Strengthen or weaken vs. find the assumption or flaw questions

Question

I have looked everywhere but can't seem to find an explanation for this.

To me, weaken questions look the same as 'find the flaw questions' while strengthen questions look the same as 'find the assumption' questions.

How can I differentiate strengthen and weaken vs. find the assumption/flaw questions?

I understand that I can differentiate the questions by looking at the question examples, but I'm looking for an explanation here. There's no point in identifying the questions if I don't know what I'm supposed to do.

avigutman · Answer

sushi600  They're similar. If your job is to weaken an argument, you have to first find a flaw in that argument, and then pick an answer that would attack that flaw. So, in a way, weaken questions require one extra step compared to find-the-flaw questions.

These are quite different. An assumption is a fact without which the argument becomes nonsensical. In other words, pick an answer that  the argument absolutely depends on if the argument is to make any sense at all . A strengthening answer choice, on the other hand, is something that is a "nice to have". The argument is still a sensible argument without that strengthener, but with it the argument is stronger than it was without it.

Archit3110 · Answer

Not sure of the source from where you have studied CR.
Well for CR questions you need to find the premise , assumption and conclusion of the argument.
Based on the question type you then need to find answer choice to strengthen or weaken the conclusion
In the case of assumption questions , once you have determine the conclusion then use negation test to weaken the conclusion correct choice will break the conclusion..

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

Assumption questions look for something absolutely vital for the argument to work.

Strengthen questions look for something lending additional support. They aren't absolutely necessary.

vv65 · Answer

The quick way to identify a Weaken or Strengthen question is the phrase IF TRUE.
You will see the phrase IF TRUE in Weaken questions, in Strengthen questions, and also in Explain/Resolve the Paradox questions.

More details now.
For Weaken and Strengthen questions, each answer choice will contain new information, ie new FACTS. 
You have to see whether this new information is relevant to the argument.

Difference Between Flaw and Weaken Questions  
In Flaw questions, the right answer simply describes a flaw in the argument's reasoning.
The answer choices do not contain new facts. 
The answers describe what may (or may not) be flaws in the argument. Or they may describe something that could go wrong with the plan.

There really isn't any difference in how we do the questions. And sometimes the answer to a Flaw question is almost the same as the answer to a weaken question.

For example, here is an answer to a Flaw question:  Delays caused by weather and other uncontrollable factors  could have increased  dramatically during the year under discussion.

The Weaken version of the same question could have this answer:  Delays caused by weather and other uncontrollable factors  increased  dramatically during the year under discussion.

At other times, the answer to the Flaw question is nothing like an answer to a Weaken question. For example:  known risks can be weighed against known benefits, but unknown risks cannot

Difference Between Strengthen and Assumption Questions 
An Assumption is necessarily true. 
It may not be sufficient, as the argument may depend on multiple assumptions.

A strengthener is NOT necessary to the argument. It makes the argument or plan more believable, more likely to be true.

VerbalBot · Answer

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Strengthen or weaken vs. find the assumption or flaw questions

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