targetgmatchotu wrote:
Therefore, to restore confidence in the degrees they award, colleges must take steps to control grade inflation.
Which one of the following is an assumption that, if true, would support the conclusion in the passage?
(A) Today’s students are not higher achievers than the students of twenty years ago.
(B) Awarding too many honors degrees causes colleges to inflate grades.
Negating (A).
Today's students are higher achievers than the students of twenty years ago, So definitely they deserve honors degree.However, in the argument the achievers are not linked to getting honors degree.So,this choice seems dubious to me
Negating B
Premise talks about Honors degrees
Conclusion talks about controlling degree inflation.
Awarding too many honors degree DOESN'T cause colleges to inflate degrees.Breaks the link between premise and conclusion.So,the conclusion has no legs.Hence, weaken it.
Plz Advice !!!!
An assumption is a necessary premise that is missing from the stimulus. It strengthens the conclusion. If the assumption is negated, the conclusion breaks apart.
Conclusion here is: to restore confidence in the degrees they award, colleges must take steps to control grade inflation.
The author is assuming that grades are inflated. That today’s students are not higher achievers than the students of twenty years ago. If it is true, then his conclusion strengthens. Colleges must take steps to control grade inflation is they want to restore confidence in their degrees.
'Higher achievers' means 'one who deservedly achieves higher grades' as far as academics go so there is no disconnect here.
Let's negate the assumption (A) - Today’s students are not higher achievers than the students of twenty years ago.
If today's students are actually higher achievers and that is the reason why 50% of them get honors degrees, then author's conclusion - to restore confidence in the degrees they award, colleges must take steps to control grade inflation - has no merit. Then the grades are not inflated so the point of controlling grade inflation has no merit.
As for B - Awarding too many honors degrees causes colleges to inflate grades.
Actually it is the reverse. Inflated grades lead to too many honors degrees (and this is already mentioned in the stimulus).
For a detailed discussion on this question, check out:
top-college-graduates-are-having-more-difficulty-67546-20.html?hilit=control%20grade%20inflation _________________
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