How to Solve Critical Reasoning Questions

kant

New member
The Critical Reasoning Challenge

Do you like to point out the assumptions in others' arguments? Do you like to home in on logical flaws like a detective, and analyze precisely how arguments could be made better, or worse? Then CAT Critical Reasoning is for you. So start dissecting op-ed pieces and cutting the contestants on television debates down to size. When you see your CAT score, you'll be glad you did!

Which of the following can be most properly inferred from the passage above?

(A) Mastering the Critical Reasoning question type will ensure an excellent CAT score.
(B) No question type contained on the CAT is represented in more sections of the CAT than is Critical Reasoning.
(C) Op-ed pieces and television debates contain content that is related in some way to material tested in CAT Critical Reasoning.
(D) Logical flaws and assumptions are question types that appear only on the CAT.
(E) Thinking like a detective has no impact on one's CAT score.

Explanation: Choice (C) is correct. The final two sentences strongly imply that dissecting op-eds and debates will lead to a higher score, which, in fact, it certainly can. There must therefore be some relation between CAT content and the content of these forums. As for the others: Mastering Critical Reasoning is necessary to achieve a top CAT score, but is not sufficient; one must ace the other content areas of the test as well. So (A) is not inferable. There's no basis for (B) either—the number of sections on the test is outside the scope of the argument. (D) isn't inferable.

For all we know, other tests such as the NTSE test these same areas. And (E) represents the opposite of what the passage suggests: The instructor strongly implies that the proclivity for playing detective is relevant to (hence, inferably bodes well for) one's Critical Reasoning performance.

So win arguments! Prove people wrong! Amaze your friends! Be the life of the party! Get 100 in the CAT! ... Just a few of the many and varied uses of the ability to master the subtle art of Critical Reasoning.

Disclaimer: Hacking through the bogus arguments of others and/or demonstrating superior logical acumen in everyday conversation will NOT make you the most popular person in town. However, the ability to do so will do wonders for your CAT score. The purpose of this section is to help you hone your critical thinking skills through practice on some of the toughest Critical Reasoning material around.
 

kant

New member
USING THE CRITICAL REASONING QUESTIONS IN THIS THREAD
This section is broken up into chapters that detail various difficulties commonly encountered in CAT Critical Reasoning. It is designed to allow you to learn as you go and to apply your learning to subsequent questions as you progress through the section.

In chapter 1 you'll be introduced to seven major categories of difficult Critical Reasoning questions, each highlighted by an example.
In chapter 2 you'll find seven more questions that test whether or not you can recognize the distinctions and logical elements introduced in the first group.
Chapter 3 offers 28 additional questions representative of all the elements and forms discussed in the previous chapters.
 

kant

New member
STRATEGIES FOR CRITICAL REASONING
Here are a few general pointers to keep in mind when tackling all Critical Reasoning questions, but especially the challenging questions like the ones you're about to see:

Keep your eye out for the author's evidence, conclusion, and any assumptions relied upon in the argument. The wordiness and logical subtlety of the questions that follow often cause test-takers to lose sight of what's actually being said, and it's nearly impossible to answer questions like these correctly when one is foggy about the specifics. The conclusion is the "what" of the matter; the evidence is the reasons "why" the author feels entitled to make that particular claim; and assumptions are any missing premises that are nonetheless needed in order for the conclusion to stand.

Paraphrase the text. You can get a leg up on tough text by simplifying the passage's ideas and translating them into your own words. The same goes for the longer Reading Comprehension passages.

Familiarize yourself with the common Critical Reasoning concepts tested. Review the logical elements and structures discussed throughout the section, and look to recognize which of them are present in each Critical Reasoning question you encounter in this book as well as in any other questions you practice with during your CAT preparation. While the specific subjects you'll encounter (names, places, scenarios, etc.) will naturally be different from those you'll see on your test, the underlying logical patterns remain incredibly consistent. Use the questions and explanations that follow to get to know them.
 

kant

New member
Seven Categories of Difficult Critical Reasoning Questions

1. NUMBERS AND STATISTICS
The CAT test makers just love their statistics. Perhaps that's because statistics are used these days—often fallaciously—to supposedly "prove" or justify just about anything. That makes numbers and statistics a particularly fertile ground for Weaken the Argument questions, or, as in the present case, a plain old Inference question that requires us to simply interpret the stats.

