ticket.

Which one of the following, if true, would most effectively undermine the author's argument?

Crux of the passage is that the conclusion is based on a comparison between the acts of copying in examination and driving without license and travelling without a valid ticket. Author treats the combination of the latter two far more grim acts than the earlier. So, anything that helps explains the opposite would definitely undermine the argument.

A Although the number of students caught driving without a valid driving license each year is very small, the total number of incidences of students traveling without a valid ticket is many times greater.
B The punishments upon being caught copying in examination are graver than those upon being caught driving without a valid driving license or traveling without a valid ticket.
C Fewer students would take their chances with driving without a valid driving license and traveling without a valid ticket than with copying in examination.
D Cheating in general—including copying in examination—is more prevalent than driving without a valid driving license.
E The prevalence of wrongdoings such as copying in examination, driving without a valid driving license or traveling without a valid ticket among students is inversely proportional to their probability of getting caught.

A, C and D don't help in telling us anything constructive to reach a conclusive weakening. E on the other hand, actually does the opposite - it helps the conclusion of the argument going by the author's logic.

B gives us a comparative to help weaken the conclusion. The degree of being mundane relative to the other two vanishes when the consequences of cheating are superior to those of driving without license and travelling without valid tickets.

Answer B.

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