In a country, the number of new graduates from business school who acc

IMO is D

The passage is concluding that lesser students take private jobs in 1985 as compared to 1970.

The statement negating the conclusion / casting most doubt in regard of passage is;

A) Private industry is making greater efforts so that graduates can take up their jobs. The statement is supporting passage as its showing that the private sector needs graduate because they are not indulging with private sector as much as before. ( Incorrect)

B. There is no role in salary. Moreover if salary is higher in private sector people would have taken job in private sector but its opposed. (Incorrect)

C. Nothing is mentioned regarding Non Profit Organization (Incorrect)

D. Its stating that the no. Of graduates have fallen to the half. Could be the reason graduated students are not been able to join private sector. (Better Choice)

E. Its supporting the passage stating that the students have taken government job that's why they didn't took private jobs. (Again Incorrect).

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D.
Standard CR question.

As info given in operation D,no of graduates are half in 1985.
So PROPORTION IS NOT LESS.
ACTUALLY IT IS EQUAL.

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In a country, the number of new graduates from business school who accepted positions in private industry was 6,000 in 1970 but only 3,000 in 1985. This fact shows that a smaller proportion of new business school graduates chose to work in private industry in 1985 than in 1970.

Which of the following, if true, casts most doubt on the conclusion above?

Pre-thinking: The passage is trying to trap us into making conclusion about proportions from absolute numbers of new graduates who accepted positions in private industries in two different years (1970 and 1985) while telling us nothing about the absolute number of graduates in those aforementioned years.



A. Private industry made greater efforts to recruit new business school graduates in 1985 than in 1970. -- IRRELEVANT info

B. Salaries in private industry for new business school graduates were higher in 1985 than in 1970. -- salary difference is not of concern in this passage

C. Nonprofit organizations employed a smaller number of new business school graduates in 1985 than in 1970. -- We don't know about all employment sectors to deduce about private industries from this

D. There were half as many new business school graduates in 1985 as there were in 1970. -- CORRECT, this says the no. of new graduates decreased by half in 1985 from 1970. Thus, private industries employment decrease by same 50% equates the proportion for both years. Thus, the conclusion that a smaller proportion of new business school graduates chose to work in private industry in 1985 than in 1970 is weakened.


E. Half of the new business school graduates in 1985 accepted positions in government. -- Same as C

So, answer is D

what does proportion mean? It could be something like below: (Assuming 12k as total)

year '70 '85
pvt sec employment 6k 3k
total number of students 12k 12k

now to cast doubt on the conclusion of the argument we will need an answer choice that attacks the total number of students that constitute the proportion. Hence, D.

Very Simple took me 1:10 to find right Answer.

We have to undermine this "a smaller proportion of new business school graduates chose to work in private industry in 1985 than in 1970."


A. Private industry made greater efforts to recruit new business school graduates in 1985 than in 1970. - OUT OF SCOPE

B. Salaries in private industry for new business school graduates were higher in 1985 than in 1970. -- Its good if salaries are higher , but its NOT helping us to undermine that why small proportion of people are joining private organization - OUT

C. Nonprofit organizations employed a smaller number of new business school graduates in 1985 than in 1970. -- If only SMALLER number of new Graduates are joining NGOs then why majority is not joining Private Organization , we still cant undermine the argument -- OUT

D. There were half as many new business school graduates in 1985 as there were in 1970. - CORRECT , because number of graduates are reduced thats why number of graduates joining private organizations are also reduced, Its undermining the argument perfectly

E. Half of the new business school graduates in 1985 accepted positions in government. -- OUT of SCOPE

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