1. The paintings of French painter Trianne Dejere sold best in the period following the production of La Triumph, now Dejere's most famous piece. In the 12-month period preceding the unveiling of this piece, Dejere sold 57% of the works she produced in this period, a far greater percentage than in previous years. In the 12-month period following a glowing review of La Triumph in a popular magazine, however, Dejere sold 85% of the paintings she produced. Interestingly, Dejere's revenue from painting sales was roughly the same in both periods, since she sold the same number of paintings in the 12 months before presenting La Triumph as she did in the 12 months following the favorable review.

Which of the following statements can be properly concluded from the passage, if the information above is true?

(A) Due to the positive review, Dejere was able to charge substantially more for the works produced after La Triumph than the works produced before it.
(B) Dejere was more concerned with positive reviews than with increasing the prices of her paintings.
(C) The positive review of La Triumph brought Dejere's work to the attention of more art collectors than were previously aware of her work.
(D) Dejere painted fewer works in the 12-month period following the review of La Triumph than she had in the 12-month period preceding its unveiling.
(E) Dejere paid more attention to marketing her paintings after La Triumph received such a positive reception.

Explanation: The Paintings of Trianne Dejere
1. Trianne Dejere's paintings sold best after she revealed her most famous piece. In the twelve months before that unveiling, she sold 57% of her works. In the 12 months following the unveiling, she sold 85% of her works. Nevertheless, in both periods, she sold the same number of paintings.

_______________________________________________________________________

SUBODH KANT zeroes in on percents and ratios, knowing that the test makers often test his ability to distinguish between rates and raw numbers._______________________________________________________________________

We need to consider what conclusion this evidence would support. If 57% equals the same number of paintings before the unveiling as 85% equals after the unveiling, then Dejere must have produced more paintings in the period before the unveiling; that's the only way that the numbers could work out. (D) states this from the other angle: Dejere must have painted fewer paintings after the unveiling. (D) is the correct answer.

(A) The author tells us that revenue from both periods is equal since Dejere sells the same number of paintings in both. Therefore, if she had charged more in the second period, she would have made more money than she had in the first, which would contradict the stimulus. Because this is inconsistent with the passage, it certainly can't be inferred from it.

(B) The information given pertains solely to the hard facts of the matter: the number sold and revenues gained during different time periods. (B) is therefore outside of the scope of the argument, since the author never mentions Dejere's motivations for painting. We can't reasonably conclude anything about her "concerns" here.

(C), if anything, might suggest thai Dejere sold more paintings in the second period, which the stimulus explicitly contradicts. Further, (lie stimulus provides no information about how art collectors might have responded to the review, giving us no basis to form a conclusion about those collectors.

(E) might also suggest that sales would be higher in the second period, but we know that the sales were the same. However, there's really no reason to look this deeply into it. The main reason for chopping (E) is because marketing is never discussed.
_______________________________________________________________________

SUBODH KANT does not read more into a stimulus than what's given._______________________________________________________________________
 

kant

New member
2. SURVEYS AND STUDIES
This category is intimately related to the previous one. More often than not, the surveys, studies, and occasional experiments that show up in Critical Reasoning questions are backed by numbers and percentages, and we can almost consider these two types as one big category. However, it's worth breaking them up because 1) surveys and studies have their own predictable patterns on the CAT, and 2) they don't always involve numbers or percentages, and sometimes, when they do, as is the case in question 2 here, the numerical info is secondary to the mechanisms of the study itself. You'll be seeing quite a few surveys and studies in the pages that follow.

_______________________________________________________________________

SUBODH KANT approaches a Critical Reasoning survey, study, or experiment with skepticism, knowing full well that it might be testing an understanding of how these presentations of information can go awry._______________________________________________________________________

2. A social worker surveyed 200 women who recently had given birth to their first child. Half of these women had chosen to give birth in a hospital or obstetric clinic; the other half had chosen to give birth at home under the care of certified midwives. Of the 100 births that occurred at home, only five had presented any substantial complications, whereas 17 of the hospital births had required extra attention because of complications during delivery. The social worker concluded from this survey that the home is actually a safer environment in which to give birth than is a hospital or clinic.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously calls the social worker's conclusion above into question?

