Last visit was: 18 Nov 2025, 13:37 It is currently 18 Nov 2025, 13:37
Home
GMAT
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
Rewards
Chat
My Profile
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
User avatar
vc_pec
User avatar
Joined: 08 Mar 2007
Last visit: 29 May 2007
Posts: 24
Own Kudos:
12
 [1]
Posts: 24
Kudos: 12
 [1]
inference vs conclusion 14 Apr 2007, 08:42
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi friends ,

Could you please tell me the diff between "inference" and "conclusion" for CR questions. I get them wrong many times.

Thanks,

vishal

Archived Topic
Hi there,
This topic has been closed and archived due to inactivity or violation of community quality standards. No more replies are possible here.
Where to now? Join ongoing discussions on thousands of quality questions in our Verbal Questions Forum
Still interested in this question? Check out the "Best Topics" block below for a better discussion on this exact question, as well as several more related questions.
Thank you for understanding, and happy exploring!
User avatar
techjanson
User avatar
Joined: 28 Feb 2007
Last visit: 18 May 2010
Posts: 104
Own Kudos:
53
 [1]
Location: California
Posts: 104
Kudos: 53
 [1]
inference vs conclusion 14 Apr 2007, 11:44
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
vc_pec
Hi friends ,

Could you please tell me the diff between "inference" and "conclusion" for CR questions. I get them wrong many times.

Thanks,

vishal
Show more


Conclusion is usually something that is explicitly stated. Inference is another type of conclusion but is not explicitly stated. You need to reach it by using the information provided.

I think other members can chime in with their opinions too
User avatar
alfyG
User avatar
Joined: 25 Mar 2007
Last visit: 16 May 2008
Posts: 45
Own Kudos:
16
Posts: 45
Kudos: 16
inference vs conclusion 15 Apr 2007, 03:45
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
A conclusion, ideally, should follow from the given information. Sometimes, the conclusion is missing from the argument and your job is to find the conclusion. In other words, your task is to infer what the conclusion might be.

In other cases, the conclusion is explicitely stated within the argument. For example, GMAT exams should not be used as part of the admission process because the exam has a very low reliability coefficient. Therefore, such exams cannot be valid measures of performance.

The main conclusion here would be that the GMAT is not a valid measure of performance. We can also infer that the reliability influences validity - that is, we can deduce this statement from the argument, even though it is not explicity stated.
User avatar
vineetgupta
User avatar
Joined: 29 Jul 2006
Last visit: 25 Jul 2009
Posts: 377
Own Kudos:
1,397
Posts: 377
Kudos: 1,397
inference vs conclusion 17 Apr 2007, 04:13
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
alfyG
A conclusion, ideally, should follow from the given information. Sometimes, the conclusion is missing from the argument and your job is to find the conclusion. In other words, your task is to infer what the conclusion might be.

In other cases, the conclusion is explicitely stated within the argument. For example, GMAT exams should not be used as part of the admission process because the exam has a very low reliability coefficient. Therefore, such exams cannot be valid measures of performance.

The main conclusion here would be that the GMAT is not a valid measure of performance. We can also infer that the reliability influences validity - that is, we can deduce this statement from the argument, even though it is not explicity stated.
Show more


Good explanation...
User avatar
surbab
User avatar
Joined: 20 Nov 2006
Last visit: 09 Dec 2008
Posts: 112
Own Kudos:
328
Posts: 112
Kudos: 328
inference vs conclusion 20 Apr 2007, 22:44
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
AlfyG..
Good explanation.

Conclusion is information which can be concluded from the given evidences.

Inference is that information which you can squeeze out of the given evidence and conclusion.
User avatar
alwaysnewbie
User avatar
Joined: 08 Feb 2016
Last visit: 05 Nov 2016
Posts: 31
Own Kudos:
183
Given Kudos: 14
Posts: 31
Kudos: 183
inference vs conclusion 04 Jul 2016, 23:43
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
A very good explanation.
https://classroom.synonym.com/difference ... -4962.html

Some distinctions
Conclusion
- a decision/prediction of future (i.e. next step)
- can be used to make additional inferences
- MAY (Strengthen/Weaken/etc) or MAY NOT (Draw a conclusion) be stated in the passage
- is the Main Point of the argument

Inference
- new facts/idea based on existing facts
- can be used to generate additional information to draw a conclusion (results in more accurate conclusions)
- NEVER stated in the passage (Conclusion is never present in an inference question)
- Must be true (should be supported by a/few premises)

Thanks
User avatar
ccooley
User avatar
Manhattan Prep Instructor
Joined: 04 Dec 2015
Last visit: 06 Jun 2020
Posts: 931
Own Kudos:
1,642
 [4]
Given Kudos: 115
GMAT 1: 790 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Expert
Expert reply
GMAT 1: 790 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Posts: 931
Kudos: 1,642
 [4]
inference vs conclusion 06 Jul 2016, 12:38
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
2
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
On the GMAT, an 'inference problem' is a particular type of CR problem.

These problems always ask you to draw your own conclusion/inference. They can use the word 'conclusion', the word 'inference', or neither. These questions would signal an inference problem:

"Which of the following conclusions is most properly drawn from the information above?"
"Which of the following would be a valid conclusion to the author's argument?"
"Which of these statements follows logically from the argument presented above?"
"Which of the following inferences is correctly drawn based on the argument?"

