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03 May 2026, 09:59
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E
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
55%
(hard)
Question Stats:
61% (01:41) correct
39%
(01:35)
wrong
based on 99
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Manager: One reason productivity in our office is not as high as it could be is that office workers spend too much time taking unauthorized breaks. Since the number of office workers assigned to each manager will soon be reduced, managers will be able to supervise workers more closely in the future to make sure that they are not taking unauthorized breaks. Therefore, productivity in our office will soon increase.
Which one of the following is an assumption on which the manager's argument depends?
(A) The best way to improve productivity is to reduce the number of employees and give more work to employees who remain on the job.
(B) Office workers are spending more time now taking unauthorized breaks than they used to.
(C) Giving financial incentives to workers whose divisions increase their productivity would not have any significant effect on overall office productivity.
(D) Supervising employees more closely to reduce unauthorized breaks is the most efficient way of increasing overall office productivity.
(E) The gain in productivity that will result from reducing unauthorized breaks will exceed any loss in productivity caused by closer supervision.
Which one of the following is an assumption on which the manager's argument depends?
(A) The best way to improve productivity is to reduce the number of employees and give more work to employees who remain on the job.
(B) Office workers are spending more time now taking unauthorized breaks than they used to.
(C) Giving financial incentives to workers whose divisions increase their productivity would not have any significant effect on overall office productivity.
(D) Supervising employees more closely to reduce unauthorized breaks is the most efficient way of increasing overall office productivity.
(E) The gain in productivity that will result from reducing unauthorized breaks will exceed any loss in productivity caused by closer supervision.
03 May 2026, 15:11
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Manager: One reason productivity in our office is not as high as it could be is that office workers spend too much time taking unauthorized breaks. Since the number of office workers assigned to each manager will soon be reduced, managers will be able to supervise workers more closely in the future to make sure that they are not taking unauthorized breaks. Therefore, productivity in our office will soon increase.
In answering an Assumption question, we should pay particular attention to the conclusion of the argument and how it's supported.
Conclusion:
productivity in our office will soon increase
Support:
One reason productivity in our office is not as high as it could be is that office workers spend too much time taking unauthorized breaks.
and
Since the number of office workers assigned to each manager will soon be reduced, managers will be able to supervise workers more closely in the future to make sure that they are not taking unauthorized breaks.
We see that the reasoning of the argument is that, since authorized breaks cause productivity to be less high than it would be and since closer management supervision will result in a reduction in unauthorized breaks, productivity will increase.
Which one of the following is an assumption on which the manager's argument depends?
The correct answer will state something that must be true for the evidence to effectively support the conclusion.
(A) The best way to improve productivity is to reduce the number of employees and give more work to employees who remain on the job.
Arguing that a reduction in unauthorized breaks will result in an increase in productivity clearly does not require assuming that something else, reducing the number of employees and giving more work to employees who remain, is the best way to improve productivity.
Eliminate.
(B) Office workers are spending more time now taking unauthorized breaks than they used to.
The argument works regardless of whether workers are spending "more" time taking breaks than they used to.
After all, even if they are NOT spending more time taking breaks than they used to, it's still true that "One reason productivity ... is not as high as it could be is that ... workers spend too much time taking unauthorized breaks."
So, even if they are not spending "more" time taking unauthorized breaks, they are still taking them enough to impact productivity.
Thus, a reduction in the number of unauthorized breaks should result in increased productivity.
Eliminate.
(C) Giving financial incentives to workers whose divisions increase their productivity would not have any significant effect on overall office productivity.
The point of the argument is not that a reduction in unauthorized breaks is the ONLY way increase productivity.
So, the argument works even if giving financial incentives WOULD have a significant effect on productivity.
Eliminate.
(D) Supervising employees more closely to reduce unauthorized breaks is the most efficient way of increasing overall office productivity.
The conclusion is simply that productivity will increase, not that supervising employees more closely is more "efficient" than other ways of increasing productivity.
So, regardless of whether this choice is true, the argument works.
After all, even if supervising employees more closely is NOT the most efficient way of increasing overall productivity, doing so could still result in increased productivity.
Eliminate.
(E) The gain in productivity that will result from reducing unauthorized breaks will exceed any loss in productivity caused by closer supervision.
This choice is interesting.
After all, if the gain in productivity that will result from reducing unauthorized breaks will NOT exceed any loss in productivity caused by closer supervision, then increased supervision will cause a loss in productivity greater the gain in productivity resulting from a reduction in unauthorized breaks.
In that case, the evidence involving closer supervision and a reduction in authorized breaks does not effectively support the conclusion that "productivity will soon increase."
So, for the argument to work, this choice must be true.
Thus, this choice states an assumption on which the argument depends.
Keep.
Correct answer: E
In answering an Assumption question, we should pay particular attention to the conclusion of the argument and how it's supported.
Conclusion:
productivity in our office will soon increase
Support:
One reason productivity in our office is not as high as it could be is that office workers spend too much time taking unauthorized breaks.
and
Since the number of office workers assigned to each manager will soon be reduced, managers will be able to supervise workers more closely in the future to make sure that they are not taking unauthorized breaks.
We see that the reasoning of the argument is that, since authorized breaks cause productivity to be less high than it would be and since closer management supervision will result in a reduction in unauthorized breaks, productivity will increase.