(A) All of the women in the study who were diagnosed as having a high possibility of delivery complications elected to give birth in a hospital.
(B) Many obstetricians discourage their patients from giving birth in their own homes.
(C) Women who give birth in their own homes tend to experience less stress - during labor and delivery than do those who deliver in hospitals.
(D) Women who give birth in hospitals and clinics often have shorter periods of labor than do those who give birth at home.
(E) Pregnant doctors prefer giving birth in a hospital.

Explanation: Home Births
2. Here's a very typical example of how surveys appear in CAT Critical Reasoning. A social worker surveys 100 women who chose to give birth in a hospital, and 100 who chose to have their babies at home. The social worker concludes that the home is the safer environment in which to give birth, based entirely on the fact that in the sample studied, there were more cases of complications in the hospital. She assumes that the environment was responsible for the number of complications, and overlooks any other possible reason for the survey results. (A) weakens the argument by providing such an alternate reason for the statistical disparity: Women who were at high risk for complications all decided to give birth in a hospital. In other words, the study was skewed; the women in the two groups (the 100 who gave birth in the home and the 100 who gave birth in the hospital) were not equally likely to have complications to begin with. (A) is correct.

_______________________________________________________________________

SUBODH KANT scrutinizes the sample groups used in surveys presented in Critical Reasoning questions, looking for disparities in the data or characteristics of the groups involved that may invalidate the survey._______________________________________________________________________

(B) and (E) both make inappropriate appeals to authority—the fact that many doctors prefer hospital births alters neither the results of the study nor the conclusion drawn from these results.

_______________________________________________________________________

SUBODH KANT is not fooled by appeals to authority. She knows that conclusions must be backed up by solid evidence, not by the opinions or actions of experts._______________________________________________________________________

(C) provides the opposite of what we're looking for—it strengthens the argument by providing a possible reason why home births are safer.
(D) The point at issue is where it's safer to give birth, not the respective labor times. Since there's no evidence that shorter labors are safer labors, (D) doesn't weaken the argument.
 

kant

New member
3. SCOPE SHIFTS
Have you ever been in an argument in which you just know that your opponent is pulling a fast one, but you can't quite put your finger on the flaw in his argument? Perhaps, somewhere along the way, he subtly changed the direction of the argument. This is a classic argumentative technique; in fact, one that the CAT test makers are quite fond of. In some Critical Reasoning questions, the author introduces a subtle distinction that slightly alters or shifts the scope or focus of the argument, as in the following example:

Educators have been complaining that salaries are not high enough to draw enough top applicants to teaching jobs at the high school level. This is clearly absurd; there is tierce competition for teaching jobs at all levels, with many candidates vying for each new job that opens up.

Do you see the scope shift? The claim that the author attempts to refute deals with top applicants, whereas the evidence that the author provides for her rebuttal involves applicants n; general. It may seem like a minor difference, applicants vs. top applicants, but it opens up a logical chasm. This is exactly the type of subtle distinction the test makers like to exploit. Such distinctions provide great material, especially for Assumption, Weaken the Argument, and Logical Flaw questions. They show up both in passages and choices. Now give this question a try:

3. It is mistaken to attribute Zanco's failure to the publicity about the supposedly inhuman working conditions in the foreign factories that furnish Zanco with many of its parts. Zanco's failure has more to do with defects in its products than with any boycott on moral grounds. After all, plenty of other companies are supplied by factories with working conditions just as bad as those in Zanco's suppliers, and the public does not hesitate to buy their products.

The argument in the passage is based on which of the following assumptions?
(A) People are unlikely to let moral considerations affect what products they decide to purchase.
(B) People who patronize companies supplied by factories where working conditions are as bad as those of Zanco's suppliers are aware of those conditions.
(C) The working conditions in the factories that supply Zanco with parts are not as bad as has been claimed.
(D) Zanco's sales did not dip sharply after the poor working conditions in its suppliers' factories became known.
(E) The poor quality of Zanco's products is not a result of the working conditions in the foreign factories where its parts are manufactured.

