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24 Jan 2025, 03:02
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IT Consultant: In the late 2000s, surveys indicated that many small businesses were not updating their software regularly due to high costs. Consequently, software companies began offering affordable subscriptions that had new version updates included into them. By the late 2010s, IT support companies reported a higher frequency of calls from small businesses related to software updates. Therefore, despite the potential ongoing cost concerns, the rate of software updates among small businesses must have increased significantly over the decade.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
A. Most of the IT support calls related to software issues occurred during business hours when the volume of software use was highest.
B. The affordable update subscriptions were offered equally to all business sectors, including both small and large companies.
C. IT support companies noted that calls about software integration issues were more frequent during major software release cycles.
D. Throughout the 2010s, regulatory requirements for data security in software were more strictly enforced than policies on software update compliance.
E. The number of small businesses in the region increased significantly during the 2010s.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
A. Most of the IT support calls related to software issues occurred during business hours when the volume of software use was highest.
B. The affordable update subscriptions were offered equally to all business sectors, including both small and large companies.
C. IT support companies noted that calls about software integration issues were more frequent during major software release cycles.
D. Throughout the 2010s, regulatory requirements for data security in software were more strictly enforced than policies on software update compliance.
E. The number of small businesses in the region increased significantly during the 2010s.
24 Jan 2025, 03:02
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Official Solution:
IT Consultant: In the late 2000s, surveys indicated that many small businesses were not updating their software regularly due to high costs. Consequently, software companies began offering affordable subscriptions that had new version updates included into them. By the late 2010s, IT support companies reported a higher frequency of calls from small businesses related to software updates. Therefore, despite the potential ongoing cost concerns, the rate of software updates among small businesses must have increased significantly over the decade.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
A. Most of the IT support calls related to software issues occurred during business hours when the volume of software use was highest.
B. The affordable update subscriptions were offered equally to all business sectors, including both small and large companies.
C. IT support companies noted that calls about software integration issues were more frequent during major software release cycles.
D. Throughout the 2010s, regulatory requirements for data security in software were more strictly enforced than policies on software update compliance.
E. The number of small businesses in the region increased significantly during the 2010s.
The argument states that since there are now more support calls from small businesses about updates and that is the reason the argument concludes there are more updates being installed, and thus more small businesses are updating their software. There are a few assumptions here, one is that there are consistent rates of support needed; two, that the number of companies has not increased. If we can deny one of these assumptions, the argument would be seriously weakened.
(A) Incorrect. The timing of support calls doesn't help undermine the argument about increased rate of software updates; quite the opposite; it supports the argument and makes it stronger. Eliminate.
(B) Incorrect. This answer choice does hint a bit about a possible conflict in case the small and big businesses generate a different rate of call volume, but the text tells us that the call volume from small businesses has gone up about updates, so we can ignore this answer choice - it does not help us in weakening the conclusion.
(C) Incorrect: This strengthens the argument, opposite of what we need, by stating that the updates were driving up the call volume.
(D) Incorrect: The enforcement of data security does not address the frequency or reasons behind software update-related support calls. Irrelevant. Eliminate.
(E) Correct Answer: This answer choice provides an alternative explanation for the increase in IT support calls related to software updates.. A higher number of small businesses overall could lead to more support calls even if individual businesses did not update their software more frequently.
Answer: E
IT Consultant: In the late 2000s, surveys indicated that many small businesses were not updating their software regularly due to high costs. Consequently, software companies began offering affordable subscriptions that had new version updates included into them. By the late 2010s, IT support companies reported a higher frequency of calls from small businesses related to software updates. Therefore, despite the potential ongoing cost concerns, the rate of software updates among small businesses must have increased significantly over the decade.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
A. Most of the IT support calls related to software issues occurred during business hours when the volume of software use was highest.
B. The affordable update subscriptions were offered equally to all business sectors, including both small and large companies.
C. IT support companies noted that calls about software integration issues were more frequent during major software release cycles.
D. Throughout the 2010s, regulatory requirements for data security in software were more strictly enforced than policies on software update compliance.
E. The number of small businesses in the region increased significantly during the 2010s.
The argument states that since there are now more support calls from small businesses about updates and that is the reason the argument concludes there are more updates being installed, and thus more small businesses are updating their software. There are a few assumptions here, one is that there are consistent rates of support needed; two, that the number of companies has not increased. If we can deny one of these assumptions, the argument would be seriously weakened.
(A) Incorrect. The timing of support calls doesn't help undermine the argument about increased rate of software updates; quite the opposite; it supports the argument and makes it stronger. Eliminate.
(B) Incorrect. This answer choice does hint a bit about a possible conflict in case the small and big businesses generate a different rate of call volume, but the text tells us that the call volume from small businesses has gone up about updates, so we can ignore this answer choice - it does not help us in weakening the conclusion.
(C) Incorrect: This strengthens the argument, opposite of what we need, by stating that the updates were driving up the call volume.
(D) Incorrect: The enforcement of data security does not address the frequency or reasons behind software update-related support calls. Irrelevant. Eliminate.
(E) Correct Answer: This answer choice provides an alternative explanation for the increase in IT support calls related to software updates.. A higher number of small businesses overall could lead to more support calls even if individual businesses did not update their software more frequently.
Answer: E
27 Sep 2025, 00:28
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i understood "Higher frequency of calls from small business" as no. of calls from each small business thats why E didnt make sense initially. It can be easily confused since small businesses are not compared to any other size of business.