The terminology itself doesn't matter. They're always asking you to do the exact same thing, whether they use the term 'conclusion' or the term 'inference'. What they're asking you to do, is read the passage, and pick an answer choice that you can definitely prove to be true based on only the information in the argument.

On all other types of GMAT CR problem, the conclusion is already there in the argument. However, the conclusions that are already written in the argument, aren't logically flawless conclusions. That's what makes this concept a little strange. When you're doing an inference problem, you have to pick a conclusion that doesn't really have flaws in it. The answer choice you decide on should be provable. But, when the GMAT writes its own conclusions on other problem types, those conclusions typically do have flaws in them. In fact, a lot of other CR problem types are based on identifying those flaws.
User avatar
giuliab3
User avatar
Joined: 24 Jun 2017
Last visit: 17 Feb 2019
Posts: 27
Own Kudos:
29
Given Kudos: 207
Location: Singapore
Schools: INSEAD Jan '19
GMAT 1: 660 Q46 V34
GPA: 3.83
Schools: INSEAD Jan '19
GMAT 1: 660 Q46 V34
Posts: 27
Kudos: 29
inference vs conclusion 30 Jan 2018, 20:42
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
ccooley
On the GMAT, an 'inference problem' is a particular type of CR problem.

These problems always ask you to draw your own conclusion/inference. They can use the word 'conclusion', the word 'inference', or neither. These questions would signal an inference problem:

"Which of the following conclusions is most properly drawn from the information above?"
"Which of the following would be a valid conclusion to the author's argument?"
"Which of these statements follows logically from the argument presented above?"
"Which of the following inferences is correctly drawn based on the argument?"

The terminology itself doesn't matter. They're always asking you to do the exact same thing, whether they use the term 'conclusion' or the term 'inference'. What they're asking you to do, is read the passage, and pick an answer choice that you can definitely prove to be true based on only the information in the argument.

On all other types of GMAT CR problem, the conclusion is already there in the argument. However, the conclusions that are already written in the argument, aren't logically flawless conclusions. That's what makes this concept a little strange. When you're doing an inference problem, you have to pick a conclusion that doesn't really have flaws in it. The answer choice you decide on should be provable. But, when the GMAT writes its own conclusions on other problem types, those conclusions typically do have flaws in them. In fact, a lot of other CR problem types are based on identifying those flaws.
Show more

Why does gmatclub have a section for Inference and one for Conclusion questions? Even Magoosh says in the videos that these are the same question type...
inference: https://gmatclub.com/forum/search.php?s ... %5B%5D=168
conclusion: https://gmatclub.com/forum/search.php?s ... %5B%5D=168

thanks!
User avatar
egmat
User avatar
e-GMAT Representative
Joined: 02 Nov 2011
Last visit: 18 Nov 2025
Posts: 5,108
Own Kudos:
32,883
 [2]
Given Kudos: 700
GMAT Date: 08-19-2020
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 5,108
Kudos: 32,883
 [2]
inference vs conclusion 31 Jan 2018, 13:17
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Inference and Conclusion "question types" on GMAT are for all practical purposes interchangeable. Essentially, it’s a statement which given the information in the passage must be true (logically). Lets take an example:

Simple argument


At Wharton, every applicant who scores 760 is invited to interview. vc_pec, who scored 760 applied to Wharton.

Inference and Conclusion

vc_pec will be invited to interview at Wharton

The statement above is an inference as well as a conclusion.
User avatar
DanTheGMATMan
User avatar
Joined: 02 Oct 2015
Last visit: 18 Nov 2025
Posts: 378
Own Kudos:
226
Given Kudos: 9
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 378
Kudos: 226
inference vs conclusion 29 Sep 2023, 07:51
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
If you're talking about "which of the following can we conclude" questions, they are really the exact same thing as inference questions. Both ask what must be true, given the information in the argument. These could also be phrased as "which of the following can be assumed" or "the statements above support which of the following assertions," among numerous other phrasings. All of these are asking for the answer choice that must be true, given facts stated in the stem.

There is a rare type of question about argument structure that asks you to identify the conclusion of the argument stated in the passage. This is more of an LSAT question and I don't recall seeing one just like this any of the times I've sat for the GMAT. Still, your thought process should be very similar- you just identify what the broad, overall conclusion the whole argument is leading toward
User avatar
VerbalBot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 01 Oct 2013
Last visit: 04 Jan 2021
Posts: 18,835
Own Kudos:
986
Posts: 18,835
Kudos: 986
inference vs conclusion 12 Sep 2025, 00:01
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.

Archived Topic
Hi there,
This topic has been closed and archived due to inactivity or violation of community quality standards. No more replies are possible here.
Where to now? Join ongoing discussions on thousands of quality questions in our Verbal Questions Forum
Still interested in this question? Check out the "Best Topics" block above for a better discussion on this exact question, as well as several more related questions.
Thank you for understanding, and happy exploring!
Moderators:
miag
188 posts
u1983
Current Student
710 posts
MikeScarn
Current Student
275 posts