Explanation: Zanco's Failure
3. The assertion that Zanco's failure is not due to publicity about poor working conditions in its suppliers' factories only makes sense if those who buy the products of those other companies are aware of the bad working conditions in their suppliers' factories. After all, if people bought products from the other companies without knowing that they too were supplied by sweatshop-style factories, the comparison would be moot and the logic of the argument would go down the drain. The scope shift centers around the word "publicity." The conclusion that Zanco's failure was not due to publicity about bad working conditions is backed up by evidence concerning companies with bad working conditions that says nothing about publicity. Publicity is a key feature of the conclusion, but drops off the map in the evidence, and therein lies the scope shift and the necessity of (B), the correct answer.

(A) Even if people are likely to base purchasing decisions on moral considerations, it doesn't weaken the conclusion that people didn't do this in the case of Zanco.

(C) The point isn't that the working conditions of Zanco's suppliers have been unfairly exaggerated, but that these conditions are not a factor in the company's failure. It wouldn't affect the argument if, contrary to (C), working conditions are just as bad as the negative publicity claims.
(D) Even if Zanco's sales did dip sharply after people found out about the poor working conditions, we couldn't conclude that the dip resulted from the public's refusal to buy Zanco's products on moral grounds—the sales dip could have easily resulted from something else and merely coincided with the public's learning of the factory conditions.
(E) It doesn't matter whether or not there's a connection between the poor quality of the products and the lousy working conditions — the existence or lack of such a connection doesn't affect the logic of the argument.
 

wishmaster

New member
This is an excellent illustration of how to tackle tricky Reasoning questions. Thanks Kant for elaborating the various categories that the questions fall under. Looking forward to lots more articles similar to the one in this thread.
 

kartik

Kartik Raichura
Staff member
This is an excellent illustration of how to tackle tricky Reasoning questions. Thanks Kant for elaborating the various categories that the questions fall under. Looking forward to lots more articles similar to the one in this thread.

Expecting the same from your side too.

Share your experiences, make friends and enjoy. Welcome to MP.
 

arulprakash

New member
3. SCOPE SHIFTS
Have you ever been in an argument in which you just know that your opponent is pulling a fast one, but you can't quite put your finger on the flaw in his argument? Perhaps, somewhere along the way, he subtly changed the direction of the argument. This is a classic argumentative technique; in fact, one that the CAT test makers are quite fond of. In some Critical Reasoning questions, the author introduces a subtle distinction that slightly alters or shifts the scope or focus of the argument, as in the following example:

Educators have been complaining that salaries are not high enough to draw enough top applicants to teaching jobs at the high school level. This is clearly absurd; there is tierce competition for teaching jobs at all levels, with many candidates vying for each new job that opens up.

Do you see the scope shift? The claim that the author attempts to refute deals with top applicants, whereas the evidence that the author provides for her rebuttal involves applicants n; general. It may seem like a minor difference, applicants vs. top applicants, but it opens up a logical chasm. This is exactly the type of subtle distinction the test makers like to exploit. Such distinctions provide great material, especially for Assumption, Weaken the Argument, and Logical Flaw questions. They show up both in passages and choices. Now give this question a try:

3. It is mistaken to attribute Zanco's failure to the publicity about the supposedly inhuman working conditions in the foreign factories that furnish Zanco with many of its parts. Zanco's failure has more to do with defects in its products than with any boycott on moral grounds. After all, plenty of other companies are supplied by factories with working conditions just as bad as those in Zanco's suppliers, and the public does not hesitate to buy their products.

The argument in the passage is based on which of the following assumptions?
(A) People are unlikely to let moral considerations affect what products they decide to purchase.
(B) People who patronize companies supplied by factories where working conditions are as bad as those of Zanco's suppliers are aware of those conditions.
(C) The working conditions in the factories that supply Zanco with parts are not as bad as has been claimed.
(D) Zanco's sales did not dip sharply after the poor working conditions in its suppliers' factories became known.
(E) The poor quality of Zanco's products is not a result of the working conditions in the foreign factories where its parts are manufactured.

