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04 Jul 2025, 04:15
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Analyzing the options from (A) to (E) one by one
(A) Most engineers who leave company Z within their first year do so voluntarily, often for positions at competing firms-This tells us why engineers leave (voluntarily, for other jobs), but it does not address whether the certification causes them to leave or whether those who leave are more likely to have the certification for some other reason. Eliminate
(B) Company Z does not provide incentives for employees to obtain professional certifications - This tells us about company policy, but it does not explain the difference in certification rates between leavers and all engineers, nor does it affect the logic of the argument. Eliminate
(C) Engineers are not required to report certifications they obtained prior to joining the company - If engineers underreport certifications obtained before joining, the 8% figure for all engineers could be artificially low. This could mean more engineers have the certification than reported, making the difference between 18% and 8% less significant. Eliminate
(D) The majority of engineers at company Z work in teams that use agile methodologies - This is about work practices, not about certification or leaving rates. It doesn't affect the relationship between certification and leaving. Eliminate
(E) Some engineers obtain their agile project management certification only after joining the company - If engineers get certified after joining (and possibly just before leaving), the certification may be a result of planning to leave, not a cause. The higher percentage among leavers could be because they get certified in preparation for leaving, not because certified engineers are more likely to leave.
Strongly weakens. This disrupts the implied causality in the argument. Keep
Conclusion
(E) is the best answer because it most seriously weakens the argument by showing the certification may not be a pre-existing factor that increases the likelihood of leaving.
(A) Most engineers who leave company Z within their first year do so voluntarily, often for positions at competing firms-This tells us why engineers leave (voluntarily, for other jobs), but it does not address whether the certification causes them to leave or whether those who leave are more likely to have the certification for some other reason. Eliminate
(B) Company Z does not provide incentives for employees to obtain professional certifications - This tells us about company policy, but it does not explain the difference in certification rates between leavers and all engineers, nor does it affect the logic of the argument. Eliminate
(C) Engineers are not required to report certifications they obtained prior to joining the company - If engineers underreport certifications obtained before joining, the 8% figure for all engineers could be artificially low. This could mean more engineers have the certification than reported, making the difference between 18% and 8% less significant. Eliminate
(D) The majority of engineers at company Z work in teams that use agile methodologies - This is about work practices, not about certification or leaving rates. It doesn't affect the relationship between certification and leaving. Eliminate
(E) Some engineers obtain their agile project management certification only after joining the company - If engineers get certified after joining (and possibly just before leaving), the certification may be a result of planning to leave, not a cause. The higher percentage among leavers could be because they get certified in preparation for leaving, not because certified engineers are more likely to leave.
Strongly weakens. This disrupts the implied causality in the argument. Keep
Conclusion
(E) is the best answer because it most seriously weakens the argument by showing the certification may not be a pre-existing factor that increases the likelihood of leaving.
04 Jul 2025, 04:46
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The argument says: 18% of engineers who left had the certification, but only 8% of all engineers reported having it. So the certification makes you more likely to leave.
The flaw: This assumes the 8% baseline is accurate.
Looking at the options:
(C) Engineers aren't required to report certifications they got before joining.
This is key! If engineers don't have to report prior certifications, then the 8% figure is way too low. Maybe 18% or more of all engineers actually have the certification, but most didn't report it on the survey.
If the real percentage is close to 18%, then having the certification doesn't make you more likely to leave at all.
Answer: C
The flaw: This assumes the 8% baseline is accurate.
Looking at the options:
(C) Engineers aren't required to report certifications they got before joining.
This is key! If engineers don't have to report prior certifications, then the 8% figure is way too low. Maybe 18% or more of all engineers actually have the certification, but most didn't report it on the survey.
If the real percentage is close to 18%, then having the certification doesn't make you more likely to leave at all.
Answer: C
04 Jul 2025, 05:01
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Premise:
C. Engineers are not required to report certifications obtained prior to joining
=> WEAKENS. It means that maybe not all of engineers who have certification did report this information in general HR survey, then the 8% figure is underreported. So the comparison (18% vs. 8%) becomes invalid.
Answer: C
- 18% of engineers who left within 1 year had agile certification
- Only 8% of all engineers reported having the certification
C. Engineers are not required to report certifications obtained prior to joining
=> WEAKENS. It means that maybe not all of engineers who have certification did report this information in general HR survey, then the 8% figure is underreported. So the comparison (18% vs. 8%) becomes invalid.
Answer: C