Which one of the following is an assumption on which the manager's argument depends?
The correct answer will state something that must be true for the evidence to effectively support the conclusion.
(A) The best way to improve productivity is to reduce the number of employees and give more work to employees who remain on the job.
Arguing that a reduction in unauthorized breaks will result in an increase in productivity clearly does not require assuming that something else, reducing the number of employees and giving more work to employees who remain, is the best way to improve productivity.
Eliminate.
(B) Office workers are spending more time now taking unauthorized breaks than they used to.
The argument works regardless of whether workers are spending "more" time taking breaks than they used to.
After all, even if they are NOT spending more time taking breaks than they used to, it's still true that "One reason productivity ... is not as high as it could be is that ... workers spend too much time taking unauthorized breaks."
So, even if they are not spending "more" time taking unauthorized breaks, they are still taking them enough to impact productivity.
Thus, a reduction in the number of unauthorized breaks should result in increased productivity.
Eliminate.
(C) Giving financial incentives to workers whose divisions increase their productivity would not have any significant effect on overall office productivity.
The point of the argument is not that a reduction in unauthorized breaks is the ONLY way increase productivity.
So, the argument works even if giving financial incentives WOULD have a significant effect on productivity.
Eliminate.
(D) Supervising employees more closely to reduce unauthorized breaks is the most efficient way of increasing overall office productivity.
The conclusion is simply that productivity will increase, not that supervising employees more closely is more "efficient" than other ways of increasing productivity.
So, regardless of whether this choice is true, the argument works.
After all, even if supervising employees more closely is NOT the most efficient way of increasing overall productivity, doing so could still result in increased productivity.
Eliminate.
(E) The gain in productivity that will result from reducing unauthorized breaks will exceed any loss in productivity caused by closer supervision.
This choice is interesting.
After all, if the gain in productivity that will result from reducing unauthorized breaks will NOT exceed any loss in productivity caused by closer supervision, then increased supervision will cause a loss in productivity greater the gain in productivity resulting from a reduction in unauthorized breaks.
In that case, the evidence involving closer supervision and a reduction in authorized breaks does not effectively support the conclusion that "productivity will soon increase."
So, for the argument to work, this choice must be true.
Thus, this choice states an assumption on which the argument depends.
Keep.
Correct answer: E
03 May 2026, 16:00
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Manager: One reason productivity in our office is not as high as it could be is that office workers spend too much time taking unauthorized breaks. Since the number of office workers assigned to each manager will soon be reduced, managers will be able to supervise workers more closely in the future to make sure that they are not taking unauthorized breaks. Therefore, productivity in our office will soon increase.
Which one of the following is an assumption on which the manager's argument depends?
The manager argues that closer supervision will reduce unauthorized breaks, and that this will increase productivity. The key assumption is that reducing breaks will create a net productivity gain, not merely shift the problem or create another productivity loss.
(A) The best way to improve productivity is to reduce the number of employees and give more work to employees who remain on the job.
Wrong. The argument does not depend on this being the best way to improve productivity, and it does not say workers will be given more work.
(B) Office workers are spending more time now taking unauthorized breaks than they used to.
Wrong. The argument only needs unauthorized breaks to be a current cause of lower productivity. It does not matter whether the problem has increased over time.
(C) Giving financial incentives to workers whose divisions increase their productivity would not have any significant effect on overall office productivity.
Wrong. Other possible methods are irrelevant. The argument does not depend on financial incentives being ineffective.
(D) Supervising employees more closely to reduce unauthorized breaks is the most efficient way of increasing overall office productivity.
Wrong. The argument does not need closer supervision to be the most efficient method. It only needs it to increase productivity.
(E) The gain in productivity that will result from reducing unauthorized breaks will exceed any loss in productivity caused by closer supervision.
Correct. If closer supervision causes a productivity loss greater than the gain from fewer breaks, productivity would not increase. So the manager must assume that the net effect will be positive.
Answer: (E)
Which one of the following is an assumption on which the manager's argument depends?
The manager argues that closer supervision will reduce unauthorized breaks, and that this will increase productivity. The key assumption is that reducing breaks will create a net productivity gain, not merely shift the problem or create another productivity loss.
(A) The best way to improve productivity is to reduce the number of employees and give more work to employees who remain on the job.
Wrong. The argument does not depend on this being the best way to improve productivity, and it does not say workers will be given more work.
(B) Office workers are spending more time now taking unauthorized breaks than they used to.
Wrong. The argument only needs unauthorized breaks to be a current cause of lower productivity. It does not matter whether the problem has increased over time.
(C) Giving financial incentives to workers whose divisions increase their productivity would not have any significant effect on overall office productivity.
Wrong. Other possible methods are irrelevant. The argument does not depend on financial incentives being ineffective.
(D) Supervising employees more closely to reduce unauthorized breaks is the most efficient way of increasing overall office productivity.
Wrong. The argument does not need closer supervision to be the most efficient method. It only needs it to increase productivity.
(E) The gain in productivity that will result from reducing unauthorized breaks will exceed any loss in productivity caused by closer supervision.
Correct. If closer supervision causes a productivity loss greater than the gain from fewer breaks, productivity would not increase. So the manager must assume that the net effect will be positive.
Answer: (E)
