Events & Promotions
|
|
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
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Sep 1312:30 AM EDT
-01:30 AM EDT
Struggling to find the right strategies to score a 99 %ile on GMAT Focus? Riya (GMAT 715) boosted her score by 100-points in just 15 days! Discover how the right mentorship, tailored strategies, and an unwavering mindset can transform your GMAT prep.
Sep 1301:30 AM EDT
-02:30 AM EDT
At one point, she believed GMAT wasn’t for her. After scoring 595, self-doubt crept in and she questioned her potential. But instead of quitting, she made the right strategic changes. The result? A remarkable comeback to 695. Check out how Saakshi did it.
Sep 1507:00 PM EDT
-09:00 PM EST
Elite scores are possible when you enroll in a powerful GMAT course, taught live online + 6 months access to TTP OnDemand video courses included! Class starts Tues/Thurs Sept. 15, 2026 - Nov. 15, 2027, 7:00pm-9:00pm EST
Sep 1808:00 PM PDT
-09:00 PM PDT
Video explanations + diagnosis of 10 weakest areas + 150+ short videos + study plan!
Sep 2107:00 PM EDT
-10:00 PM EDT
Boost your GMAT score in less than one month in a live online class + 6 months access to TTP OnDemand video courses included! Class starts Mon, Tues, Wed, Thur, Fri Sept. 21, 2026 - Oct. 9, 2027, 7:00pm-10:00pm EST
20 Jun 2026, 07:28
Kudos
Bookmarks
N
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
(N/A)
Question Stats:
0% (00:00) correct
0%
(00:00)
wrong
based on 1
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
ASSUMPTION MASTERBOOK
Core Rule: Every assumption question contains Facts → Gap → Conclusion. Your job is to find the missing bridge. The correct answer is not usually new evidence. The correct answer is not usually a summary. The correct answer is something the author must believe.
MASTER FAMILY 1 — CAUSAL ASSUMPTION
Structure: A happened. Then B happened. Therefore A caused B.
Need: No alternative cause.
Example: The company increased advertising. Sales increased. Therefore the advertising caused the sales increase.
Prethink: What else could have caused sales?
Correct GMAT answers: The company did not simultaneously make another major change affecting sales. Demand for the product category did not increase independently. Competitors did not experience similar sales increases for unrelated reasons.
Common trap answers: Advertising reached many consumers. The company spent a lot of money. Sales increased significantly. These strengthen but are not necessary.
MASTER FAMILY 2 — PLAN / RECOMMENDATION
Most common official pattern.
Structure: We should do X because X will produce Y.
Need: X can actually produce Y.
Example: The city should build more bicycle lanes. This will reduce traffic congestion.
Prethink: Will people actually switch?
Correct GMAT answers: A substantial number of commuters would use bicycles if additional lanes were available.
Common trap answers: Bicycles are environmentally friendly. Many cities have bicycle lanes. Cyclists prefer safe roads.
MASTER FAMILY 3 — REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE
Structure: Sample says X. Therefore population says X.
Need: Sample represents population.
Example: A survey of company volunteers found high morale. Therefore employee morale is high.
Prethink: Are volunteers representative?
Correct GMAT answers: The employees who volunteered are representative of the workforce.
Common trap answers: The survey was anonymous. The survey included many questions. The survey was professionally designed.
MASTER FAMILY 4 — ANALOGY
Structure: A and B are similar. A worked. Therefore B will work.
Need: Relevant similarity.
Example: Marketing strategy succeeded in Company A. Therefore it will succeed in Company B.
Prethink: Are the important factors similar?
Correct GMAT answers: The factors responsible for the strategy's success in Company A are present in Company B.
MASTER FAMILY 5 — NO ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATION
Structure: Observed result. One explanation offered.
Need: No stronger explanation.
Example: Employee productivity increased. Training caused the increase.
Prethink: What else changed?
Correct GMAT answers: No other major changes affecting productivity occurred during the same period.
MASTER FAMILY 6 — PREDICTION
Structure: X will happen in the future because of Y.
Need: Future resembles expectation.
Example: Demand will increase next year because population is increasing.
Prethink: Will other factors remain favorable?
Correct GMAT answers: No major changes will substantially reduce demand.
MASTER FAMILY 7 — NECESSARY CONDITION
Classic assumption pattern.
Structure: Need A to get B. Therefore do A.
Need: A is required.
Example: The company must hire more engineers to complete the project.
Prethink: Could the project be completed another way?
Correct GMAT answers: The project cannot be completed on schedule without additional engineering capacity.
