Critical Reasoning Flashcards
How are evidence and facts used in CR questions?
Evidence and facts are never used to support arguments. If something is presented as a fact, it must be considered as a fact.
Can we use common sense in CR? As in, can we assume with enough facts that are presented?
In GMAT Critical Reasoning, we can, and are expected to, use common sense to determine what the logical implications of statements in the passages and answer choices are.
Steps for approaching weaken argument questions
- Carefully read and understand the passage.
- Read the question stem and identify what it is asking you to do.
- Go back to the passage and determine exactly what the conclusion of the argument is.
- Identify how the conclusion is supported.
- Remove choices that strengthen the argument or rather obviously have no effect on the argument.
- Choose the answer choice that most clearly weakens the argument.
For weaken the argument questions, do we need to destroy the argument?
No. To weaken an argument, all we must do is cast a reasonable amount of doubt that the argument is sound.
In answering a Weaken the Argument Question, do not discount an answer choice just because it brings up a new topic.
All correct answers to Weaken the Argument questions will bring up new information, and it’s important to understand that information that does not resemble the information that makes up the argument is not the same as irrelevant information.
Weaken the argument: generalization of group questions
Be cautious if a generalization made about all members of a group is based on characteristics of members of a sample taken from that group.
How to approach facts/premises in CR questions?
The correct answer to a Weaken the Argument question will never be one that attacks a premise of the argument, because premises in GMAT arguments are taken to be true and therefore cannot be undermined.
