LSAT Short Arguments - How to ID + Process Assumption Sufficient and Assumption Necessary Questions

Question 1

“Assumption required…”

“which of the following is an assumption the argument requires for its conclusion to be properly drawn…”

“Assumption necessary…”

“Assumption upon which the argument depends/relies/needs” (depends is a reliable indicator)

“Assumption underlies argument…”

“Principle underlying…”

“Assumption on which the argument is based…:

“on the grounds that the argument PRESUMES…”

Answer 1

Assumption Necessary NEC: DO NOT PICK OVERLY STRONG LANGUAGE

think: do I NEEEED to know?? (and do negation test negation of correct AC will kill argument)

note if question stem has language that doesn’t fit into Necessary or Sufficient, it is Necessary q type (e.g. “The argument assumes…” is NEC)

(ACs will provide information that is *needed* for the *CONCLUSION* of main argument to be true)

Process:

1. ID conclusion of main argument
2. Distill Evidence
3. Find the ASSUMPTION

WANT WEAK LANGUAGE for correct AC in Necessary Qs

Ask yourself “Do I need to know?” for each AC and some ACs will be extra, but correct AC will be what you need to know

Negation Test of correct AC in ASS-NEC questions will kill the validity of the main argument’s conclusion. Not so in SUF Qs.

Note there are 4 types of Qs where you take Evidence AND all the ACs as Golden Gospel Truth: Ass-Wkn, Ass-Str, Sit-pradox, and Ass-suff

Note “many” and “some” in Strengthen and Weaken and Dox and Suf ACs should be read as “two”

Question 2

“which makes the conclusion follow logically…”

“conclusion properly inferred if which of the following is assumed” (don’t let the *assumed* trick you into thinking it’s ass-nec)

“which makes the conclusion properly drawn…”

“justify the conclusion...”

“Conclusion will follow logically if AC is true…”

“Conclusion will be properly drawn if AC is true…”

“AC justifies the conclusion…”

“Conclusion can be properly inferred if which of the following is assumed”

Answer 2

Assumption Sufficient: Note with an Assumption Sufficient Q with very strong conclusion like PT 76.3.14 (counterfeits) which is an Extreme Conclusion flaw, you need AC language that is as strong or stronger than Conclusion

think, is my AC STRONG ENOUGH AND BROAD ENOUGH?? Beware, the correct AC can be much stronger and broader than you need!! An Assumption-Sufficient correct AC can NEVER be too strong, unlike Ass-Nec. So it it may feel weird in comparison to an Assumption - Necessary. But that is the nature of Assumption Sufficient. E.g. if the assumption is 2+ feet on ground –> ~Running, then a correct Ass-Suf AC could be “To run, all feet must be off the ground” even though it seems overkilll.

note if question stem has language that doesn’t fit into Necessary or Sufficient, it is Necessary q type (e.g. “The argument assumes…” is NEC)

(correct AC will PROVE the conclusion to be true, or even go MUCH FARTHER than PROVE)

Is it enough??

PREFER STRONG LANGUAGE AC in Sufficient (unlike NEC, which prefers WEAK)

Note there are 4 types of Qs where you take Evidence AND all the ACs as Golden Gospel Truth: Ass-Wkn, Ass-Str, Sit-pradox, and Ass-suff

Process:

1. ID conclusion
2. Distill Evidence
3. Find the ASSUMPTION

Correct AC must address TICNIE (i.e. fully prove EVERY aspect of conclusion, but don’t worry if all evidence of main argument is not covered)