MASTER FAMILY 8 — VALUE / OBJECTIVE ASSUMPTION
Structure: We should do X.
Need: Goal is desirable.
Example: The company should automate operations because automation reduces labor costs.
Prethink: Why is reducing labor costs good?
Correct GMAT answers: Reducing labor costs would benefit the company.
MASTER FAMILY 9 — COMPETITOR / MARKET ASSUMPTION
Very common.
Structure: Our action → Expected result.
Need: Others won't destroy result.
Example: Lowering prices will increase market share.
Prethink: What if competitors respond?
Correct GMAT answers: Competitors will not lower prices enough to eliminate the advantage.
MASTER FAMILY 10 — CORRELATION ASSUMPTION
Favorite hard pattern.
Structure: A is associated with B. Therefore A causes B.
Need: Correlation reflects causation.
Example: People who exercise live longer. Therefore exercise causes longevity.
Prethink: Could healthier people simply exercise more?
Correct GMAT answers: The relationship is not entirely explained by pre-existing differences in health.
NEGATION TEST MASTERBOOK
For assumption questions, the fastest high-level technique is Negation.
Process:
Read conclusion.
Find gap.
Predict assumption family.
Check answer.
Negate answer.
Ask: Does the argument collapse?
If YES → Correct assumption.
If NO → Not necessary.
Example:
Argument: Advertising increased. Sales increased. Therefore advertising caused sales increase.
Answer: No other major factor increased sales.
Negation: Another major factor increased sales.
Result: The argument collapses.
Therefore the answer is correct.
MOST COMMON ASSUMPTION GAPS
When reading the stimulus, immediately ask:
Cause? → Alternative cause?
Plan? → Will it actually work?
Survey? → Representative?
Analogy? → Relevant similarity?
Prediction? → Future stable?
Correlation? → Reverse causation?
Recommendation? → Desired outcome?
Market action? → Competitor response?
OPTION EVALUATION CHECKLIST
For every answer ask:
Is this required?
Or merely helpful?
The correct answer must be required.
Strong answers are often wrong.
Extreme answers are often wrong.
Useful answers are often wrong.
Necessary answers are frequently boring.
A useful shortcut:
Helpful ≠ Assumption
Required = Assumption
20-SECOND PRETHINK SYSTEM
After reading the stimulus classify it into one of these buckets:
Causal?
Plan?
Survey?
Analogy?
Prediction?
Correlation?
Recommendation?
Market/Competition?
Then ask:
What must be true for this conclusion to survive?
That single question is the essence of every Assumption question.
A high scorer is not looking for what helps the argument.
A high scorer is looking for what the author cannot afford to be wrong about.
Core Rule: Every assumption question contains Facts → Gap → Conclusion. Your job is to find the missing bridge. The correct answer is not usually new evidence. The correct answer is not usually a summary. The correct answer is something the author must believe.
MASTER FAMILY 1 — CAUSAL ASSUMPTION
Structure: A happened. Then B happened. Therefore A caused B.
Need: No alternative cause.
Example: The company increased advertising. Sales increased. Therefore the advertising caused the sales increase.
Prethink: What else could have caused sales?
Correct GMAT answers: The company did not simultaneously make another major change affecting sales. Demand for the product category did not increase independently. Competitors did not experience similar sales increases for unrelated reasons.
Common trap answers: Advertising reached many consumers. The company spent a lot of money. Sales increased significantly. These strengthen but are not necessary.
MASTER FAMILY 2 — PLAN / RECOMMENDATION
Most common official pattern.
Structure: We should do X because X will produce Y.
Need: X can actually produce Y.
Example: The city should build more bicycle lanes. This will reduce traffic congestion.
Prethink: Will people actually switch?
Correct GMAT answers: A substantial number of commuters would use bicycles if additional lanes were available.
Common trap answers: Bicycles are environmentally friendly. Many cities have bicycle lanes. Cyclists prefer safe roads.
MASTER FAMILY 3 — REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE
Structure: Sample says X. Therefore population says X.
Need: Sample represents population.
Example: A survey of company volunteers found high morale. Therefore employee morale is high.
Prethink: Are volunteers representative?
Correct GMAT answers: The employees who volunteered are representative of the workforce.
Common trap answers: The survey was anonymous. The survey included many questions. The survey was professionally designed.
MASTER FAMILY 4 — ANALOGY
Structure: A and B are similar. A worked. Therefore B will work.
Need: Relevant similarity.