Explanation: Zanco's Failure
3. The assertion that Zanco's failure is not due to publicity about poor working conditions in its suppliers' factories only makes sense if those who buy the products of those other companies are aware of the bad working conditions in their suppliers' factories. After all, if people bought products from the other companies without knowing that they too were supplied by sweatshop-style factories, the comparison would be moot and the logic of the argument would go down the drain. The scope shift centers around the word "publicity." The conclusion that Zanco's failure was not due to publicity about bad working conditions is backed up by evidence concerning companies with bad working conditions that says nothing about publicity. Publicity is a key feature of the conclusion, but drops off the map in the evidence, and therein lies the scope shift and the necessity of (B), the correct answer.

(A) Even if people are likely to base purchasing decisions on moral considerations, it doesn't weaken the conclusion that people didn't do this in the case of Zanco.

(C) The point isn't that the working conditions of Zanco's suppliers have been unfairly exaggerated, but that these conditions are not a factor in the company's failure. It wouldn't affect the argument if, contrary to (C), working conditions are just as bad as the negative publicity claims.
(D) Even if Zanco's sales did dip sharply after people found out about the poor working conditions, we couldn't conclude that the dip resulted from the public's refusal to buy Zanco's products on moral grounds—the sales dip could have easily resulted from something else and merely coincided with the public's learning of the factory conditions.
(E) It doesn't matter whether or not there's a connection between the poor quality of the products and the lousy working conditions — the existence or lack of such a connection doesn't affect the logic of the argument.



WELL this article was really useful:SugarwareZ-190:, Though i find very less importance for crictical reasoning in the aimcat series, I expect these questions to pop up in XAT and may be in CAT.:)thanku
 

amolkimmatkar

New member
Re: How to Solve Critical Reasoning Questions Re: How to Solve Critical Reasoning Questions Re: How to Solve Critical Reasoning Questions Re: How to Solve Critical Reasoning Questions Re: How to Solve Critical Reasoning Questions Re: How to Solve Critical Reasoning Questions
 
Process for all CR questions

Step 1: Identify the question.

Step 2: Deconstruct the argument.

Step 3: State the Goal.

Step 4: Work from wrong to right.
 
The Critical Reasoning Challenge

Do you like to point out the assumptions in others' arguments? Do you like to home in on logical flaws like a detective, and analyze precisely how arguments could be made better, or worse? Then CAT Critical Reasoning is for you. So start dissecting op-ed pieces and cutting the contestants on television debates down to size. When you see your CAT score, you'll be glad you did!

Which of the following can be most properly inferred from the passage above?

(A) Mastering the Critical Reasoning question type will ensure an excellent CAT score.
(B) No question type contained on the CAT is represented in more sections of the CAT than is Critical Reasoning.
(C) Op-ed pieces and television debates contain content that is related in some way to material tested in CAT Critical Reasoning.
(D) Logical flaws and assumptions are question types that appear only on the CAT.
(E) Thinking like a detective has no impact on one's CAT score.

Explanation: Choice (C) is correct. The final two sentences strongly imply that dissecting op-eds and debates will lead to a higher score, which, in fact, it certainly can. There must therefore be some relation between CAT content and the content of these forums. As for the others: Mastering Critical Reasoning is necessary to achieve a top CAT score, but is not sufficient; one must ace the other content areas of the test as well. So (A) is not inferable. There's no basis for (B) either—the number of sections on the test is outside the scope of the argument. (D) isn't inferable.

For all we know, other tests such as the NTSE test these same areas. And (E) represents the opposite of what the passage suggests: The instructor strongly implies that the proclivity for playing detective is relevant to (hence, inferably bodes well for) one's Critical Reasoning performance.

So win arguments! Prove people wrong! Amaze your friends! Be the life of the party! Get 100 in the CAT! ... Just a few of the many and varied uses of the ability to master the subtle art of Critical Reasoning.

Disclaimer: Hacking through the bogus arguments of others and/or demonstrating superior logical acumen in everyday conversation will NOT make you the most popular person in town. However, the ability to do so will do wonders for your CAT score. The purpose of this section is to help you hone your critical thinking skills through practice on some of the toughest Critical Reasoning material around.

It is very important topic for the ones who are preparing for the CAT like exams because critical reasoning problems seem to be very difficult and time consuming. I want to add a document where you will find some great tactics for solving these critical problems.
 

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