Example: Marketing strategy succeeded in Company A. Therefore it will succeed in Company B.
Prethink: Are the important factors similar?
Correct GMAT answers: The factors responsible for the strategy's success in Company A are present in Company B.
MASTER FAMILY 5 — NO ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATION
Structure: Observed result. One explanation offered.
Need: No stronger explanation.
Example: Employee productivity increased. Training caused the increase.
Prethink: What else changed?
Correct GMAT answers: No other major changes affecting productivity occurred during the same period.
MASTER FAMILY 6 — PREDICTION
Structure: X will happen in the future because of Y.
Need: Future resembles expectation.
Example: Demand will increase next year because population is increasing.
Prethink: Will other factors remain favorable?
Correct GMAT answers: No major changes will substantially reduce demand.
MASTER FAMILY 7 — NECESSARY CONDITION
Classic assumption pattern.
Structure: Need A to get B. Therefore do A.
Need: A is required.
Example: The company must hire more engineers to complete the project.
Prethink: Could the project be completed another way?
Correct GMAT answers: The project cannot be completed on schedule without additional engineering capacity.
MASTER FAMILY 8 — VALUE / OBJECTIVE ASSUMPTION
Structure: We should do X.
Need: Goal is desirable.
Example: The company should automate operations because automation reduces labor costs.
Prethink: Why is reducing labor costs good?
Correct GMAT answers: Reducing labor costs would benefit the company.
MASTER FAMILY 9 — COMPETITOR / MARKET ASSUMPTION
Very common.
Structure: Our action → Expected result.
Need: Others won't destroy result.
Example: Lowering prices will increase market share.
Prethink: What if competitors respond?
Correct GMAT answers: Competitors will not lower prices enough to eliminate the advantage.
MASTER FAMILY 10 — CORRELATION ASSUMPTION
Favorite hard pattern.
Structure: A is associated with B. Therefore A causes B.
Need: Correlation reflects causation.
Example: People who exercise live longer. Therefore exercise causes longevity.
Prethink: Could healthier people simply exercise more?
Correct GMAT answers: The relationship is not entirely explained by pre-existing differences in health.
NEGATION TEST MASTERBOOK
For assumption questions, the fastest high-level technique is Negation.
Process:
Read conclusion.
Find gap.
Predict assumption family.
Check answer.
Negate answer.
Ask: Does the argument collapse?
If YES → Correct assumption.
If NO → Not necessary.
Example:
Argument: Advertising increased. Sales increased. Therefore advertising caused sales increase.
Answer: No other major factor increased sales.
Negation: Another major factor increased sales.
Result: The argument collapses.
Therefore the answer is correct.
MOST COMMON ASSUMPTION GAPS
When reading the stimulus, immediately ask:
Cause? → Alternative cause?
Plan? → Will it actually work?
Survey? → Representative?
Analogy? → Relevant similarity?
Prediction? → Future stable?
Correlation? → Reverse causation?
Recommendation? → Desired outcome?
Market action? → Competitor response?
OPTION EVALUATION CHECKLIST
For every answer ask:
Is this required?
Or merely helpful?
The correct answer must be required.
Strong answers are often wrong.
Extreme answers are often wrong.
Useful answers are often wrong.
Necessary answers are frequently boring.
A useful shortcut:
Helpful ≠ Assumption
Required = Assumption
20-SECOND PRETHINK SYSTEM
After reading the stimulus classify it into one of these buckets:
Causal?
Plan?
Survey?
Analogy?
Prediction?
Correlation?
Recommendation?
Market/Competition?
Then ask:
What must be true for this conclusion to survive?
That single question is the essence of every Assumption question.
A high scorer is not looking for what helps the argument.
A high scorer is looking for what the author cannot afford to be wrong about.
ankushsambare
Joined: 13 Jun 2022
Last visit: 12 Sep 2026
Posts: 316
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 230
Location: India
Schools: ISB '27 Wharton '26 INSEAD Aug '26
GPA: 2.4
Products:
20 Jun 2026, 10:47
Kudos
Bookmarks
Nice masterbook!
I would really appreciate it if you could create similar guides for other Critical Reasoning question types, such as Inference questions.
It would be especially helpful if you could explain, in detail, how to approach and attack each question type, including the key strategies, common traps, and step-by-step solving methods.
I would really appreciate it if you could create similar guides for other Critical Reasoning question types, such as Inference questions.
It would be especially helpful if you could explain, in detail, how to approach and attack each question type, including the key strategies, common traps, and step-by-step solving methods.
Moderators:
